Bleach and its benefits

I was reading the back of a bleach bottle the other day and was interested to find that a drop of bleach in the water of fresh flowers helps preserve the flowers longer. Of course it is only a small drop, but I will be giving the bleach a try with the next bunch of flowers I purchase, or hopefully receive.

The other information was how much bleach could be put into water for washing clothes. It was a ratio of 1 cup of bleach to 5 litres of water, mixed with the load of washing machine water.

I have known people who put a small amount of bleach in every wash; it helps lift the colour in the clothes and make the whites whiter, but they don’t use one cup of bleach. I would have thought this amount a little excessive.

My main concern is not the affect the bleach would have on the clothes, but the fact that the bleach is going down the drains. When I used to train people to clean showers we used a bleach/detergent liquid that was scrubbed on the screen and wiped off. This way we adopted a dry clean of a shower. At the same time we stopped the bleach going down the drain, which was always my concern.

But, and this was the problem, the cloths that were used to wipe off the bleach/detergent product were washed in the washing machine, so what we saved from going down the drain in the shower, ended up being washed down the drain from the washing machine. My only comfort with the bleach being washed out of the cloths in the machine was the amount of water that diluted the strength of the bleach, whereas in the shower, the product was more concentrated.

So what is the answer? Bleach used in a shower actually keeps down the mould, and I feel sure a small amount in the washing will also assist in keeping clothes clean and fresh, but I do feel we should all be aware of the damage that can occur by allowing large quantities of bleach flowing down our drains.

Bleach can be great, but sensible usage should be considered. Neat bleach is very strong and needs many litres of water to dilute it to a consistency that is no longer dangerous.

Oh and by the way, we changed our way of cleaning the showers. We still do a dry clean but we now scrub the screens with a cream cleanser and wipe that off.

Build up of soap scum

What is it about festive seasons that make us all work harder at getting our homes clean? This was the case this week when because we were expecting visitors hubby decided the corking around the bath had to be replaced. Not a difficult job, but time consuming. Thankfully we have another shower upstairs so that was used while the drying out and replacement was underway.

But the embarrassing part was when hubby complained about the soap scum left on the tiles above the bath. We have a shower over the bath which means soap gets splashed over the tiles while we bathe. My usual procedure of cleaning is to scrub that area with my shower cleansing product, but being a busy couple of weeks the bath had been cleaned but the tiles missed. Hence the build up of soap scum.

Because the build up was worse than normal I knew I had to use something a little more abrasive to break through the scum. This time I chose a creamy paste to scrub over the tiles. Because the area was still in the drying out mode I couldn’t make it wet so the creamy cleanser paste was the best product.

As I scrubbed each tile with the scourer side of a damp sponge/scourer I could feel the resistance: an indication as to the thickness of the soap scum. After scrubbing across and downwards the resistance started to disappear and I was able to move onto the next tile. Because the paste is moist I didn’t have to rewet the sponge/scourer, just keep rubbing the scourer over the product and scrubbing the tiles.

Once all the tiles along the side and above and around the taps had been scrubbed I started to remove the product. This time I used a dry face cloth. Once again it was a case of rubbing hard so that also required a bit of elbow grease. Slowly and surely each tile started to shine.

Although the tiles previously hadn’t look dirty, now they gleamed instead of just shining. To make sure I had removed all the scum and the product I viewed the tiles at an angle. This helped show the shininess of the tiles, and outlined any scum or product left behind.

It did take longer to remove the soap scum than my usual cleaning, and I had to climb into the bath to get the leverage I needed for each tile, but in the long run it was worth it. Everything looked perfect for the expected visitors and from now on I will just have to make sure even though I might be busy I still must scrub the tiles over the bath.

Cleaning for long weekends

In Australia Easter is a long weekend. A very long weekend. There is a Public Holiday on Good Friday as well as the Monday following Easter Sunday. If people don’t go away, then being a long weekend they probably have friends over for a get-together. One cannot have a dirty house when visitors arrive; it must be clean. But how can one make their home look great without spending a whole day cleaning?

Whether your visitors are staying with you for the weekend, or just sharing a meal,

it isn’t necessary to clean every room. There are areas where a visitor will never enter, so why bother to clean them.

Which areas should be cleaned? Obviously the communal areas such as: the kitchen, dining room and lounge and/or family room. Powder rooms are a must, and if your visitor is staying, the bedroom and bathroom they will be using. That’s it. They are the only rooms you need to clean.

Tidying up each room should be your first priority. Once a room looks tidy it instantly looks cleaner. As long as the floors have been vacuumed and mopped, you will have improved the look by 60%. If a surface looks dusty then give it a wipe over. Do make a point of giving a thorough clean to the coffee and dining tables. As your guests will be sitting at these tables they will notice any grubby marks.

Dirty toilets and vanities do not give a good impression, so make sure you get them all sparkling in all the bathrooms the visitors will use. A clean shower is also a must for your staying guest.

Tidy up the kitchen and clean all the cupboard and drawer fronts with glass cleanser and a micro-fibre cloth. Use the same procedure to wipe over and clean the benches and stove top. Clean the sink with some cream cleanser and you will have finished.

Remember you can clean these areas a day or two before the weekend. Just leave the vacuuming until the last minute. That way the floors look clean, the bathrooms are perfect and the house looks fantastic. Not only will you impress the guests, but it will allow you time to enjoy their company.

Have an enjoyable, relaxing long weekend.