Dirty Toothbrushes

I have talked to many cleaners and even read articles about the cups or glasses that hold toothbrushes and how filthy they are inside.  In fact, these receptacles have so much dirt inside it is hard to realise that the toothbrush that is placed inside one’s mouth actually sits in such dirt.

Of course the cause of the problem is the tooth paste is never completely rinsed out of the bristles and slowly migrates down the handle into the cup.  There is an answer but as most of us, when cleaning our teeth, are either in a hurry to get out the door or into bed, careful rinsing is never carried out.

I realised the other day that because toothbrushes are now made of a vinyl/rubbery material they have sections behind the brush which can catch food or such like from inside the mouth while the teeth are being scrubbed.  I noticed this substance on the back of my toothbrush and had to instantly wash it under the tap to remove the muck.  What annoyed me most was I wasn’t sure how and when the dirt attached itself to the rear of my toothbrush and whether I had actually placed it back in my mouth while cleaning my teeth.  I do hope not.

Even the toothbrush handles now have ridges that can collect dirt, and all this means we have to be more diligent when rinsing our brushes, to make sure no dirt is left anywhere.

One would like to think that Electric toothbrushes are not subject to these problems, but I have found during my years of cleaning bathrooms, electric toothbrushes are dirtier.  Because of the electricity, people are disinclined to rinse the brush where as what they are supposed to do is take the brush away from the electric base and clean it that way.  If the brush was removed after every use, the left over toothpaste, which I sort of feel has a combination of saliva mixed with it, migrates down the brush onto the base leaving a dirty and probably unhealthy stain.

Considering toothbrushes are made to enter the mouth, maybe it is time for us to give more thought to how we, not only clean our teeth, but how we clean the brush after the teeth have been cleaned. 

Julie Finch-Scally

The Guru of Cleaning

More cleaning tips and blogs can be found under www.cleaningguru.online

How to keep the airconditioner working

Since more and more people have given up smoking cleaning air-conditioning vents and filters are a lot easier.  I can remember watching an air-conditioning mechanic climbing up and removing the filters in an office where I worked.  The filter was black with tar and had to be replaced.  To clean, the dirty one was a job for the factory.  What they soaked the filter in I have no idea, but it would have been a regular process as the mechanic visited monthly.

When they banned smoking in offices, over night filters in the air-conditioning vents didn’t need replacing.  Dust had to be removed from the filter but that was all and the mechanic just took out the filter and brushed it down outside the building. It would have saved many owners of office buildings much money.

If you have a central air-conditioning unit which is ducted all through your home, there will be vents and filters that should be dusted and cleaned on a regular basis.  I suggest at the end of winter and the end of summer. 

The fins are easy.  Wipe them over with either a cloth sprayed with a multi-purpose cleanser or use a damp cloth rinsed in detergent.  For heavy stains a light cream cleanser rubbed over the offending marks will bring the fins back to normal.

Filters are a little more difficult.  In a ducted system, depending on the size, they could be put through a washing cycle in a dish washer, but if too large then try washing them in the bath using one of those flexible shower attachments on the taps.  A little shampoo will help remove any grease, especially if the filter has been in the kitchen.  Make sure you rinse away all the suds and place it outside in the sun to dry.

Should your air-conditioner be one of those on the wall, the fins will need to be wiped with the multi-purpose cleanser or a cloth rinsed in detergent.  The filter can be removed easily and cleaned with the vacuum cleaner. Rub the nozzle over both sides of the filter until you can easily see through the material.

If the dust on the filters are removed on a regular basis, you will find the air-conditioner will not have to work as hard as when they are caked with dust, thereby keeping the house warmer or cooler. If you don’t keep your air-conditioner dust free, the motor can be put under strain, causing a lot of damage to the unit.   

How useful are door mats?

Many years ago a carpet layer told me the best way to keep dirt ruining the floors in a home was to use the two door-mat trick.  This trick was to not only to have a mat outside the door but have a mat inside as well.  Of course the inside mat was not as heavy as the outside mat, but it needed to be strong and durable.

Since receiving this advice I have faithfully done this and advised customers and friends to do the same.  It makes a huge difference to the amount of dirt being trampled into the home.  The mat outside the door catches and loosens the dirt on the shoes and the second mat catches the loosened dirt as the wearer steps over the threshold.

Of course having a door mat outside and inside only near the front door isn’t enough; every door that leads to the outside needs to have two mats.  This includes a kitchen door, laundry door and even the patio or verandah door. 

With the introduction of bi-fold doors leading to patios and decks, the double door mat is a little difficult.  Those doors when open expose the width of the room whereas small French doors or even sliding doors give a smaller space.  The small gap worked perfectly with the two mats but that extra space with the bi-folds becomes harder as people never step into the property at the same spot.

So how can you stop the extra dust and dirt entering the home when you have bi-fold doors?  Place a carpet runner inside along the strip where the doors sit and you will have one long mat covering the exposed entrance.  Finding a door mat for the outside is not so easy, but coir squares joined together in a long strip will do the job.  You will need to buy squares that are joinable otherwise separate squares will move as people step in and out of the property.  If you are forever putting the squares back in place you will finally wish you hadn’t bothered in the first place.   

Wooden floors and carpeting can be easily scratched or stained, so using the double mat protection system is a sensible idea.  Real floor damage is done around the entrance to a home. Give it a go and see what a difference it makes. 

For more information on cleaning a home, purchase Julie's new book 'Stinking Cleaning' published by Austin Macauley