The Truth About Common Cleaning Tools

Everyone has cleaning shortcuts, tricks, and tips. Some have been handed down from family and friends, while others have been adopted for the sheer convenience, but the questions is – are these ‘tried and true’ traditional cleaning tools really getting the job done? Let’s uncover the truth behind common cleaning tools like paper towels, sponges, scrub brushes, and towels.

Paper Towels

Many people use paper towels as their go-to cleaning tool. While super convenient, paper towel aren’t a great choice for cleaning. Yes, it is true, they are absorbent, and can clean up a spill in record time. But what happens if you need to scrub the spill? They fall to pieces! And should you use them for window or mirror cleaning, what happens? The leave behind lint and fibers on your freshly cleaned surfaces. On top of all that, paper towels are not environmentally friendly. Made from wood pulp straight from trees, in a factory burning fossil fuels, paper towels, unlike some paper products, cannot be recycled.

And that’s not to say paper towels are all bad, but limiting their use, while opting for better cleaning solutions means a cleaner house and a healthier environment.

The Kitchen Sponge

Nearly everyone has a kitchen sponge, but is it really the best choice for cleaning? The ugly truth is most sponges are harboring bacteria after each wash which is being spread from dish to dish! Most people only rinse their sponge under the faucet after each use which doesn’t get it clean or kill the bacteria. After every use, the kitchen sponge should be disinfected to kill the germs within. This means soaking your sponge in a mixture of bleach and water, washing it with your favorite disinfectant, or running it through your dishwasher cycle where the heated drying destroys the bacteria. By disinfecting your kitchen sponge after each use, this trusted cleaning tool can maintain its place as a valued member of your cleaning team.

Scrubbing Tools

Scrubbing tools, like scouring pads and scrub brushes, when chosen well, can ease the task of cleaning in difficult areas. On the other hand, choosing a product that is too strong, harsh, or heavy duty for the task can mean damaging surfaces, destroying seals and coatings, and decreasing the longevity of those surfaces in your home. While it may seem the smart choice to choose the heavy duty option for every task, these choices can be too much for your home’s surfaces. Instead, choose your scrubbing brushes, scouring pads, and scrubbers that are non-abrasive and medium duty and adding a few more minutes to your wait time after applying cleaners and detergents. It will be worth the wait as your surfaces get the clean you desire without the damage caused by heavy duty scrubbers.

Cleaning Cloths

Many of you, in an effort to save money and maybe even “go green” use old towels, t-shirts, and other fabric items as cleaning rags. But by doing so, are you really accomplishing those goals and getting your house clean at the same time?  Probably not! Those ‘recycled’ rags simply don’t pick up dust and dirt as well as today’s microfiber cleaning cloths can. Plus, when you use those old rags for washing and scrubbing, you have to use more soap, and thus ends your thriftiness. Instead, get yourself some high-quality microfiber cloths which will help you clean more effectively, using smaller amounts of cleaning products, and saving you money.

Keep in mind, when you don’t have the tools to get the job done right, or simply need a little help in keeping your home clean, the team at Signature Maids is ready to help, so you can focus on more important things like enjoying life with your family.