House Cleaning... You are Doing It Wrong
Posted on 30/07/2015
Things You Are Doing Wrong When Cleaning The House
Cleaning… Ugh, is it that time again? We are well familiar with the classic vicious circle. You will procrastinate until you reach the point when you can no longer live with the mess. Then you will lose your entire weekend scrubbing and washing, only to see your home dirty again after a week. It’s enough to drive you mad. Have you ever wondered if the problem is not in your techniques? Are you sure you know everything about cleaning? Think again. You will be amazed by things you were doing wrong this entire time.
1. Using Old Sponge on the Countertops
If you are still wiping your countertops with those disgusting rugs or sponges, stop it. Right, now! No really, these are filled with nasty bacteria. Instead of sanitizing, you only spread more dirt. The wiping cloth ranks among the top three spots with highest average number of bacteria. We are talking about nearly 135,000 bacteria on square inch. Yaks!
Solution: Clean with disposable disinfectant wipes.
2. Leaving the Dishes For Too Long
After a good meal the last thing you want to do is doing the dishes. Snuggling up in the bed definitely looks like a better alternative. Don’t prolong this tedious task in time. Or at least soak the dirty pans and pots in water and add a little detergent to loosen up the dirt.
Solution: Get yourself together and do it.
3. Not Cleaning Your Toothbrush
Have you ever considered the amount of bacteria hovering in your bathroom? This is the kind of information you probably like to ignore. Anyways, here is the answer – a lot. And do you know where these bacteria go? On your toothbrush.
Solution: Be sure to clean it regularly and not leave it out.
4. Missing the Back of the Toilet
Even if your bathroom looks impeccable, there is one spot that you missed for sure. Find it hard to believe? Did you check the back of your toilet? The area might be out of sight, but it surely isn’t out of stains. Actually a lot of gross and difficult to clean residue is accumulated there.
Solution: Get a couple of paper towels and roll them up tightly, as if you are making a cigar. Then soak them gently in your cleaner. Grab one towel in each hand and start “flossing”. Let it sit for a while and repeat with a dry paper towel.
5. Cleaning Red Wine Stains with White Wine
Why wasting a good drink when there are other and most importantly far more effective methods to clean the wine stain. Don’t cover it with random stuff and rubbing it like crazy.
Solution: All you need for a freshly spilled wine spot is salt.
6. Not Steaming Your Clothes in the Shower
Why waste time ironing when you can simply hang your clothes in the bathroom while taking a shower. The steam will get rid of the wrinkles by the time you are ready.
7. Dusting... In General
There is no escape from the dust floating around your home. You can see it in the air or on your shelf and technology even after you just cleaned your home. It’s time to review your dusting routine.
Solution: Vacuum first, and then remove the dust from your furnishing. Do you have the right equipment? Microfiber cloth and a lint roller are a must.
8. Not Washing Your Dishes in Proper Order
When doing the dishes manually, you usually clean whatever you grab first? Wrong, wrong, wrong! Think for a second. Cleaning a greasy pot while the glassware is still in the sink is not very logical. All the dirt will stick to the less stained glasses and will double your work.
Solution: Wash the dishes in the following order: crystal, plates, flatware, serving ware. Proceed with the greasiest dishes and then wash the pans and pots. Always start with the less stained tableware and end with the most soiled one.
9. Soaking Stainless Steel
Oh, no you didn’t! If you don’t want to see your stainless steel in the garbage, stop soaking it. Scrubbing might not be your thing, but it’s worth trying.
Solution: Dip a clean cloth in vinegar and rub the stains.
10. Dishwashing Your Knives
Avoid putting the knives in the dishwasher. It will only dull the blades or even damage the handles. Instead, get a wine cork left from the dinner last night and dip it in a detergent. Bam! You get a powerful stain – eraser.
11. Removing Cheese From The Grater
No more torn sponges and harmed knuckles. You don’t need to come up with ingenious ways to remove the tacky cheese from the grater. Just grab a potato. The vegetable contains oxalic acid that works like a magnet for the cheese leftovers.
12. Restoring Your Sneakers
Why throw out perfectly fit shoes, when you can bring back their original splendour with a stroke of a brush. Get your toothpaste and toothbrush (or a plastic scrubber) and clear the residue from the white rubber part. Your sneakers will look and smell fresh.
13. Skipping The Nooks and Crannies
If these hard to reach areas are grinding your gears, use a homemade slime. You don’t necessarily need to be one of those obsessive freaks to find the trick useful. All you need is borax, Elmer’s glue, food colour and water. Collect the dust and residue from the car vents or the computer pad by applying the slime over it.
14. Gum Residue on Your Clothes
Your kid’s cotton clothes are covered with gum. Don’t panic. Put it in the freezer for half an hour. When hardened, the gum loses it sticky adhesiveness and becomes easy to remove.
15. Removing The Water Rings
Honestly, there is nothing easier than that! And yet, there are still traces of the last party you hosted. If you just spilled something on the table, take the hair dryer and go over the area with hot air. Get rid of on older stains by applying full – fat mayonnaise or scrubbing with vinegar and baking soda.
