Tag: cleaning tips

Healthy, Safe, and Affordable Home Cleaning Tips

March 18, 2021MBEhleCleaning

When it comes to keeping your home healthy, safe and clean, it’s all about balance. Using the following tips, you can make 2021 the year you perfect your cleaning technique affordably:

Get Prepped

Before getting started, wash your hands. Not only does it help you to avoid spreading germs, it’s also a great way to get into a cleaning mindset.

You can also give yourself a little motivational boost by putting on some great tunes. Check out the Ultimate Cleaning Playlist on Spotify, which features danceable hits spanning decades, or create your own. According to the experts, a bit of preparation can even streamline your efforts.

“Before any cleaning session, I take a few minutes to de-clutter. This makes the process of dusting and wiping down surfaces so much easier,” says Erin Chase, AlEn Cleanfluencer and busy mom of four.

Strike a Balance

Contrary to what you might assume, there’s no need to use a disinfectant cleaner on every surface, even in the age of COVID-19. High-touch areas such as doorknobs, light switches, remotes and countertops should be disinfected daily. You should also be sure to disinfect after visitors, and continually disinfect surfaces touched by sick household members. However, it’s important use strong cleansers mindfully. The power of bleach is a great way to disinfect properly where and when it’s needed. Be sure to use approved products, such as Cloralen Disinfectant Bleach, and follow the instructions on the label. Don’t use bleach on porous surfaces and never mix cleaning products — in particular don’t mix bleach with ammonia. This can result in dangerous fumes you shouldn’t breathe.

Go Green When You Can

For everyday messes, use naturally-derived cleaning products, such as Art of Green wipes and sprays, which are hardworking and safe for sensitive skin, making them good choices for “over and over” cleaning around kids and pets. Voted a 2020 Product of the Year by more than 40,000 consumers, Art of Green works on many surfaces and comes in two uplifting scents, Lavender Eucalyptus and Citrus and White Flowers. You can also help protect the planet by choosing products from companies committed to building a cleaner, more sustainable world. Many products from AlEn USA are made with sustainable ingredients, and the company recycles more plastic than it uses.

“The good news is that these products also offer great value, making it possible to get an effective eco-friendly clean at an affordable price,” says Chase.

To learn more, visit alenusa.com, artofgreen.com and cloralen.com.

Celebrate a Job Well-Done

“Cleaning is an opportunity to refresh your mindset,” adds Chase, who makes sure to celebrate a job well done with self-care rituals. “After cleaning, I always wash my hands and apply my favorite hand lotion.”

With a few smart cleaning tips, you can create an environment that helps protect the health and safety of your family and your pets.

How to Effectively and Safely Sanitize a Car

September 17, 2020MBEhleAdvice, Cleaning

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people live. One readily felt effect was spending more time at home. Vehicles sat idle in driveways and even some automotive insurance providers reduced rates because people were driving much less. Even with stay-at-home measures in place, people still need to leave their homes to stock up on essentials, such as food or medicine. In other cases, people may have been essential workers who drive for a living, including delivery drivers or health care personnel who were incapable of working from home.

Any time a person goes out in public, he or she runs the risk of contracting viruses. Bacteria and germs may reside on various surfaces, including those inside vehicles. People want to protect themselves and now are more aware of the importance of frequently cleaning and sanitizing their cars. Keeping a vehicle safe to drive without affecting its upholstery or electronic components is paramount. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes a distinction between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces. It does not kill germs, but can lower their numbers. Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. The following are some ways to deeply clean and sanitize a car.

• Wash hands. First and foremost, it is crucial to wash your hands before and after using the car. This can reduce the likelihood of growing ill because of transferred viruses or bacteria.

• Use rubbing alcohol. Solutions that contain 70 percent alcohol are effective against many viruses and bacteria, including coronaviruses, says the CDC. Furthermore, Jeff Stout, Executive Director of Global Innovation at Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, says that, for the most part, nearly every interior surface of a vehicle can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol. Plastic to painted chrome to imitation leather have been tested to ensure they don’t degrade when exposed to pure isopropyl alcohol.

• Avoid bleach or hydrogen peroxide. While bleach and peroxide are very effective cleaners and sanitizers, they are likely to damage a car’s upholstery, according to Consumer Reports.

• Use soap and water: Experts say that vigorous washing with a soap-and-water solution can be effective against many contaminants because it breaks down the protective envelope that surrounds coronaviruses and other germs to disarm them. Friction also can help to break down germ cells during cleaning. “You want to do the best with what you have, so even soap and water can chip away at the risk,” says Stephen Thomas, M.D., Chief of Infectious Diseases and Director of Global Health at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.

• Address frequently touched surfaces. Pay attention to the steering wheel, door handles, buttons, touchscreen displays, shift lever, and more when sanitizing. Each of these items can harbor germs.

Deep-cleaning a vehicle has become a necessity since COVID-19 emerged. Frequently cleaning and sanitizing can help make vehicles safer to operate.

Get Started on Spring Cleaning

March 15, 2015MBEhleCleaning, Home Improvement, Spring

Warmer temperatures and longer hours of sunlight can recharge energy levels. Upon the arrival of spring, homeowners dust off their to-do lists and charge ahead with renewed vigor.

But before homeowners can get started on renovation projects, many must tame the existing mess that may have built up over the winter. Spring is a great time to dive into spring cleaning projects and ready a home for a season of renovation and remodeling.

Getting started on spring cleaning can be a tad overwhelming. In 2012, OnePoll asked 1,000 adults living in the United Kingdom how they felt about spring cleaning, and 41 percent of those surveyed found spring cleaning a daunting process while 68 percent had negative feelings about spring cleaning. But in spite of that initial lack of enthusiasm, respondents said they felt happy and more organized once they finished their spring cleaning. Establishing a plan and setting reachable goals can make spring cleaning a lot less daunting.

· Set aside several days for spring cleaning. A long weekend is a great time to do some spring cleaning, as having consecutive days to clean will reduce the chances you grow distracted.

· Make a list and purchase all of the supplies you will need. Again, this will help you stay on course, rather than going out to the store to pick up cleaners or organizational systems.

· Try to set reasonable goals. Even if you hope to clean the entire house, stick to the one or two rooms that are most desperate for your attention. Divide each task into a series of steps so when you complete each step you will feel proud that you’re making progress.

· Create your musical playlist. A playlist full of your favorite songs can provide some inspiration and energy to push you through the spring cleaning when your enthusiasm starts to wane. The music also may take your mind off of the work ahead and help to pass the time.

· Start from the top and work downward. Follow a logical cleaning order. Begin by dusting away cobwebs and lighting fixtures. Clean light switches and walls. Empty closets and then restock them in a more organized fashion. Leave the furniture and flooring for last, as dirt and dust may accumulate on furniture and flooring as you clean other areas of the home.

· Be prepared to bid adieu to some of your stuff. Have a few trash bags at the ready. Reorganize items you won’t be keeping into separate piles, with one pile for items you plan to donate and another for those items you will discard. Donate what you can and promptly put the remainder of the items at the curb for pickup.

· Stay fed and hydrated. Cleaning can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Take breaks to fuel up on food and always have a refreshing beverage close by. SH152933

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