Mistakes Not to Make While Cleaning
5 min read
Last Updated on February 11, 2022 by Journal Fact
Cleaning our house… Some of us are good at it, others not so much. What can be said though is that at one point or another, we’ve all searched. Through the many cleaning guides out there for tips and tricks to make our lives easier. But wouldn’t it be easier to start by learning the things not to do?
Keep reading to find out how to save yourself a lot of hassle, and do your housework safely!
Mix ammonia and bleach
This trick is imperative to remember because the slightest mistake can cause you serious bodily injury.
Ammonia and bleach are usually found in the same supermarket aisles, as they are both considered cleaning products. Of course, there are warning messages on the bottles, and as consumers. It is our duty to read them to know the dangers… But obviously, we too often skip this step and throw them in our trolley without asking more questions.
So what exactly are these two substances? Household ammonia is a colorless gas with a distinctive smell that has been infused into the water. Liquid bleach is a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite. It is important to remember that, even alone, these two products have corrosive properties and must be. Handled with the utmost care… But the real problems arise when the two come into contact with each other.
Their combination creates a slew of chemical reactions, resulting in a number of dangerous products such as chloramine vapors (which irritate the nose, eyes, and throat) or even liquid hydrazine (which causes headaches and, in some cases, seizures). These mixtures are all the more dangerous for your children and your animals. If you want to know all about how to make housework fun and safe for your children, it’s over here, and to take care of your pets while having a sparkling home it’s over there.
So, the next time you’re cleaning up and the urge to play sorcerer’s apprentice takes you, avoid mixing all your products, take a little time to read the labels, and above all be careful!
A Vinegar, almost perfect
Let’s be honest: we’ve all been advised to throw away all our cleaning products in favor of the miraculous white vinegar. Although we’ve touted its merits many times (and we will continue to!), the problem arises when you start using it for absolutely anything and everything… Here are a few things to keep in mind the next time you use vinegar for one of your upcoming spring cleanings.
Marble or stone countertops in kitchens are often seen as the centerpiece and obviously come with a price tag to match. It would be a shame to see them deteriorate over time due to excessive use of vinegar. Its corrosive effects will not be seen right away, but its repeated application on any stone or marble will cause irreparable damage… And this also applies to the floor covering!
Some cleaning guides claim that vinegar will make your varnished wooden furniture and floors shine… This may be true the first few times you use it, but in the long run, you’ll do even more damage than most. thing. The vinegar will eventually eat away at the varnish (if there is any) then it will attack the wood directly! So save your wooden furniture, and get yourself a proper surface cleaning product to save yourself future trouble. There is, however, an exception to this rule, which we will reveal below…
The not-so-well-known fact: If you break an egg on the floor or on your counter, using vinegar will only cause it to coagulate and thus make it more difficult to clean. Don’t believe us? Try it in a bowl and watch the ‘magic’ happen.
Also read: How Outdoor Furniture Gives a Perfect Look to Your Garden?
Cutting boards: more than meets the eye
Cutting boards are a favorite kitchen utensil, but are they as clean as you might think? We use them to cut all kinds of foods: red meat, poultry, pork, vegetables, pizza… Once we’re done, we often clean them thinking they’re like new, but is that really the case?
In fact, a wooden cutting board can harbor many bacteria if not properly maintained. The wood is far too porous and cannot be. Placed in a dishwasher because the high temperatures will warp it. This means the board has to be. Cleaned by hand, and still, a lot of the bacteria will still be left behind. If in addition to this the board is not dried properly. It can become conducive to the development of dangerous bacteria from food such as salmonella and coli bacteria.
Misconception: plastic cutting boards are more hygienic than wooden ones… This is false! They are more fragile, and the scratches caused by their use allow bacteria to spread more deeply.
This brings us back to the exception to the vinegar rules: we recommend using vinegar to wash your wooden cutting board. The radical effect it has on the wood is exactly what is. Needed to clean it effectively. (Although we still recommend replacing your wooden or plastic board with a glass one, which is more hygienic.)
Dirty the dishes
We’re sure most people are pretty good at it, after all, it’s a matter of common sense. If your cloth or your brush is dirty, you can either clean them or use new ones, but there is one item in your house that is often unsuspectedly filthy and might even be the dirtiest item of all. your home, even before your toilet bowl!
The culprit is your little sponge, which is quietly waiting for you at the bottom of your sink. This little bit of foam is. Used to wipe a multitude of surfaces, day after day, and never has the opportunity to take a break. Left in the sink, usually soaked and covered in bacteria. The porous nature of the sponge combined with the moist environment in which it rests makes it a breeding ground for germs and even mold…
Pro Tip:
If you microwave a damp sponge on full power for one minute, the high temperatures will kill 99% of the bacteria living there. Just make sure to give it some time to cool down before using it again!
About Author
The author has completed his Master’s in marketing and started his career as a digital marketer. He is a content writer by profession. He writes about cleaning services like Lounge Cleaning In Crows Nest