\n\n\n\nClean up your cleaning habits\n\n\n\n
Routines we use to clean the home become second nature. We may never stop to think if we\u2019re doing it right or if we could be doing it better. Believe it or not, there are actually some right and wrong ways to dust, mop, scrub, vacuum, and clean essentially everything in the home. Worried now that you’ve been incorrect this whole time? Click through to see the most common mistakes and how to fix them.\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nUsing Furniture Polish to Dust\n\n\n\n
Furniture polish, while it smells great and makes your cabinets look shiny, should be used sparingly. Most commercial furniture polish has a large percentage of oil in it, which can smear and make fingerprints more prominent. In general, a cloth, barely damp with water, will suffice for general maintenance cleaning.\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nScrubbing Stains out of Carpet and Upholstery\n\n\n\n
Stains happen. Everywhere. Even in your carpets. When it does, resist the urge to scrub the stain out; that will damage the pile. Instead, blot as much of the spill up as you can with a clean, dry towel. Then, rinse it thoroughly with clean water, and blot dry again. Repeat as needed, and apply carpet stain remover if necessary, following the manufacturer\u2019s directions.\n\n\n\n
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Washing Windows on a Sunny Day\n\n\n\n
It seems obvious you should clean your windows when the sun is shining so you can see what you\u2019re doing. But, actually, the opposite is true. Hot sun will make glass cleaner evaporate quickly and cause streaking. Instead, wait for a cloudy day, when temps are under 70 degrees.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n You should never mix cleaning products. Period. But you should especially never work with an ammonia-based and a bleach-based cleaner at the same time. This is most likely to occur in a bathroom or kitchen, so carefully check labels before getting to work. When vapors from ammonia and bleach mix together, they form a toxic gas that is extremely dangerous. If you discover that you, or someone in your home, has been exposed to these fumes, leave the area immediately and call 911.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Using abrasive cleaners or tools on porcelain tile and bath tubs is a very common mistake. Abrasives will remove stubborn dirt, but will also dull the finish. So resist using that pot scrubbing sponge on your tub, and opt for a soft cloth and a non-abrasive liquid cleanser or a non-abrasive powder like Bon Ami. Your tub and tile will thank you.\n\n\n\n Water is the enemy of any wood floor. While it\u2019s tempting to get the mop and bucket out to clean hardwood and laminate floors, just like linoleum or tile, it\u2019s harmful and not simply necessary. Sweep and vacuum often with the proper attachments, and mop with a barely-damp cloth when necessary.\n\n\n\n Is there really a wrong way to vacuum? Well, there\u2019s a better way to vacuum. Don\u2019t vacuum perpendicular to the baseboard or you will push dirt under it that will likely get stuck there forever. Instead, vacuum parallel to the baseboard at the edges of the room. Then, make sure to vary your direction in the middle of the room to and lift, separate, and untangle fibers.\n\n\n\n Many toilet brushes come in a stand that\u2019s easily tucked behind the commode. Resist placing the toilet brush right back into the stand after swishing the bowl. Doing so will allow all sorts of bacteria to breed in it. Instead, allow it to rest across the seat so it can dry out first, then store it in its caddy.\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t use paper towels to clean your mirrors. Paper towels are extremely absorbent, which makes them ideal for cleaning up wet messes on counters. But those super absorbent fibers will leave behind a streaky mess if you use paper towels to clean your mirrors. Instead, use a microfiber cleaning cloth to wipe away glass cleaner when you\u2019re doing this chore.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The use of vinegar for cleaning in the home is an old tradition and an excellent alternative to conventional cleaning products for many. It cuts grease and is effective on some bacterias. It is not, however, a worthy substitute for a disinfectant. So, if you need to eradicate flu and virus germs, vinegar should not be your cleaner of choice.\n\n\n\n Remember to regularly empty and clean your vacuum. A full vacuum will not provide enough suction to be effective in cleaning your carpets. You will just push dirt further into your carpets and rugs. After emptying it, make sure the hoses are clear of obstruction and the brushes are free of hair and other entanglements.\n\n\n\n No matter how cute they look, a feather duster is the worst tool for any dusting job. It will only succeed in spreading dust from one surface to another. Instead, use a very lightly damp cotton rag, or a microfiber cloth that will actually grab and hold dust particles.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Believe it or not, there are right and wrong ways to clean the house. Check out what cleaning mistakes you might be making and how to fix them. Using Spray Cleaners on Electronics Never use sprays like window cleaners on electronics like your TV, cell phones, or LCD screens. They can do damage, as can\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[54,43,61,30,46,6,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-19773","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-clean-hack","9":"tag-cleaning-house","10":"tag-cleaning-tips","11":"tag-household-hacks","12":"tag-life-hacks","13":"tag-life-style","14":"tag-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Orange-Hipster-Fashion-Facebook-Cover.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nMixing Ammonia and Bleach\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUsing Abrasives on the Tub & Tile\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMopping a Wood Floor with Water\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nVacuuming in the Wrong Direction\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nNot Letting the Toilet Brush Dry Out\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUsing Paper Towels to Clean Mirrors\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUsing Vinegar as a Disinfectant\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nNot Cleaning Your Vacuum\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nUsing a Feather Duster\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"