A lot of the cleaning habits and methods we have been passed down from parents and grandparents. You love your mom, but her ‘secret’ tricks to a clean home may not really be the most efficient way to get the job done. With the holidays right around the corner, here are some tricks and myths to help you get the job done!
When you see an unsightly stain, your first thought is to probably douse it in bleach correct? Not so fast! Although bleach is great for sanitizing, it can also make the stain worse. When using cleaning items, it’s best to let them soak for up to 10 minutes for it to truly do the job. “Bleach actually doesn’t ‘clean’ anything—because it doesn’t remove soil. It can lighten stains, making things look cleaner, and it kills bacteria, so it’s better as a sanitizer than as a cleaner,” sites Mary Farrell on Consumer Reports.
Bleach not really your thing? Try Vinegar-based mixtures. But remember that for the vinegar to be helpful you need to use it at full, or almost full-strength. Baking soda and vinegar are a good combination; the baking soda is a wonderful deodorizer and has many applications and the vinegar is good at lifting stains. It’s a good idea to clean the area after using the solution, as it can leave behind unwanted residue.
Vinegar and baking soda are also ways to get your dishwasher clean. Surely your dishwasher is going to be working overtime in the next few weeks, so get it back to tiptop shape! Run two hot short cycles, first with vinegar, then the baking soda for the desired result.
If you have pets, I guarantee that you have drool and nose prints on your windows (especially your car). Maybe someone has told you when you clean these areas that you should do so when it’s cloudy. Sounds crazy right? Actually, not. “This might sound strange but if you wash your windows with the sunlight directly onto them, the heat from the sun will dry the windows too quickly, which in turn leaves them looking streaky,” says Martha Stewart.
There are plenty more myths and tips floating around – but if you want to trust someone to make the right calls, contact Kathleen’s Cleaning Service! With years of knowledge and experience, they bring a new level of tidiness and professionalism to the process of getting your home clean and smelling great! No streaky windows here!