Cleaning Myths and Alternatives
Myths and Alternatives
Cleaning is a necessary part of life
Cleaning public and commercial spaces is a daily, even hourly, priority. Getting it right requires constant attention to high traffic areas, plus effective cleaning methods and well-trained staff. Getting it wrong – in other words ‘poor hygiene and cleanliness’ – is a bad look for business and can have pretty damaging consequences if you think about the risk of an infection outbreak. Without being an alarmist, good hygiene in public and commercial environments is important and something a business should aim to get right. Trouble is, there are many myths and outdated ideas about cleaning that muddy the waters (pardon the pun) for the average person responsible for keeping spaces clean.
In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, one of the most significant tasks people everywhere have undertaken is cleaning their homes. In fact, sanitizing homes has, perhaps, become the second most necessary duty of the common person in curbing the growth of this dangerous virus after hand-washing. What was once a chore has now turned into an important function of our everyday life at home.
Cleaning is a chore
Wipe off food and grease from gas stovetops with a scrub pad and hot, soapy water after meal prep. The same should help inside the oven. There, cover tough stains with a wet cloth, let it sit a bit, and then hit them with the scrub pad and soapy water again.
Got stains? A carpet cleaner (hardware stores rent them) can remove the grime even the best vacuums can’t get at. Steam mops are ideal for deep-cleaning laminate, tile, and vinyl floors, but they can damage wood. With wood, different stains call for different solutions. For instance, scuff marks on wood floors sealed with urethane or polyurethane may give way if rubbed with a tennis ball or clean eraser.
Cleaning is a dirty job
We’ve all heard our share of quick-and-dirty cleaning tricks, but some of them are just plain dirty. Whether they give a false impression of cleanliness or cause more harm than good, some “hacks” aren’t doing you or your home any favors. Let’s clear the air of these cleaning myths for good.
Feather dusters are another item that seems designed to make cleaning easier but does not, in fact, get the job done. Unless you have one that is made out of 100% ostrich feathers, there’s a good chance that it’s just moving the dust around, without actually picking much up. Microfiber dusters are a much better alternative, as they can also be washed and reused, making them more eco-friendly.
Cleaning is a waste of time
This is another common myth about cleaning. Homemade products are generally safer to use in cleaning. In addition, they work well too. In fact, there are homemade cleaning product recipes that are useful for a wide array of uses and they are effective in cleaning.
Put condensation to work for microwave cleaning. Pop a bowl of water mixed with a quarter-cup of lemon juice inside and run the unit on high for a minute, then wipe. If caked-on food won’t budge, scrape it off with an old credit card. (But avoid the window.) This works in ovens, too.
There is no one right way to clean
You’ve likely heard tales of miracle cleansers out there. One bottle will do the whole job. Maybe you heard it was bleach. Bleach has held renown far and wide for being able to tackle any cleaning problem. After all, the smell of bleach is the smell of clean, right? Wrong! It can’t remove dust and dirt from anything. Instead, while it is good at disinfecting surfaces and whitening stains, you may not want to rely on it for all of your cleaning tasks. It wasn’t bleach you heard about? Was it vinegar? That’s been touted as a miracle cleanser too. It’s all-natural, so it must be perfect for everything, right? Not quite. It can remove lime scale. It can kill bacteria on surfaces. It can also damage some flooring, tile, and countertops. Vinegar is an acid, so be careful where you use it. The reality is that whether you heard about bleach, vinegar, or something else entirely, there is no miracle cleanser. Different cleaners work differently on different surfaces, so use the right tool for the job.
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