With the cleaning phenomenon taking the media by storm, we’ve got you covered with solutions to modern domestic dilemmas
From Mrs Hinch on Instagram to Marie-Kondo on Netflix, cleaning product sales are soaring with the disinfectant onslaught taking over the nation. But are these new cleaning hacks beneficial life hacks, or are they simply advertising excessive hygiene much to the dismay of our weakening immune systems?
We’ve got your back with some hints on which cleaning hacks will make life easier, and offer realistic tips on how to maintain a clean and organised household.
- Changing your sheets
Once a day? Once a week? Once a fortnight? Although the Insta cleaning phenomenon seems to suggest excessive cleanliness with suggestions such as washing bed linen daily, this is perhaps not the more realistic, or necessary, suggestion.
Typically, washing bed linen once a week is a sufficiently clean schedule to maintain a fresh and relaxing haven to get a good night’s sleep. For children, a once a week washing routine is still a little more frequent than necessary – a fortnightly wash for the kids is a safe bet.
Of course, this is all down to personal preference and there’s no right or wrong answer per se, however leaving bed linen unwashed for too long will become unhygienic and can begin to smell. If a member of the family is unwell and subsequently spending more time in bed, then increasing the wash routine to daily / every couple of nights is something you may wish to consider.
- Can shoes be worn indoors?
The opinions on this can vary – some may believe wearing shoes indoors transmits germs, whereas others disagree and feel it is simply a case of preference.
At the end of the day, floors are there to be walked on so the concept that shoes bring germs inside is probably a little dramatic for the adverse attitude to wearing them, however it makes sense that walking on carpets in shoes that have been outside will likely bring dirt into the house and risk marking/creating odour in the carpet.
Therefore, although wearing shoes indoors is not particularly unhygienic, it’s best to remove your shoes when you enter your home in order to maintain the quality and appearance of carpets and flooring.
- Are toilet brushes hygienic?
Often, people tend to accept toilet brushes as one of life’s inconveniences – they don’t look great, the concept isn’t exactly desirable, but it’d be wrong not to have one, right?
Wrong. Many people choose not to allow a toilet brush into their homes, with the view that they carry a liquid bacteria soup at the bottom of every holder. Some Insta-cleaners choose to allow one into their homes, so long as disinfectant such as Zoflora (courtesy of Mrs Hinch) permanently resides in the toilet brush holder.
Others choose to adopt more traditional methods of keeping their toilets sparkling with trusty bleach and rubber gloves. Our view? As long as you utilise disinfectant, how you choose to clean your toilet is absolutely a case of personal preference.
- Dusting – daily or weekly?
It’s crucial to keep on top of household dust, as the chemicals in all our products, furniture and carpets get abraded off and accumulate in the dust in our homes; keeping your house as dust-free as possible reduces your exposure to these chemicals.
But how often do you really need to dust in order to do this effectively? Once a week with a damp cloth and no polish should do the trick.
We’ve busted some myths and advised you on tips worth giving a try – feel free to give them a try or stick to your own personal preferences. Afterall, your home is your haven and you should clean it however you see fit – Mrs Hinch certainly does.