Life Changing Cleaning - Why Didn't I Know?

[Wavingnotdowning]

I can't believe I didn't know about rubber brooms before now! No word of a lie, it has changed my life - picks up dog fur from the stairs better than any hoover. My carpet is like new. This, after spending £s on Dyson. Anyone else got any brilliant cleaning tips?

Bleach should only be used in well ventilated areas. Did you have the window and door open?

Yup. I think it was just me though.

I remember hearing that Aggie of ‘How clean is your house’ fame, passed out after using bleach with another product. Powerful stuff and many don’t dilute it as you should. Still, you’ve plenty of safer recommendations on this thread.

Any tips for a shockingly bad shower? Combination of limescale, then soap etc sticking to the dirt and mould beginning too

My brother was given a cream leather suite and like you they tried everything to clean it. Someone told him to use foam aftershave to clean it. He covered the whole suite in this foam and left it for 10 mins then wiped it down with a damp cloth. His suite was immaculate by the end. Hope this helps.

How do you clean the fabled rubber broom?

I imagine it picking everything up then getting filthy.

On a similar note, though... put on rubber gloves and wipe over furniture (sofas/ cat towers/ headboards) picks up dust and hair that the hoover doesn’t.

Wash it with washing up liquid or similar? @Thunderskies

I have a 15 year old shower and softish water. I used to use a bath sponge, the one with the rough plastic on one side. Never really worked. Now I use cif and a steel pot scrubber - I assumed it would scratch the surface but no!! So when the shower is warm I scrub the base with a pot scrubber/ scourer and the soap deposit collects as a scummy deposit on the scrubber. Rinse. Then squirt HG mould remover on any black mould and leave it to work (not when anyone's in it as it's pungent).

Salt and a very slightly damp cloth cleans stains out of tea mugs - just wipe the salt round a bit..the salt mustn’t actually dissolve though!

Magic sponges are a revelation. They get rid of even the worst stains. I buy them in bulk from Amazon.

Put your trainers on (clean of course) and go around the house rubbing along, it will do exactly the same, pull up loads of hair and give you exercise to boot! I’ve had a rubber broom, and actually find the trainers a lot easier and far more effective.

@Blossomgate

For those asking about leather, I always use saddle soap - used not surprisingly to clean leather saddles😉

Saddle soap isnt used to clean. You clean your tack first and then use saddle soap to keep the leather supple.

Erase Away sponges from home bargains, I got blue dye transfer off my uncles white suite with them.

Some fab tips here have ordered some kilrock and pink stuff!

Just moved in to new house and dread to think when previous owner last cleaned the bathroom! Toilet is disgusting and spent the last week trying to scrub off dried in urine. Any ideas?

Soboredofcleaning, white vinegar. Just leave overnight and rinse well in the morning. It really works.

Late to the party so sorry if someone else has said it. Barman's Friend powder. Great for chrome and stainless steel. It also does burnt on stuff from saucepans if a soak with a dishwasher tablet won't work. And if you want to spruce up the bottoms/outside of saucepans. They come up like new.

Barkeepers Friend, sorry

My cleaning was revolutionised when I realised that fairy liquid mixed with water in a spray bottle was better than any cleaning product I had ever bought. (And I am literally obsessed with cleaning so I have tried every product going over the years). It's the best thing for glass/mirrors, dining table, worktops, microwave, grease marks on cupboard doors. You name it, it cleans it.

I agree @Imnotahugger and especially when Covid hand washing shone a light on any soap doing the job. Most stuff we use is unnecessary. A good scrub with a simple soap is all that’s needed most of the time.

@Imnotahugger what ratio of Fairy to water please?

Crocs work the same as a rubber broom

We started using a brita water filter - and my kettle kept scaling so quickly - but I ousted my kettle three months ago and only put the filtered water in, and it’s not scaled since 😍

Anyone mentioned Koh, chemical free spray, worked really well on my oven

Milton sterilizing fluid

@turnedouttoes i use Viakal for years for 2,3 times a week and the taps and shower still looks like new, despite no one in the house wipe the water after having a shower. I found cillit bang bathroom efficient but not as good as viakal