After a decade of writing about the subject, these are the lessons I want to share.
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I’m pretty lucky I can say I genuinely love my job.
After working at multiple home magazines, I have interviewed countless cleaning experts and scientists for my stories.
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Basically, I knowa lotabout cleaning.
But theres a lot I wish other people knew!
If youre curious to hear what my key takeaways are from years of covering cleaning, read on.
Skip using it on hardwood floors as well.
Replace your fabric softener with the stuff!
And itispretty good at deodorizing, once the notorious sour scent dissipates, that is.
And soap scum is no match for vinegars acidic powers, so its a great bathroom cleaner too.
Ill stop the blasphemy now though.
Individually, baking soda and vinegar are stellar ingredients.
Ive already touted the benefits of vinegar, but baking soda should still remain a cleaning go-to for you.
Its one of the best deodorizers out there, and its an excellent ingredient in DIY abrasive pastes.
Youre Probably Using Way Too Much of Your Favorite Cleaners
Theclassic example of this mistake is detergent.
Another example isfloor cleaners.
Fun fact: Product build-up on the floor, or in any other situation really, will attractmoredirt.
Itll just glom right on!
Its such a simple thing to do!
It will truly help you clean better, and preserve your belongings, if you follow the directions.
Bleach Can Have a Place in Your Cleaning Caddy
Hear me out.
First of all, you truly dont need a ton of it.
(Same thing goes with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, actually!)
So its pointless mixing up a batch of disinfecting solution with old bleach.
(Toss it after a year or so, by the way.)
Bleach gets a lot of hate but its hard to deny its efficacy.
The one thing I dont find it particularly good at is laundry, actually.
Andsomany experts Ive interviewed for previous stories agree.
It does a decent job of stain removalbutthere are better alternativesin my opinion, like oxygen bleach.
Plus, bleach doesnt make whites whiter.
Cleaners and disinfectants cant always get to the germsbeneaththe soils if youre guilty of the latter offense.
Not All Microfiber Cloths Are Created Equally
There aredifferenttypesof microfiber cloths.
These are fine for dusting and wiping most surfaces.
The key in youreallywant is one thats specifically created for glass.
They’re smooth and flat, which guarantees you wont transfer any lint.
But you shouldalwayssweep, even if its a quick pass, before vacuuming.
You really dont want your pricey machine to conk out because it inhaled a large chunk of debris.
Baking soda is actually bad for some vacuums and can mess with the filters.)
Plus, a broom allows you to brush off the perpetually-forgottenbaseboards!
Bathrooms, countertops, shoes, hair tools, baking sheetsIve used itonso many things.
I once accidentally rubbed away the paint finish on a wall, so always do a test patch.
