We talk all the time about new ways to clean things or simple ways to get a job done faster, but did you know there are some acts which can actually make a job more difficult? True story, here's a few worth remembering:
Here's a few cleaning mistakes you could be making. Check out why below:
1. Scrubbing Spills On Carpet: Scrubbing merely untwists the fibers. Even if you remove the spill, the fibers will still look ragged. Blot first!
2. Using Furniture Polish Every Time You Dust: Continual use of product can create buildup over time. Give your pieces a break with a slightly damp towel instead of spray, wax or polish.
3. Cleaning Your Windows On Sunny Days: Even if sunny days make you want to be able to better see out your windows, they can be too toasty and sharp for the cleaners we use to remove the dirt. Windows are best cleaned on days less than 70 degrees.
You can check out the full list of 8 cleaning mistakes people often make over at Woman's Day. Do you have something you'd like to add to the list? Share your wisdom in the comments below.
(Image: Woman's Day)
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Regarding the first picture, I find the best way to clean up red wine spills (or coffee) is to blot what you can, then dilute the area with soda water (regular water if you don't have soda water), then dumb as much salt on the area as you possibly can (preferably from a big Morton-like cannister). The salt will act as a sponge and draw up all the liquid, then harden into brick-like chunks, which you can just pick up. I did this on a white rug and there is no trace of stain! Has anyone else tried that?
Er, dump* not dumb (ironic typo!).
CHLOESF, what a GREAT idea! I haven't tried it, but I will now ...
CHLOESF: Another trick is equal parts Dawn and hydrogen peroxide for fabrics where wine has soaked in. Best for less delicate or washable fabrics, but I've used it on upholstered furniture with success.
CHLOEST, I have done that and it works beautifully.
I have a bottle of red wine remover and a spray-on carpet cleaner - both did a great job of getting red wine out of my carpet, but I expect the red wine remover is a bit less toxic.
"Windows are best cleaned on days less than 70 degrees"
or 21 C for everyone not in the US.
#4 You deodorize the garbage disposal with coffee grounds.
Once when a friend did this, there turned out to be one, rock-hard, petrified bean in the grounds that broke her disposal. I'll never understand how her coffee grinder survived it.
* For blood stains: soaking in cold water doesn't always work. Instead, pour hydrogen peroxide onto the blood stain (the stain can be fresh or dried) ...it will disappear.....THEN...soak article in water or wash. Do not try to get the stain out with clorox as this will "set" the stain. Trying to get stains out that have been "set" previously with this method will not work.
I still want to know if anyone has found a magic remedy for cleaning up cat yack.
My grandmother, who is an avid quilter, taught me that your saliva will dissolve your blood. It sounds gross, but it works.
What's with the linking to Women's Day?
Windows are best cleaned on days less than 70 degrees? I guess we can skip window cleaning in the Florida summertime then when even night time temps might not go below 80? AWESOME!
Alahoop is totally right about spitting on blood stains. I used to work in a theater costume shop, and if anyone bled on a costume they had to spit on it immediately. The weird thing though is that they say the person spitting has to be the person who bled on it. So if an actor bled on a costume, we'd tell them to spit on it. Then they'd look at us like we were crazy people. But the spot would come out.
That thing about furniture polish makes total sense, finally, because my mother would use Pledge every time she dusted. If you ever accidentally swiped your fingernails over the dining table, you would get a bunch of gunk under your nails. I always thought it was so gross, and never knew how it got to be there. My mother was a fanatic about cleaning, but the wooden furniture was always sticky and gross.
About the windows, just clean with white vinegar instead of chemicals and you won't get streaks. Works in hot weather and cold. Yay!
Ehhhh, #2 should say "Using furniture polish EVER". That stuff is no good. Just dust, without the product.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/11/home/hm-conserve11
Lydiechan, RE: cat yack, we have had the same problem....we used to have wall-to-wall carpeting and found that Mrs. Meyers powdered stain remover worked well with a scrub brush, but it was a pain in the rear when she throws up so often. Then we got all hard flooring so it is significantly easier to clean up when kitty retches in the right place, but area rugs were still a problem. We had a very neutral colored jute rug and discovered that the cat yak stained it badly and the Mrs. Meyers (or any oxy cleaner) bleached it.....so, as funds have allowed, we have slowly replaced all non-wool area rugs with wool, which is the only thing the cat yack comes out of completely. The lanolin makes wool naturally very stain repellent. So, you can scrub with oxy and/or try to get wood/laminate/tile and/or get wool rugs......the things we do to keep home nice with those yacking kitties!
I can't believe people use pledge on your furniture, its the worst thing to use on wood.
Pledge might not be good for your wood, but at this time of year, in my part of the country, it is indispensable for the bottoms of our sleds! A great way to use up what you've already bought... then in the spring, toss that can so you're no longer tempted to use it on your furniture. Presuming of course that you don't actually achieve departure velocity on your downhill run and go back...to the Future!
Oh, and about the coffee grounds in the disposal... we live in the boonies, and a have a septic system. After an emergency (and very expensive) cleanout & treatment session, the septic guy gave us some advice regarding Our Septic Health. In addition to the redfaced "no flushing, er...y'know...female products..." speech, he told us an interesting thing. Apparently they hate to see coffee grounds and eggshells run down the disposal more than just about anything. These things together form a sort of aggregate in the septic lines (like concrete) that can clog things up & and is difficult to clean out. So, no eggshells and no coffee down the disposal. They do compost beautifully, though... now I just have to start composting.
Regarding saliva and blood stains, I've always assumed that it was the enzymes in saliva that were breaking down blood components... makes sense, no? I've found that enzyme cleaners are great for a lot of 'biological' stains, i.e. food stains, blood stains, cat yack, people yack (it happens...)
Also, for red wine stains I've used a product called 'wine away' - I have no idea what's in it but it works like MAGIC.
The only enzymes in saliva are those that break down sugars. (Ever notice that you can lick pure sugar off your fingers and they aren't sticky after?)
The best thing for blood stains is hydrogen peroxide. I have used it on clothes, upholstery, and carpet and there's never been any damage or color change. We are a family of doctors and always use peroxide to clean all that dried blood off a wound and/or clothes before tending to the wound. (It's also fun to watch it bubble.)
Human spit is one of the top offenders with the amount of germs! A human bite is much more likely to get infected than a dog or cat bite. My point being... be careful where you spit, folks!
I can't attest to cat yack removal, but we've had success with dog yack by blotting first and then using hot water over stain and then vacuuming up with a shopvac. Very effective even on old stains
Spitting on bloodstains works PERFECTLY.
@Lydiechan, you can get cat barf up by pouring baking soda on it, letting it set for a while, then vacuuming it up. That'll get all or most of it out (the rest will clean up with either Nature's Miracle or your standard carpet cleaner).
Hydrogen peroxide is MAGIC for bloodstains. Color-safe, too.