Tag Archives: cleaning the house

Cleaning vs. Sanitizing vs. Disinfecting

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Let’s be honest; we all love having a clean, spick-and-span environment. In fact, this reason is why we continually clean our homes to help take pride in our properties and to reduce the spread of bacteria and germs. Yet, cleaning your home is a generic term we often misuse. In fact, you will find that cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting all have distinct definitions. For instance, the level of cleanliness differs. How clean a dish is after washing it with soap and water is very different from how clean a scalpel is before a surgeon performs surgery. To further explain, here are the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting:

Cleaning

To clean something is to remove any visible dirt or debris physically. We do this all the time in our homes, from washing dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting. Additionally, cleaning will also facilitate the use of water and detergent, sometimes like wiping down your countertops with soap and water. However, water and soap do not kill germs. Adding water to the cleaning process is more or less to dilute the number of germs on a given surface.

Sanitizing

To be more thorough, the method will be sanitizing. This process kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria that can be health hazards. It is more used for things that may enter our bodies, such as food. You can sanitize an area or surface with strong chemicals, as well as extreme heats reaching over 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence why dishwashers use intense heat to help reduce the number of unwanted fungi and bacteria.

Disinfecting

Lastly, disinfecting is the most thorough of the processes. Disinfecting something kills the germs, fungi, and bacteria completely. This process is done with powerful chemicals, UV-C germicidal short wavelengths, ultraviolet lights, and other machinery. This process is not typically done in our homes. It is a process used for hospitals prior to surgeries.

Knowing these three methods can help you prioritize them. Try to clean your home and remove visible debris and dirt frequently. It is a great habit to achieve daily. For instance, you can sanitize your home during the weekends or, when needed, in high-bacteria areas or food prep areas. Lastly, you will only try to disinfect your home if you know sickness is afoot in your home. Go the extra steps when you have someone extremely sick to help prevent the spread.

Home Cleaning Hacks You Must Know | Part Two

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We are constantly cleaning our homes. Having a couple of efficient shortcuts never hurt anyone. As we explored in the first part of the series, there are certain tricks of the trade that can help you clean faster and more efficiently. However, we are not done yet! We put together some more great cleaning hacks for you to add to your own home. Try these to help save more time and be even more efficient at cleaning.

Cleaning Blender

Blenders can be difficult to clean after each use. You can take them apart, yet not everything is dishwasher friendly. A lot of fruits, powders, and liquids can muck up all around the insides. To help break them down, leave the blender plugged into the wall, then fill with hot water and soap and turn on the high setting. This concept will help break down much of the unwanted grime.

Clean Your Sponges

Sponges can be very handy when doing the dishes or cleaning around the home. However, wet sponges can become a home to harvest bacteria and germs. Instead of throwing away your sponges when they look dirty, add some lemon water to them. Simply throw your sponges in the microwave and let them disinfect for a minute. Careful when you remove them, however, because they may be hot!

Baking Soda on Carpet

Carpet can start to pick up unwanted scents. If you have animals, children, or simply do not want your carpet to collect a particular scent, try this solution. Spread baking soda around your home over the carpet. Allow it to sit for fifteen to twenty minutes. The baking soda will absorb all odors, then simply vacuum your carpet, and enjoy!

Dishwasher Versatility

Are you just using your dishwasher to clean dishes? You can use your dishwasher for even more potential benefits! Try using it to wash hats, showerheads, mouth guards, makeup brushes, and combs. The hot steam will disinfect and clean all of these! Just be sure to read online what rack to place your items on to keep them safe.

You can try adding some of these clever tricks to your cleaning routine. You even may be amazed at the benefits they have to offer.

What are some of your favorite cleaning hacks? Let us know below in the comment section!

The Essentials: Cleaning Products Every House Needs

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Keeping your house clean can be a job on its own. There are many areas that need extra care and cleaning throughout your home, but not every area of your home demands the same products. Having a diverse set of cleaning products can allow you to tackle any project in your home. Today, we are going to focus on ten essential cleaning products your home needs. Let’s get started!

All-Purpose Cleaner

Not one product will clean everything, but an all-purpose cleaner is very close to perfect. It does an effective job on multiple surfaces. In fact, an all-purpose cleaner is exceptionally versatile and able to be used around your entire home.

Cleaning Cloths and Scrubs

You will need an efficient way to distribute your cleaning products around your home. A good start is to have several cloths and scrub brushes to tackle the mess. For instance, get a toothbrush and some other brushes to clean difficult areas in your home like grout lines. You should also get a microfiber brush for other more delicate areas.

Sponges

Another great tool to have at your disposal is a sponge. Have a couple of sponges and understand what each one is used to prevent cross-contamination. Perhaps keep one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen to avoid spreading bacteria.

Paper Towels

No cleaning kit is complete without some generic paper towels. You can even go a step further and invest in some garage paper towels as well. These work great for oil messes and other greasy messes.

Glass Cleaner

Mirrors and windows can show every smudge and fingerprint on them. Getting a good glass cleaner that does not leave streaks or smears is essential.

Toilet Bowl and Shower Cleaners

Your bathroom is an entire cleaning project on its own. Bathrooms are wet environments that are the perfect home for unwanted bacteria to thrive. Getting a toilet bowl cleaner and some shower cleaner can be essential in your mix of household cleaning items.

Wood Polish

For wooden areas in your home, find a good wood polish. These typically smell great and can leave a great aroma throughout your house. They are not generally suitable for hardwood floors, however, because they can leave the surface slick, make sure you know what surfaces are best for your wood polish.

Disinfectant

Being able to kill and eliminate germs quickly is essential. You may not want to deep clean your home, but keeping a clean and healthy atmosphere can start with disinfectant. Most disinfectant cleaners will kill 99.99% of germs and help prevent the transfer of germs. This can be essential for day-to-day cleaning tasks.

Dish Soap

Dish soap can have a multitude of purposes to use in your home. While, of course, you can use it to clean your dishes and silverware, it is always nice to be able to create a soap-based cleaner for other areas throughout your home.

Bleach

To finish off your cleaning kit, you should have a very powerful cleaning agent. We recommend bleach or hydrogen peroxide. These compounds can remove the most difficult of stains. However, these products can be very potent. Understanding their uses and risks is vital before cleaning.

With this cleaning kit, you will able to clean nearly every area in your home. It is not only a great start, but it can contain the perfect essentials for all different areas of the house.

What are some of your go-to cleaning products? We would love to hear from you. Let us know below in the comment section and make sure to subscribe!

Selling your Old House – Clean

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8967370_MThe one thing that makes the most difference when you’re selling a house is having it look and feel squeaky clean.

Dirty carpet, spots on the walls or sinks that aren’t sparkling makes people uncomfortable and a house look unattractive. If you don’t have time to clean your home yourself, hire a maid service to complete a professional cleaning. The cost of the cleaning will be more than made up by a better offer and a quicker sale.

It can be difficult to keep your home spotless if you’re living in it during the sale, but it’s worth the time and trouble. Simple steps such as making the beds, putting clothes away and cleaning up the kitchen will bring you dollars. Before you walk out, wander around your house with spray cleaner and a sponge or paper towels and look for stray spots and fingerprints. If you have kids, assign everyone their own tasks such as keeping their rooms neat and taking out the trash.

Wash the windows and make sure your sidewalks and driveway are swept. Trim the bushes and keep the grass cut if you have a lawn. Put the bikes away and any toys scattered in the yard.

Finally, make the house smell good. Bake chocolate chip cookies – even the pre-packaged ones are fine – to make your house seem more homey. Vanilla and cinnamon are also good smells for a home. Avoid floral scents or the plug-in or spray options. Those can make potential homebuyers worry about what those smells are hiding.

Clean and tidy will make your house inviting and inviting sells more homes. Take the time and you will feel the benefits in your pocketbook.