When not properly cared for, the equipment and appliances we use to clean the house can spread bacteria and germs. Here’s how to clean your cleaning tools.
Clean Your Dish Brush
You use it to clean your dishes, but how often do you actually clean your dish scrubber brush? When not properly cared for, this tool we rely on for cleaning up in the kitchen can actually spread harmful bacteria. The trick is to make sure you’re getting the best clean possible. Clean your dish scrubber brush once a week in the dishwasher, or with a vinegar mixture.
The Drill Brush
You use your sink to clean dishes, but you won’t get anywhere if your sink is dirty, too. Clean it quickly with this drill brush hack.
To make this drill brush you’ll need a drill, a washer, a bolt, a long machine screw and a brush head replacement.
- Start by threading the machine screw through the brush head so the head of the screw rests in the brush head hole.
- On the other side of the brush head, slide on the washer and secure it in place with a nut.
- Make sure to tighten it with a wrench. Do not over-tighten, as this may cause the plastic brush head to crack.
- Attach the scrubber head to the drill.
To clean, fill a bowl or bucket with hot water and dish soap (or the cleaning agent of your choice). Dip the power scrubber into the mixture just enough to saturate the bristles — do not submerge the drill!
Clean Your Lint Trap
Even if you empty your dryer’s lint trap before each load, chances are there is still lint buildup around the area that could potentially start a fire. That’s why it’s important to deep clean the area once in a while. Here’s the best method we’ve found for cleaning out your lint trap. Wrap a clean rag around one end of a paint stir stick. Remove the lint trap and clean out the area with the rag-covered stick. To help the rag pick up the lint, dampen it with water first.
Now check out the e-co friendly cleaning hacks that make your home more comfortable
Keep Your Toilet Brush Germ-Free
Toilet brushes are relegated to a filthy task, and the thought of what’s left on that brush made me a little queasy. So I put a splash of Pine-Sol in the bottom of the brush container. Not only does this help to deodorize my bathroom, but it also disinfects the toilet brush.
Citrus Peels and Ice Cubes for a Stinky Disposer
You garbage disposal is great for cleaning up food in the sink. But if your disposer has developed an odor, it may be holding on to bits of rotted food. Here’s how to clean it out:
- With the water running at about half throttle, drop in orange or lemon peels. Run the disposer for five seconds. Citric acid from the peels softens crusty waste and attacks smelly bacteria. Give the acid about 15 minutes to do its work.
- Turn on the water and the disposer and drop in a few ice cubes. Flying shards of ice work like a sandblaster inside the disposer.
- Run the water until the bowl is about half full. Then pull the stopper and turn on the disposer to flush it out.
Clean a Vacuum with a Vacuum
The typical way to clean the filter of a bagless vacuum is to tap it against the inside of a trash can until most of the dust falls off. But that raises a cloud of dust and doesn’t get the filter completely clean. For faster, neater, more effective filter cleaning, use your shop vacuum. Clean pre-filter screens and post-filters the same way. Just remember to be gentle with the shop vacuum’s nozzle. Some filters have a coating that you can scrape off if you press too hard.
–> Read more: The Summer Life Hacks Everyone Needed
Clean Your Kitchen Sponge
The kitchen sponge is a well-used cleaning tool. From your dishes to your counters, it soaks up a lot of dirt and leaves things sparkling. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the kitchen sponge harbors a hefty amount of bacteria. The most effective and easy way to clean your sponge is to douse it in bleach. You’ll want to soak it for at least five minutes in a solution of 3/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water, then squeeze and rinse it out.
How to Clean Your Dishwasher
You’d think your dishwasher, post dishwashing, would already be clean. But you’d be wrong! Food bits find their way into all the nooks and crannies of your dishwasher, leading to bad smells and eventually poor cleaning of your dishes.
Clean Your Duster
No matter how hard we try to prevent it, dust happens. Dusters — whether cloth, feather, synthetic or disposable — are a necessity to keep your home as dust-free as possible. Cleaning your duster regularly will not only prevent spreading that old dust around, but it will help keep your duster in good condition.
Clean Your Washing Machine
Just because you’re washing clothes regularly doesn’t mean your washer can’t use an occasional cleaning. Once a month, run an empty load with just hot water and bleach. We also recommend Affresh to kill mold and odors.
S-Hook Hang-Up
Once you’re done cleaning the house, your cleaning supplies need a place to stay clean and organized too. Pick up a pack of S-hooks at a home center and turn wire shelving into a rack designated for cleaning gear.
source: .familyhandyman
