Bad Cleaning Hacks You Should Absolutely Avoid
Posted on 10/06/2016
Discover the Cleaning Hacks That Don't Actually Work
People have been trying to cheat their way out of house cleaning ever since its existence. And most of them do come up with some good and applicable ideas. After all, how easy it is to use a kitchen roll or stretch foil when dining so that you collect all the crumbs, right? But there are those who come up with ideas that seem too crazy too work. And in most cases, they are. People get over-inventive with their hacks and that most times backfires and proves them wrong in ways which they might have wished to avoid.
In order to avoid such home cleaning failures, here is a list about things you should avoid doing when trying to get the house clean:
#1 – Clean furniture with tea
There was a genius mind that came up with the theory that freshly brewed tea softens up stains and the herbs in the tea disinfect and leave the spot fresh. Sound theory – the only problem is, if you use it on wooden furniture, the wood will bloat. And if you use tea on anything that is not your throat, it will stick. Do avoid. Instead, do your upholstery cleaning with a mixture of vinegar and water or baking soda paste.
#2 – Use rubber bands to keep wine glasses safe in a dishwasher
Yes, okay. But did you know that wet thin rubber will break easier? Also, if that happens, the glasses will shift because of the rubber’s impact and, consequently, break. And picking glass and pieces of rubber from your dishwasher is not something you want to be doing. Instead, place them topside down and place them around stable objects so that they don’t shake.
#3 – Clean water rings with vinegar and olive oil
Works for upholstery cleaning, so why not annoying watermarks on wooden tables, right? Well, that’s because vinegar is too acidic and when you apply vinegar to the finished wood, you ruin the finish. Stick to using simple lemon juice and water and the results will be much, much better.
#4 – Use hairspray on your drapes for protection
Somebody had the brilliant idea to use hairspray on their drapes to protect them from dust AND kill potential accumulation of static. Problem is hairspray is sticky. And that hairspray is quite hard to get rid of as well. The only way to remove the stickiness is giving the curtains a thorough curtain cleaning. Instead, simply use the washing machine and get over the static.
#5 – Use dryer sheets to clean hair off furniture
This also sounds somewhat smart, since it will also freshen up the upholstery. But, as all folly goes, there is a big downside. The same liquid that gives the nice smell will also spill and leave a really bad stain on the upholstery, which will only require actual cleaning in order to get rid of. If you want to be creative with hair, just use a lint roller, it’s mostly what it is for.
#6 – Use lemon juice and olive oil as wood polish
Also a no-no. In theory, it’s supposed to polish the wood with the oil and seal it with the lemon juice. But in practice, it throws sticky goo on your furniture which will immediately attract dust and other such problems. Just buy normal polish.
Avoid these six mishaps and you will be fine. There are plenty of things you can try out yourself. But maybe the first thing you should focus on is actually learning the art of proper domestic cleaning. And when you actually understand how everything among the cleaning supplies and home cleaners works, you will be more able to pick the cleaning hacks you read about, or even think up some of your own. First get informed; then get creative.
