How to Clean Just About Anything

A bit of analysis can be applied to cleaning. Most people probably consider these things without even thinking about it.

• Do you want it spotless or just better? You can allow yourself to make it better. That means cleaning it to get rid of the bulk of the problem, either visually or from a fire/safety perspective.
• Is a food storage, preparation or consumption area? If so, don’t use anything harmful to clean it, do a really good job, and it would be good if it smells nice when you’re done. Simple Green is a good choice.
• Will it get hot? If so, clean it when it isn’t hot. If it’s electrical, unplug it and avoid getting it very wet. Don’t use any product that is not supposed to be heated, or anything flammable.
• Will it get wet? You might just want to soak it in a bucket of water or vinegar and then knock off the crud with a brush or scouring pad.
• What’s the worst thing that will happen if you don’t do it or do a bad job? If the answer is nothing, you don’t need to be too fussy.
• Is it yours? After all, if it is yours, you can do whatever you want. If it belongs to someone else, clean it so it looks like it did when you received it.
• What is it dirty with - routine crud or a specific splatter? IF it is routine crud, is there a way to keep it cleaner? Is the crud overspray from something else, or someone careless? If it is a spill - can the spill be avoided in the future?
• Will it be in the same state of ick in 2 weeks? If so, there’s no point in cleaning it carefully. A good example is a toilet - as soon as you finish, it will be used again.
• Why is it dirty? This is another prevention opportunity. If it would be cleaner if something was done differently, consider changing habits.

Cleaning Tips

• Water is known as the universal solvent. Hot water is even better. Add a little soap or dish liquid. Let it soak over night and then you can just knock the crud off in the morning.
• Picking one small task at a time is much easier than cleaning a whole room at once. If you have five minutes, you can wipe the refrigerator door, sweep the floor or pick up a few toys and put them back where they belong.
• Don’t try to clean when other people are around. Pick times when everyone else is asleep or away to wash the kitchen floor.
• Rubber gloves make even the most disgusting chore more bearable. They’re cheap. Buy some.
• To clean up poop on the carpet, tear a paper plate in half or use two pieces of cardboard. Push the poop with one piece into the other and dump it in the toilet. The carpet cleaning may be very limited, or you might need Simple Solution, or a carpet cleaner or Simple Green.
• It may be more work than it is worth to get kids to help. They’ll have to figure out how to clean when they’re grown up anyway - if it’s quicker to just do it yourself, do it.
• Avoid harsh chemicals
• Avoid confined spaces, open a window or door if possible.
• Rags are good, throw them in the washer when you’re done and you can use them again.
• Fancy stuff that will be thrown out isn’t worth it. The Swiffer may be easy to use, but you could also just dampen a bath towel and push it around the floor with your foot. Or use a sponge mop or string mop.