CEBU, Philippines - Mops and brooms are the best partners in cleaning, but people tend to forget that these cleaning buddies also need a little pampering themselves. Cleaning tools need to be cleaned regularly, as these can harbor bacteria and dust. Besides, it defeats the very purpose of cleaning if the cleaning tools themselves become the source of dirt.
The home and lifestyle website Apartment Therapy shares simple ways to keep cleaning tools clean and always ready for action:
Vacuum Cleaner
Start by unplugging all the hoses and connections and run a soft dish towel through each opening. Canned air may also be used – it’s a kind of spray containing compressed air, with its long nozzle being able to give a focused blast of air, for cleaning on sensitive parts of electronic gadgetry.
When washing the outside part of the vacuum cleaner, a mild soap and water solution shall be used, and the whole thing wiped dry afterwards. Everything shall be washed – except only for the motor part – including the filters, and the brush rollers at the bottom.
Rags and Sponges
Sponges may be cleaned thoroughly in a microwave oven. According to the website WedMD.com, putting sponges inside the microwave for two minutes can kill most of the disease-causing germs that may have accumulated in it. Caution: the sponge shall be put in wet, and steel type sponges are not suitable for this cleaning method.
Rags, on the other hand, shall first be rinsed in the sink to eliminate as much chemicals and cleaner residue as possible before tossing it into laundry. Rags and mop heads may also be soaked in lemon juice beforehand and left to dry before washing.
Microfiber Cloths
Regular cloths can be washed normally, but microfiber rags need some extra care. These need to be washed separately or not to be subjected to fabric softeners. Microfiber cloths should be washed after every use.
Toilet Brushes
A cup of bleach combined with a kettle of boiling water is a good solution to soak the toilet brush in for an hour. For a faster method, instead of bleach, putting one cup of peroxide to the water in the kettle can lessen the process by 30 minutes.
Scrub Brushes
Scrub brushes can be cleaned with water and baking soda. If these had scrubbed something greasy, they should be washed with warn water with detergent and a little vinegar. Also, when cleaning scrub brushes with wooden handle, the wooden part shall not be soaked in the cleaning solution. Scrub brushes shall ideally be cleaned once a month.
Brooms and Mops
Brooms can be soaked in a bucket half-filled with soap water. One needs to run his finger through the bristles until the accumulated dust and hair are gone. Afterwards, it may brought outside for drying, angled slightly downwards to drain the remaining water.
Removable cotton mop heads can be thrown in the washing machine, while sponge can usually be washed in the dishwasher. These are also good to soak in lemon juice and allowed to dry outside and then rinsed off with vinegar and water solution.
The better the tools are maintained, the longer their useful life. And clean cleaning tools do really serve their purpose best. Lorgie Mae Villarin (FREEMAN)