top of page

DAILY LIVING TOOLS:
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING

cabinets-wall-tv-living-room.jpg


CLEANING OVerview

 

CLEANING TIDBITS

There is a difference in between cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Hot soapy water can be used to simply clean any surface. But if the areas needs to be disinfected focus on using items such as lysol, vinegar and or alcohol to remove germs on the surface.

 

There is a vast difference between light  and deep housekeeping. Light housekeeping entails the kitchen bathroom, dishes, sweeping and trash removal. Deep house cleaning includes the walls, baseboards, oven, refrigerator, stove, washer, and dryer to name a few of the areas which should be included in the areas to be cleaned.

 

When cleaning windows, be mindful of how much pressure you apply when cleaning the glass. Asses the glass for any cracks or loose panes. If you have news paper handy, utilize this instead of  rags to clean your glass, not only is news paper  super absorbent but you are less likely to leave streaks as you clean. If you have no newspapers or paper towels handy, feel free to use a paper coffee filter, it works just as well.

 

After cleaning your blinds, close them and then wipe across the surface of the blinds using a dryer sheet. This will lesson the dust that attaches to the blinds by when cleaning/dusting your blinds.  The dryer sheet can prevent dust from building up again by creating an Anti-static barrier.

 

If your kitchen is small it may be wise to invest in multifunctional appliances so that you can utilize small spaces to the best of your ability. Items such as a convection oven or a tabletop toaster oven may help to utilize small counterspace areas.

 

Please remember if your apartment/house comes with a dishwasher, please be mindful of when you run the dishwasher and how much detergent is used. Please also be mindful of how the dishwasher is loaded. Try to remember to place large objects to the sides and back  of the dishwasher so the flow of water is not blocked. If your dishes come out frosty or with a film across them, try placing two cups of vinegar in a bowl and place it in on the bottom rack. Run the dishwasher without detergent for a full cycle, and then run the dishwasher a second time to remove any leftover vinegar. This should clean all the grime and film from your dishwasher. This process may need to be repeated periodically depending on how much you utilize the washer. Feel free to add your dish sponge in the dishwasher and allow it to run so that you can minimalize the germs that are present of the surface of the sponge.

 

If a sponge is the main cleaning item in the kitchen, regularly soak it in bleach or boil the sponge on the stovetop. But do not microwave the sponge. Cut new sponges in half when possible and dispose of each halve at the end of each week. Try to only use your sponge for a specific purpose. To avoid cross contamination especially after cooking eggs, raw meat, and or fish, use a paper towel to clean the counters instead of the same sponge used for washing dishes.

 

It may help to invest in dedicated multi purpose cleaning supplies such as Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, Bar Keepers Friend, Scrubbing Cloths, and Refillable Spray Bottles to list a few. Your “Go-To” cleaning supplies may vary by season but if you know that these are the items that help you the most, keep track of your supplies and feel free to stock up when items come on sale.

CLEANING TIps