Politics
I’m a cleaning expert – the mistakes you & Mrs Hinch are making & why you SHOULDN’T spray your products onto surfaces
CLEANING is a daily ritual but for some it’s become a national pastime, and a way to kill a few hours each day in lockdown.
So whether you’re running around after your kids or trying out the latest cleanfluencer hack, it turns out you’ve probably been making some very obvious mistakes.
instagramEven Mrs Hinch is guilty of a few common cleaning mistakes, an expert said[/caption]
Cleaning expert, Heather Barrington, has shared exactly where people are going wrong in their cleaning – and even Mrs Hinch is guilty of it, Ideal Home reported.
Washing up liquid is a staple in every household, but there are some things you shouldn’t use it on.
If you scrub your chopping board with hot soapy water, stop right now.
Heather explained the soap can’t penetrate the cracks and pores in your board as it remains cold inside, meaning bugs can still lurk.
InstagramNever spray a product directly onto a surface, and always onto your cloth first [/caption]
She admitted even scalding hot water won’t do the trick, and you need to soak it in a bleach solution to kill all the bacteria in it.
Another big no-no which she often sees is people spraying cleaning solution directly onto their surfaces – which Mrs Hinch herself does.
Heather claimed you should never spritz straight onto your glass, furniture or counter-tops, as it’s harder to remove the product.
This can lead to streaks and stubborn stains – as well as more chemicals in the air – so you should always spray onto your cloth, then wipe.
Common cleaning mistakes
Not pre-soaking dishes
Using the same cloth to clean
Spraying directly onto surfaces
Using washing up liquid on chopping boards
Not wiping down the sink
And while on the subject of sponges, Heather urged Brits to continually change theirs – and never use the same one for two different jobs.
Sponges and cleaning cloths can be a hotbed for bacteria, particularly if you use the same one all over your house.
While it’s common knowledge to use different ones for your kitchen and bathroom, you should separate them out even further so you’re not dragging germs from the countertops across your telly.
As well as keeping everything sparkling, this stops cross contamination – and potentially spreading deadly bugs around.
Getty Images – GettyMake sure you clean your sink regularly and use a different sponge for different tasks [/caption]
If you’re lucky enough to have ditched sponges in favour of a dishwasher, chances are you bung all your crockery in at the end of a long day.
But if you chuck plates straight in the dishwasher, it could see you needing to buy a new appliance sooner rather than later.
Even though your machine is going to get your dishes spotless, if you don’t remove as much food as possible yourself it can lead to debris clogging up your machine.
Plus your machine may end up smelling.
To get your crockery as clean as possible before being loaded up, submerge them in hot water for at least 30 seconds – and let them air dry wherever possible to stop dishcloths spreading germs.
Lastly, you may think your sink is already clean with the amount of fairy liquid you pour into it, but you need to pay closer attention.
The warm and wet environment is a breeding ground for germs, and food particles are the perfect source for an outbreak.
Regularly deep clean your sink – and the plug hole – by pouring some bleach down the drain, leaving it to soak for 30 minutes before flushing it through with warm water.
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