How Clean Is Your Home?

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Home is where the heart is – not to mention the dirt, dust, bacteria and mold. “People typically only realize how filthy their house is when they move out,” says Richard Symes of Clenz Philly, an eco-friendly home and commercial cleaning service in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Home is where the heart is — not to mention the dirt, dust, bacteria
and mold. “People typically only realize how filthy their house is when
they move out,” says Richard Symes of Clenz Philly,
an eco-friendly home and commercial cleaning service in New Jersey and
Philadelphia. “Most people clean what they can see, but there’s a lot
more to cleaning a home than just wiping down your bureau.”

Here are the top neglected spots, the most powerful cleaning tools
(that you’re probably not using) and how often you need to scrub up. The
payoff is better air quality, fewer allergy symptoms, a house you can
show off to the neighbors, and best of all, peace of mind.

5 Places to Look

1. Up, down and underneath
Look
high — in ceiling corners, on top of shades, blinds and picture
frames, and on the blades of ceiling fans — to find neglected dust.
Look low — under baseboards, under furniture and in the corners of
kitchens and bathrooms — to find colonies of dust bunnies and layers of
dirt and grime.

2. Bedding
Millions
of organisms live in your mattress. Their dead cells and feces are the
No. 1 cause of allergies in a home, says Symes. Get your bed and pillows
steam-cleaned once a year to sterilize your sleeping environment.

3. Showerheads
Potentially
disease-causing germs can get trapped in showerheads and grow into
biofilm, a layer of slime that delivers a bacteria blast along with your
hot water. Clean the showerhead with a wire brush every week and
replace it every year to prevent germy buildup.

4. Sponges and dishtowels
Moisture
and bits of food on clingy surfaces make these common kitchen items a
dangerous source of E. coli, salmonella and other virulent bacteria, not
to mention yeasts and molds. Rinse sponges after every cleaning with
soap and water, and disinfect them once or twice weekly by zapping them
in the microwave for 60 seconds or sending them through the dishwasher.

5. Your front door
According
to Symes, 85 percent of the germs and dirt in your house come in
through the front door. Don’t let them! Station one doormat outside and
one just inside the door. Shuffle your feet on the mat before you enter,
then remove your shoes once inside.

5 Tools to Use

1. Grout brush
It gives you
access to areas that a sponge or cloth can’t reach — corners, under
baseboards and around window locks. Just spray with household cleaner,
brush and wipe.

2. Steam machine
High-pressure steam naturally disinfects and cleans tile surfaces. It works by flushing the dirt out rather than packing it in.

3. Microfiber cloths
They’re
made with loops that act like tiny claws, gripping and holding dust —
not kicking it back into the air like cotton cloths do. You don’t even
need to spray!

4. Vacuum with HEPA filter
Unlike
standard vacuum bags, which are fine for collecting small chunks of
stuff, HEPA filters suck up dust, retaining 99.9 percent of the small
particles they encounter.

5. Clean paper towels
Old
T-shirts or rags are commonly used to clean, but if they’ve previously
been used, you will just end up spreading the dirt they removed from
another area. Instead, grab a roll of paper towels to ensure the mess
isn’t spreading.

5 Ways to Keep It up

1. The house
Do a
top-to-bottom cleaning every other week (more frequently if you have
kids and pets, especially shedders). Pay special attention to wet areas
— kitchens and bathrooms — where bacteria and mold tend to grow.

2. Bath towels and hand towels
Wash them weekly to avoid mold spores.

3. Sheets and duvet covers
Wash sheets once a week, duvet covers once a month.

4. Carpets and upholstery
Get them professionally cleaned every six months to a year.

5. Curtains
Wash or dry-clean
curtains every few months. In between, lay them on the floor and vacuum
them lightly or do a couple of passes with a lint brush or lint roller.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”