Tuesday, June 9, 2015

About House Cleaning Myths



It’s time to throw away some house cleaning tips and answers that have been accepted down for many generations yet produce unsatisfactory results or, of inferior quality and do more work instead. Consumer Reports questioned some cleaning-industry experts about the efficiency of 10 timeworn tips and here’s what they have said. 

Myth: Coca-cola belongs in the toilet Fact: Coke isn’t “it” when it comes to cleaning your toilet bowl. “Coke is acidic, so it could be effective at eliminating hard water stains,” says Johnson. “But even the Coca-Cola website recommends using other options.” Derek Christian, owner of My Maid Service, a home cleaning service in Ohio and Texas, chooses old-style cleansers as well. “The soda could in fact darken stains and the sugar could have bacteria build-up.”

Myth: Newspaper does windows well Fact: Wet newspaper ripped easily and the ink can transfer to window trim, leaving more to clean. “We use microfiber cloths to clean glass,” says Debra Johnson, home cleaning experts for Merry Maids, a national franchise. “They’re the best at cleaning without strain.”

Myth: Coffee refreshes garbage disposers Fact: “Coffee grounds may act as a mild coarse, removing grease from disposer blades,” says Christian. “But baking soda is a better selection: It’s also mildly abrasive, and because it’s a base it will counteract all the putrid acids that we put down the drain.” 

Myth: Hand washing dishes is better than using a dishwasher Fact: If your dishwasher is a decade old, this may be true, but today’s models beat handwashing by a mile. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star website, using a dishwasher that abides the Energy Star label can save some 5,000 gallons of water, more than $40 dollars in energy costs, and 230 hours in personal time over the progression of a year, versus handwashing. And, because dishwashers heat the water to 140°F, they’ll disinfect the dishes, too.

Myth: Vinegar can clean everything Fact: “Vinegar is an acid, so it can cut through dirt and can kill bacteria, but only if you use it at full or almost full strength,” says Christian. “Most people put a capful in a bucket of water, and that doesn’t do much.” The acids in vinegar can do damage on natural stone and wood surfaces. 

 —Adapted from Consumer Reports How to Clean (Practically) Anything

Full Story at 10 Cleaning Myths and What to do Instead

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