House cleaning: some very common habits that we should correct or avoid altogether

All of us have to take care of the hygiene of our homes every day, with a cleaning routine that leads us to quickly take care of the various rooms on average once or twice a week, and to linger in the individual rooms in more detail on an occasional basis.

Thus, we implement a series of proven methods to clean the various surfaces in an almost automatic way, but these habits of ours are not always the most efficient, and perhaps it also happens to forget some object that deserves to be washed or dusted from time to time. Then find out what habits to correct to ensure the best success in house cleaning.

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Dusting

There is a myriad of tools that we can use to dust the house; Disposable dust-catching cloths and duvets are the most famous. These are ideal for removing the bulk of the dust, but just using these items doesn't get the job done.

Cloths and duvets, in fact, after having captured most of the dust, end up spreading the residue around, or making it fall on other surfaces. One way to make microfibre cloths more effective from this point of view is to just dampen them. In this way, a different portion of the damp cloth will be used for each object, or a different cloth for each surface, and the residual dust will be very little.

In any case, however, the safest alternative is always a vacuum cleaner. We can use it to complete the work started with the other tools or, when it is used habitually and therefore there is very little dust in the house, we will directly exploit the appliance by mounting the various accessories most suitable for each surface.

Cutting boards

Anyone who spends time in the kitchen routinely uses cutting boards to slice and chop various ingredients. In plastic or wood, these tools are filled with cuts and scratches in which food residues end up, and when they are now covered with a real network of cuts it is time to replace them.

In most cases we wash them with soap and water: it is not wrong, but it is an effective remedy when we have used them to cut vegetables. In the case of surfaces that have come into contact with meat or fish, however, the surface should be sanitized before using it again. An effective, albeit a bit laborious, way is to use bleach: pour 3.5 liters of water and a single tablespoon of bleach into a basin, immerse the cutting board for 5 minutes and then remove it and rinse thoroughly, drying well before put it away.

Another useful method is to cut a lemon in half, sprinkle the cutting board with coarse salt (or even baking soda) and then rub the lemon over it like a sponge. This will exploit the abrasive capacity of salt or bicarbonate and the antibacterial properties of lemon juice.

Pillows

We wash sheets and pillowcases regularly, but what about the pillows themselves? The pillowcases, in fact, cannot filter all the dirt we leave on the pillow: hair, dead skin, sweat and saliva even stain the pillows, which therefore should be washed two or three times a year, to avoid the proliferation of dust mites.

Many washing machines have programs for the pillows although it is better to pay attention to the material they are made of, and it is also good to buy pillowcases to protect the pillows themselves, changing them as often as those of the sheet sets or a little less often.

Once a month or a little more, hang the cushions in the open air for a few hours on a sunny and breezy day. With latex or some types of foam that should not be exposed to the sun, you can try keeping them in the dryer for a cycle without heating.

Many washing machines also have programs to wash the pillows, but it is good to use them for those with feather filling (with cold water and mild detergents) or polyester (lukewarm water and a tablespoon of detergent). Those in memory or latex, on the other hand, are better treated by hand: vacuum the dirt, then with a damp cloth and a drop of mild detergent dab the areas with stains, finally left in the air to dry.

In the case of pillows stuffed with buckwheat, empty the contents onto a large tray or baking sheet and leave it in full sun on a dry, warm day. For the wrapper you can use cold water and a little mild soap.

The important thing, every time you wash the cushions, is to dry them perfectly.

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Remote controls

How many times a day do we pick up the remote controls of the TV or of the many other devices connected to the home WiFi? Each remote control we have in the house is a real receptacle for bacteria, which comes into indirect contact with everything we have touched with our hands. In addition, dust lurks in it and enters the various interstices between the pockets.

However, since they are electronic devices that cannot come into direct contact with water, they must be cleaned with great care and patience: then we use disinfectant wipes or (a more ecological choice) cloths or clean cloths soaked in disinfectant. For the most uncomfortable points, you can use a cotton swab or a toothpick wrapped in a bit of thin cloth.

Dishwasher

Appliances that we use to clean other things are often neglected, in the sense that we do not bother to wash them, convinced that they clean themselves during their operation. On the other hand, an appliance such as a dishwasher ends up collecting the dirt it removes from dishes, pots and glasses, and this is not always dissolved or expelled completely. Indeed, sometimes, we realize that the dishwasher does not fulfill its task and the dishes come out dirty even after an entire washing cycle. In those cases the reason for the malfunction may be due to the dirt of the filter, which must be checked regularly.

Then we will have to extract it and immerse it in a basin of hot water in which you have also poured two tablespoons of baking soda, a drop of dish soap and two tablespoons of vinegar. Then wash it with a sponge or brush that is not too hard, dry and insert it again.

To wash the inside of the appliance, then, you can put a cup of white vinegar on the top shelf of the dishwasher and start the longest wash at the highest temperature. After that, sprinkle about 220 grams of baking soda in the lower part of your dishwasher and, again, start the wash with the highest temperature.

Washing machine

What has been said about the need to occasionally clean the dishwasher also applies to the washing machine: it also literally loads itself with dirty objects every time it is used: periodically, therefore, that dirt ends up accumulating in the drum, in the door sheath and in the filter.

As for the latter, once unscrewed from its housing, it is necessary to remove the bulk of the dirt that remains attached to it, and then put it to soak in a basin with hot water and a little white vinegar, and if you want a spoon or two of baking soda. After 20 or 30 minutes, rinse it and dry it thoroughly. Also clean the housing with your hands or a cloth, and then insert the filter again.

For the garnish, you have to spray vinegar (together with water or lemon juice), leaving it to act for a few minutes and then passing a sponge between the folds to remove dirt and specks of mold. Other ingredients to use as an alternative are hydrogen peroxide with lemon, or water and bleach. These possible mixtures are also suitable for cleaning the detergent drawer.

As for the cleaning of the drum, you can use a cloth with one of these mixtures and rub the internal walls, and then start a vacuum wash at high temperature; or put a tablespoon of baking soda in the tray and add a little vinegar (alternatively you can pour this already in the basket) and start a short cycle in vacuum to clean and disinfect.

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Too much water on the parquet

A mistake that is often made is to abound with water when washing wooden floors. Instead, the best care is to vacuum often with the accessory suitable for this type of surface. Alternatively, you can use moci designed specifically for wooden floors (such as those in microfibre), on which you may have sprayed a product for cleaning the parquet.

If you really need to use soap and water, in the case of some more consistent dirt stains, remember to wring it very well so that it does not wet the floor too much. The soap should be suitable for wood, and diluted in water according to the manufacturer's specifications.

If you want to try a natural homemade product, you can use vinegar by diluting 100 ml in 3.5 liters of hot water. However, since vinegar can ruin and dull some finishes, it is always good to first try this solution on a small portion of the floor that is not very visible.

Sun glasses

When you want to wash the window panes and use specific products for glass, which are notoriously volatile, do it at a time when the window is not directly hit by the sun's rays, which would cause the detergent to dry faster, leaving visible halos. on the glass.

Oven grill

When the oven racks are encrusted with dirt that is difficult to remove, instead of sticking around with abrasive sponges for a long time, we can use some simpler and stress-free methods.

In a large basin, or in the bathtub (which we will then protect from scratches by putting an old towel on the bottom) pour hot water enough to cover the grids, then add 1 scoop of detergent, one or two tablespoons of baking soda. Leave to soak for 6 hours and then with a sponge and an old toothbrush remove the now softened dirt from the grids.

You can also use white wine vinegar, or alcohol vinegar: pour half a glass of vinegar into a one-liter spray bottle, and fill the rest with water, then spray it on the grids that you have placed in the sink or in a large basin, leaving it to act so that the greasy dirt dissolves well; if the dirt is more difficult, leave the grids to soak for half an hour in a solution of water and vinegar (3 parts of water and one of vinegar), to which you can also add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Once this is done, you will then have to carefully pass a sponge to remove everything, rinsing thoroughly.

Enjoy the work!