Nowadays, new cleaning innovations for making life easier hit the market almost every day. This constant innovation makes today’s cleaning products and tools better than they were before. However, there are also people who get enticed by numerous hacks and tips online that promise better and easier cleaning. Most of these “helpful” tips and life hacks are not based on pure science and may cause you more harm than good in doing simple cleaning tasks.
But with so many cleaning hacks out there on the Internet, it can be hard to tell if these hacks are useful or not. Fortunately, we’ve rounded up and debunked some popular do-it-yourself cleaning tips.
Combining Baking Soda and Vinegar
Contrary to popular belief, mixing baking soda with vinegar only produces a salt and water solution and not a special cleaning solution. These substances are only neutralizing each other due to vinegar being acidic and baking soda being basic. The fizz that results from the chemical reaction creates more of a mess than helping remove the dirt or grime on the surface that you want to be cleaned. It instead uses water produced from the reaction to rinse out the dirt while using the bubbles produced as an abrasive to remove some of the mess. Fortunately, baking soda and vinegar are already useful on their own.
Mixing Vinegar and Dish Soap for Pet Stain Removal
Both vinegar and dish soap are not potent enough for eliminating odor and discoloration due to pet urine, excrement or vomit. That’s why the best alternative to this mixture is an enzyme cleaner which not only breaks down protein to remove stains but also makes for an effective carpet or upholstery cleaner.
Pouring White Wine on Red Wine Stains
While this hack might have an above-average success rate due to white wine having a higher alcohol level, vodka is a much better cleaning agent for removing red wine stains. Vodka has 40% more alcohol than white wine, which only has 12.5% alcohol. Experts also advise spritzing a bit of hydrogen peroxide on the stain rather than using alcohol.
Removing Ink Stains with Hairspray
In the past, this popular cleaning hack was effective due to hairspray containing 100% alcohol. But now, ink stains will only look shiny and fresh when you spritz it with modern hairspray since they contain less alcohol compared to before. If you still want to get rid of that pesky ink on your fabrics, there are two possible ways to do it. For ballpoint ink stains, just sponge rubbing alcohol on the mark. You can also soak felt-tip ink stains in water and liquid laundry detergent for 30 minutes to an hour.
Applying Hydrogen Peroxide on Carpet Stains
This rug cleaning hack is extremely popular among carpet owners. However, hydrogen peroxide can bleach your rug if it makes up over six percent of a cleaning solution or if not diluted well. But don’t fret: carpet cleaning can be done in many other ways. You can learn how to care for your rug here.
Using Soda to Clean a Toilet Bowl
One of the most common and most believed DIY cleaning hacks is pouring carbonated soda down the toilet bowl which is a quick way to remove hard water stains after letting it sit and rinsing it after an hour. In reality, these refreshments are not made to remove stains or eliminate bacteria. Carbonated sodas leave a sticky residue that can cause bacteria growth by providing these microorganisms with food. However, these beverages have small amounts of citric and phosphoric acids that can gradually eliminate rust and a few stains on other home items.
Using Vinegar to Remove Water Rings on Wood Tables
White vinegar is a useful and affordable cleaning agent, it cannot effectively remove those pesky water rings and stains on your wooden coffee table. Vinegar can damage your furniture’s protective polish when you apply it to wood since it is an acidic substance.
Everyone would ideally love and want to live in cleaner spaces. And while cleaning can be tiring and time-consuming, doing these cleaning hacks can cost you a fortune rather than saving you time and money. Fortunately, there are other reliable special cleaning services that one can avail of for a cleaner home. You can get a lot of benefits from these services, especially if you’re working or fulfilling family responsibilities.
One advantage is that special cleaning services help you save time and provide you a little peace of mind. They also offer $100-$150 or less on their rates and even let you avail of discounts to help you save money. These services also treat dust mites and allergies. Constant professional cleaning keeps harmful bacteria and microbes from developing. Many professional services even use HEPA vacuum cleaners to clean your rug and other parts of your home. These devices collect high quantities of dust, dirt, and dead skin from these places.
Hiring a professional cleaning service means that all your cleaning needs will be taken care of and saves you precious energy and time. You’ll also be able to do anything that you want since the service gives you more freedom.
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