Disinfectants:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soap and Detergents Association, in Washington, D.C., recommends daily cleaning and disinfecting of areas where you prepare food. Moist surfaces such as sinks and toilets are also germ breeding grounds and should be cleaned daily if someone in the family is sick or especially vulnerable to infection.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO REINFECT AN AREA you've just cleaned by using a dirty cloth or sponge. If you clean a surface with dis-infectant but then wipe with a contimanted cloth, you're simply redeposting germs on the clean surface. Some people prefer using paper towels after disinfecting since you throw away the contaminants. paper towels are a more expensive way to clean, though. Cloths and sponges work as well,if not better, as long as you launder them with chlorine bleach and let them dry thoroughly between uses.
DISINFECTANTS ARE AVAILABLE from such sources as supermarkets, home improvements stores, and discount stores.
Disposable Wipes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disposable wipes have taken the cleaning world by storm in the last several years, generating the most growth in the household cleaning market place. American consumers spent $872 million on the products in 2002, according to Packages Facts, a consulting company.
THE APPEAL OF DISPOSABLE WIPES is understandable. In terms of convenience, it's hard to beat a pretreated product that you toss after a single use. The popularity of wipes is driven by what's known as the three E's of consumer product value--they're effective, efficient, and expedient.
SOME OF THE LATEST WIPE PRODUCTS include these:
Disposable cloths treated with dishwashing liquid--you simply add water for a sudsy cleaning cloth.
Heat-activated microwave wipes to clean based-on foods from a microwave's interior. Speciality wipes for disinfecting surfaces such as toilets, sinks, and countertops. (In such cases disposing of germs along with the cleaning cloth is an especially attracive feature.) Furniture wipes to clean and shine wood. Both dry and premoistened floor wipes, which are attached to floor sweepers and specially designed mops.
DRY DISPOSABLE WIPES rely on an electrostatic charge to attract dust. Disposable mitts, also electrostatically charged, make quick work of dusting surfaces like wood, ceramic, and vinyl. The dust sticks to the mitt instead of becoming airborne.
DISPOSABLE WIPES ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE from such sources as supermarkets, home improvements stores, and discount store. Obviously, it's more expensive to use a disposable wipe that lasts for only one use. But if you're a convenience-driven consumer, you'll pay the price.
Drain Cleaners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drain Cleaners come in four varieties--acids, alkalis, oxidizers, and enzymatics--and their job is to get rid of blockages in drains, most commonly in kitchens and bathrooms.
Compared to mechanical drain cleaners, chemical and enzymatic cleaners are easy to use, but chemical cleaners also have the potential to harm the user if instructions aren't followed exactly. Enzymatic cleaners have a slower, biological reaction and therefore are more benign.
ACIDS AND ALKALIS are the most popular of the drain cleaners for removing blockages of hair, grease, soap and other wastes. Some of these drain cleaners, particularly the faster-acting ones, cause bubbling that can splash harmful chemicals back out of the drain. So stand back once you've poured the drain opener in. Never use muriatic acid (a dilute form of hydrochloric acid) to clear drain blocks. It's highly dangerous.
OXIDIZERS are effective on organic blockages. These chemicals react with and combine with the blocking material, breaking it up and disintegrating it (rather than dissolving it).
The majority of commercial cleaners, such as Red Devil, Liquid -Plumur, and Drano, are a combination of caustic (alkaline) and oxidizing components, meaning the cleaners work in two ways.
ENZYMATIC DRAIN CLEANERS are slower-acting as they consume or digest waste blockages, but they're easier on your pipes than acids, caustics, and oxidizers (which is more of a concern with old plumbing). They're also thought to do less harm to septic systems.
PREVENT DRAIN CLOG UPS in your kitchen sink with this once-a-month treatment using household products. Pour 1 cup of baking soda around the kitchen sink drain opening. Rinse the baking soda into the drain with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. The bubbling and fizzing action helps to clear away the residue clingings to your pipes.
DRAIN CLEANERS CAN BE PURCHASED at a variety of stores-supermarkets, discount stores, hardware stores, home improvement stores plumbing supply stores.
Dusters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feather dusters and lamb's wool dusters have taken a backseat these days to microfiber dusters, which can get into cracks and crevices, attracting soil and speeding your dusting chores.
MICROFIBER DUSTERS are the cutting edge in technology. Their interwoven fibers are ten times finer than silk, making them good at snagging dust without scratching. For
dusting, washing, or spot cleaning, microfiber dusters are easy to use and their heads can be removed and tossed in the washing machine when you're done. (Don't use bleach or fabric softener on them.)
FEATHER DUSTERS, on the other hand, may still have their place in your broom closet. While feather dusters have a reputation of just spreading dust around the room, they are great for dusting in hard-to-reach areas, such as inside a lamp in the pleats of a lamp shade, and in the corners of ceilings where cobwebs collect. Feather dusters blow the dust off the object you're cleaning, allowing you to then vacuum or wipe the dust up.
LAMB'S WOOL creates a lot of static, which attracts dust. These dusters are typically good on baseboards, ceilings, ceilings fans, and blinds. Lamb's wool is not a good choice for objects that are heavily blanketed with dust.
DUSTERS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE at home improvement stores, discount retailers, and janitorial supply stores.
Dustpans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The marrying of dustpan and brush is a match that goes back 100 years, and it's still popular. Dustpans are useful little household tools consisting of a flat pan with a tapered edge and a handle. You use a counter brush to sweep dust and debris into the pan.
GET A PLASTIC DUSTPAN.
Originally constructed of heavy metal, dustpans came with a brush about 12 inches long with 2- to 3- inch natural bristles. Today's dustpans are usually plastic or rubber vinyl with plastic handles and acrylic brushes. Rubbermaid, for example, makes popular soft plastic dustpans that won't break, so if you drop them no damage is done--to the pan or the floor. If you drop a metal pan, it can scratch your floor's finish, and the pan's edges may bend or curl. Plastic dustpans won't rust, either.
A TIGHT PAN-TO-FLOOR SEAL is important. Dustpans often have a rubber, tapered edge to create a tight seal with the floor so dust won't go underneath the pan when you brush dirt into it. Some other styles have a plastic edge. Both types work well, but the rubber edge may not last as long as the plastic.
Even with a good pan-to-floor seal, it's doubtful you'll be able to collect all floor dirt with a single sweep. Even if no dirt escapes under the dustpan's edge, the finest dirt often collects in a line along the edge. This is easily remedied by sweeping, moving your dustpan back a couple of inches, and sweeping again.
USE DUSTPANS INDOORS AND OUT, although you might want to have one for each area. You wouldn't want to set a dirty outdoor dustpan down on a clean indoor floor. Dustpans for outdoor use are larger, with pans available in metal and plastic.
YOU CAN BUY DUSTPANS in supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware stores, convenience stores. If you prefer to have a dustpan on a long handle, known to janitorial supply store. Dustpans often come with a brush, but if yours doesn't make sure the brush you buy is shorter than the width of the dustpan, so you won't be sweeping dust around the sides of the pan instead of into it.
Enzyme Digesters
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enzyme digesters are chemicals, created by micro-organic matter. So they're effective on organic stains--in other words, such unpleasant things as urine, vomit, fecal matter, protein stains, and the odors associated with them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soap and Detergents Association, in Washington, D.C., recommends daily cleaning and disinfecting of areas where you prepare food. Moist surfaces such as sinks and toilets are also germ breeding grounds and should be cleaned daily if someone in the family is sick or especially vulnerable to infection.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO REINFECT AN AREA you've just cleaned by using a dirty cloth or sponge. If you clean a surface with dis-infectant but then wipe with a contimanted cloth, you're simply redeposting germs on the clean surface. Some people prefer using paper towels after disinfecting since you throw away the contaminants. paper towels are a more expensive way to clean, though. Cloths and sponges work as well,if not better, as long as you launder them with chlorine bleach and let them dry thoroughly between uses.
DISINFECTANTS ARE AVAILABLE from such sources as supermarkets, home improvements stores, and discount stores.
Disposable Wipes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disposable wipes have taken the cleaning world by storm in the last several years, generating the most growth in the household cleaning market place. American consumers spent $872 million on the products in 2002, according to Packages Facts, a consulting company.
THE APPEAL OF DISPOSABLE WIPES is understandable. In terms of convenience, it's hard to beat a pretreated product that you toss after a single use. The popularity of wipes is driven by what's known as the three E's of consumer product value--they're effective, efficient, and expedient.
SOME OF THE LATEST WIPE PRODUCTS include these:
Disposable cloths treated with dishwashing liquid--you simply add water for a sudsy cleaning cloth.
Heat-activated microwave wipes to clean based-on foods from a microwave's interior. Speciality wipes for disinfecting surfaces such as toilets, sinks, and countertops. (In such cases disposing of germs along with the cleaning cloth is an especially attracive feature.) Furniture wipes to clean and shine wood. Both dry and premoistened floor wipes, which are attached to floor sweepers and specially designed mops.
DRY DISPOSABLE WIPES rely on an electrostatic charge to attract dust. Disposable mitts, also electrostatically charged, make quick work of dusting surfaces like wood, ceramic, and vinyl. The dust sticks to the mitt instead of becoming airborne.
DISPOSABLE WIPES ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE from such sources as supermarkets, home improvements stores, and discount store. Obviously, it's more expensive to use a disposable wipe that lasts for only one use. But if you're a convenience-driven consumer, you'll pay the price.
Drain Cleaners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drain Cleaners come in four varieties--acids, alkalis, oxidizers, and enzymatics--and their job is to get rid of blockages in drains, most commonly in kitchens and bathrooms.
Compared to mechanical drain cleaners, chemical and enzymatic cleaners are easy to use, but chemical cleaners also have the potential to harm the user if instructions aren't followed exactly. Enzymatic cleaners have a slower, biological reaction and therefore are more benign.
ACIDS AND ALKALIS are the most popular of the drain cleaners for removing blockages of hair, grease, soap and other wastes. Some of these drain cleaners, particularly the faster-acting ones, cause bubbling that can splash harmful chemicals back out of the drain. So stand back once you've poured the drain opener in. Never use muriatic acid (a dilute form of hydrochloric acid) to clear drain blocks. It's highly dangerous.
OXIDIZERS are effective on organic blockages. These chemicals react with and combine with the blocking material, breaking it up and disintegrating it (rather than dissolving it).
The majority of commercial cleaners, such as Red Devil, Liquid -Plumur, and Drano, are a combination of caustic (alkaline) and oxidizing components, meaning the cleaners work in two ways.
ENZYMATIC DRAIN CLEANERS are slower-acting as they consume or digest waste blockages, but they're easier on your pipes than acids, caustics, and oxidizers (which is more of a concern with old plumbing). They're also thought to do less harm to septic systems.
PREVENT DRAIN CLOG UPS in your kitchen sink with this once-a-month treatment using household products. Pour 1 cup of baking soda around the kitchen sink drain opening. Rinse the baking soda into the drain with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide. The bubbling and fizzing action helps to clear away the residue clingings to your pipes.
DRAIN CLEANERS CAN BE PURCHASED at a variety of stores-supermarkets, discount stores, hardware stores, home improvement stores plumbing supply stores.
Dusters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feather dusters and lamb's wool dusters have taken a backseat these days to microfiber dusters, which can get into cracks and crevices, attracting soil and speeding your dusting chores.
MICROFIBER DUSTERS are the cutting edge in technology. Their interwoven fibers are ten times finer than silk, making them good at snagging dust without scratching. For
dusting, washing, or spot cleaning, microfiber dusters are easy to use and their heads can be removed and tossed in the washing machine when you're done. (Don't use bleach or fabric softener on them.)
FEATHER DUSTERS, on the other hand, may still have their place in your broom closet. While feather dusters have a reputation of just spreading dust around the room, they are great for dusting in hard-to-reach areas, such as inside a lamp in the pleats of a lamp shade, and in the corners of ceilings where cobwebs collect. Feather dusters blow the dust off the object you're cleaning, allowing you to then vacuum or wipe the dust up.
LAMB'S WOOL creates a lot of static, which attracts dust. These dusters are typically good on baseboards, ceilings, ceilings fans, and blinds. Lamb's wool is not a good choice for objects that are heavily blanketed with dust.
DUSTERS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE at home improvement stores, discount retailers, and janitorial supply stores.
Dustpans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The marrying of dustpan and brush is a match that goes back 100 years, and it's still popular. Dustpans are useful little household tools consisting of a flat pan with a tapered edge and a handle. You use a counter brush to sweep dust and debris into the pan.
GET A PLASTIC DUSTPAN.
Originally constructed of heavy metal, dustpans came with a brush about 12 inches long with 2- to 3- inch natural bristles. Today's dustpans are usually plastic or rubber vinyl with plastic handles and acrylic brushes. Rubbermaid, for example, makes popular soft plastic dustpans that won't break, so if you drop them no damage is done--to the pan or the floor. If you drop a metal pan, it can scratch your floor's finish, and the pan's edges may bend or curl. Plastic dustpans won't rust, either.
A TIGHT PAN-TO-FLOOR SEAL is important. Dustpans often have a rubber, tapered edge to create a tight seal with the floor so dust won't go underneath the pan when you brush dirt into it. Some other styles have a plastic edge. Both types work well, but the rubber edge may not last as long as the plastic.
Even with a good pan-to-floor seal, it's doubtful you'll be able to collect all floor dirt with a single sweep. Even if no dirt escapes under the dustpan's edge, the finest dirt often collects in a line along the edge. This is easily remedied by sweeping, moving your dustpan back a couple of inches, and sweeping again.
USE DUSTPANS INDOORS AND OUT, although you might want to have one for each area. You wouldn't want to set a dirty outdoor dustpan down on a clean indoor floor. Dustpans for outdoor use are larger, with pans available in metal and plastic.
YOU CAN BUY DUSTPANS in supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware stores, convenience stores. If you prefer to have a dustpan on a long handle, known to janitorial supply store. Dustpans often come with a brush, but if yours doesn't make sure the brush you buy is shorter than the width of the dustpan, so you won't be sweeping dust around the sides of the pan instead of into it.
Enzyme Digesters
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enzyme digesters are chemicals, created by micro-organic matter. So they're effective on organic stains--in other words, such unpleasant things as urine, vomit, fecal matter, protein stains, and the odors associated with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment