Cleaning tools - Beat those germs with simple protection

Thankfully, my cleaning calendar has helped me to relax and not feel rushed. With the right tools, cleaning is more of an enjoyment than something to be endured. I also listen to music which is a wonderful “tool” to accompany the physical workout I get from cleaning. Beyond the physical demands, I do struggle with using disposable cleaning tools while prolific growth of landfills besieges our country. We are still not recycling our waste adequately. But I continue to work on natural solutions for my cleaning routine.  I don’t use paper towels to clean glass or wash counter tops so I help to save the environment. Then I do laundry to clean my work towels, using up precious water as a resource. It’s an environmental dilemma, for sure. If you know of a cost effective biodegradable tool I can use, I am open to suggestions. But I digress. Here are a few of my cleaning tools, beginning with those that protect me from germs.

Gloves are important and necessary to avoid contact with any products you are using, keep your hands dry, and protect you from germs that you could absorb or spread. I sometimes use rubber gloves at home instead of disposables. I try to work quickly before my hands start to sweat; otherwise, I feel compelled to rinse them out and go through the drying process, inside and out. It’s a time sucker but necessary to prevent mold. I live in Florida, headquarters for mold and mildew. When I have no choice but to clean and reverse the gloves, I use a ¼ inch dowel that can reach into the glove fingers and push. When I clean for others, I use disposable, non-latex food prep gloves as they are time savers, less expensive than other disposables, and they fit nicely. I change gloves between bathrooms and, of course, for the kitchen.

Show some respect

Yes, I was supposed to write about tools I use to clean with. But as I got started on vacuum cleaners, I became self righteous about how we neglect them and decided this piece of equipment needed its own post, along with respect for what it does for us. Here goes... Nothing beats a vacuum cleaner for carpets and area rugs. Luxuriously fluffy bathroom shag rugs do NOT like vacuuming. They have to be shaken out, as do the trendy woven rag mats that have come back into fashion.  Despite my respect for a vacuum cleaner’s ability to do what I cannot, I have never found one quiet enough for me so I only use it when I have to.  They can also be heavy to manage and (yuck) they have to be maintained.  

The scourge of the sponge

What are your pet peeves for house cleaning? There are SO many to choose from.  I didn’t know I had one until I started cleaning for others (including my husband’s bathroom) and found a sponge in one condition or another either on the sink or nearby. It appears that these are used to clean the bathroom or kitchen, presumably the sink or maybe the dishes. Sometimes people use them like a soap dish which really raises suspicion. Have they left it there from cleaning? Does it have grease residue from dishes or pots? Do they wash themselves with it?  The problem I have with sponges is

Where Does All the Dust Come From?

Today one of my clients mentioned have recurring dust issues in her home.  I have had those issues too and it takes some detective work to get it under control. It's a constant battle that I am beginning to conquer.  

Before I replaced my leaky vacuum cleaner, the day after I dusted the dust had returned.  Even now I find that whenever I've been moving things around, bringing in new items (like Christmas decorations from the garage), or doing laundry (using the dryer and folding clothes), that more dust shows up on my glass tables, etc. We don't open our windows very often because we do live near a high traffic area but

Creating YOUR cleaning calendar

A list of “tasks” with dates assigned to each turns into a calendar. When I finally tired of carrying the ex-Catholic guilt associated with living like wild dogs (I can be dramatic), I set up a Google calendar just for house cleaning. Since Nathan would be “somewhat” involved, he and I sat down and figured out how often things needed to be done and who was going to do what. As we savored the vision of making our house into a nice clean gem we listed everything needed to make that happen, from cleaning bathrooms, to changing the bed, to checking the lampshades for dust, to cleaning the ovens, maintaining the AC, to washing the windows in/out.

With a completed list that took a few days to finish, we decided how often to do them, from weekly, to twice a month, quarterly, and yes, annually(!)  All the details were put into a Google calendar which, by the way, will send handy email reminders that keep you on track. The calendar was ready and Nathan and I were motivated! All the calendar reminders began pouring into my inbox, at which point I promptly IGNORED them all.

Well… a calendar seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was already tired of it after all the “negotiations”. Nevertheless, the nagging emails

“But Nobody Goes In There!” ...with a font that's visible

Is that your teenager or your partner?  To be fair, they are impacted by your need to have a clean house. Before we look for their cooperation, let's ask ourselves: "So why do we clean?" One of the most obvious reasons relates to living in a healthy environment but the onset of guests become a primary motivator for many of us.  I often like to quote Queen Aurora, aka my Mom, who taught me all I know about cleaning, especially the deep cleaning which she detested doing herself. "What will the neighbors think?"  We were trained at a young age. Every Saturday we were on our knees dusting baseboards. Yuck… 

But the rebel in me gave that up as soon as I moved out on my own. Fast forward to adulthood: whenever Nathan and I have entertained in the past 20 years there has been a feverish rush to be sure that no one knows we live like "everyone else" does. That is-- just like most everyone else-- we clean for company. But this is stressful! I am a fanatic about clutter and my husband is the exact opposite.  We've managed to make that work between us over the past twenty years. (That advice comes only one-to-one. Call me.) But, as much as not-cluttered looks clean--it isn't necessarily. There is still

Have you looked at your lampshades recently?

Don't do it now unless you've had a recent dose of Claritin. They are likely SO dusty and "who's looking at them anyway?" But you keep changing the bulbs as the lights get dimmer and dimmer over the years.  Do you ever wonder why you sneeze every time your AC or heat kicks on?  Beyond the dreaded dirty filter, hidden dust is just one of the reasons, and it's all over your house.  But take heart! I'm going to share my solution to the "dust dilemma" in this blog.

With allergies to dust and mold, I am always looking for the reasons I sneeze and then I go after them. Yes, I take occasional antihistamines but swore off corticosteroids years ago.  As I once dealt with a borderline asthmatic condition, a pulmonary specialist warned me to not overdo it.

How cleanable is your house?

The house I live in was built in 1948 and I've lived in it since 1992. The original owner was a doctor, a fact I've always prized. This fine old Florida ranch house was first situated on an orange grove that was once adjacent to a dairy farm. It had been a rental property when I bought it. Back then, it was filthy, with dog poop under the wall to wall carpeting(???), no intake filter on the central air unit, and

ancient cedar closets that were poisoning me. But it had 3/4 acres of beautiful yard right in the city--albeit overgrown with intertwining citrus trees. I fell in love but my allergies went haywire. I had some air quality people come in and diagnose the problems and hired someone to rip out the closets and replace with wallboard. We ripped out all carpeting and refinished the original floors ourselves (we were a lot younger back then), etc.

It's pretty likely that your current home is in very