Did you know that according to the average expenditure report that “in 2018, the average expenditure on laundry and cleaning supplies in the United States amounted to 183.79 U.S. dollars per consumer unit”? All those small bottles of general household cleaners can undoubtedly add up. I am going to reveal a big tip: how to clean with bleach.
Yes, the same tub of Clorox that is sold in most of the grocery aisles! Not everyone knows, but bleach is useful for much more than just laundry. When you streamline your cleaning routine, you end up saving yourself money in the long run!
I am here to give you all of the tips and tricks for how to clean with bleach and convince you that Clorox is versatile for much more than bleaching your white clothes.
However, if the heavy chemical scent of bleach counts you out, give TLC a call to schedule your cleaning service and get your best clean ever!
How to clean with bleach
The number one rule
The most important thing to know about bleach is never to mix it with any other household cleaning agents! It can produce highly toxic fumes that are damaging to the respiratory system. Contacting bleach on your skin can be irritating and potentially harmful.
Safe Cleaning
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have guidelines for using bleach in your home effectively and safely.
-Don’t ever mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning agents will produce poisonous gas.
-Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you use bleach or any other cleaning product.
-If possible, open windows and doors to provide fresh air.
-Wear protective gear when cleaning affected areas. (i.e., protective shoes, rubber gloves, and goggles)
-When cleaning with bleach, make sure always to dilute it with water.
Cleaning agent VS disinfectant
The most important thing to know is bleach is a disinfectant. Bleach is excellent at killing germs and bacteria, but not good at getting rid of grime. Cleaning agents are for removing any dirt from a surface.
Why you need a disinfectant
Disinfecting your high traffic areas is essential for controlling all of the icky microbes and spores that live in your home. If you are cleaning and using bleach in your home to disinfect areas that are commonly touched (i.e., handles, counters, and doorknobs), you are less likely to spread germs and illness.
See ya later, cold season!
Using bleach in the laundry room
You head to the Laundry room and pull out your bottle of bleach so you can use it to whiten your load of whites, but out of the corner of your eye, you see that pile of dirty gym clothes that your husband wore to the gym. An AH-HAH moment, you can use the bleach to sanitize them.
Be sure to check that you have a color-safe bleach that uses hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine or sodium hypochlorite. You will use ⅔ a cup if you own a standard washing machine or ⅓ cup in a high-efficiency washer.
In The Washington Post, Mary Gagliardi, Clorox’s in-house cleaning and laundry expert, says never to use bleach when washing spandex, wool, silk, mohair, or leather, regardless of their color, bleach will ruin them.
How to clean with bleach in the kitchen
Do you ever look under your kitchen sink and think about how cluttered it is there? That you have all these bottles of different cleaners, and they are all about half used and get knocked down every time you’re searching for one. You can kiss all of those cleaners goodbye!
If you mix ½ a cup of bleach to a gallon of water, you can use this solution to disinfect all of your kitchen surfaces, tiles, floors, and appliance handles. Once you apply the bleach solution to the entire kitchen, let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing it off.
You can also mix up a stronger solution to disinfect trash cans. You mix ½ cup of bleach with ¾ gallon of water. Word to the wise, do this one outside and let it soak for a while, then rinse.
Other overlooked items in the kitchen that you can clean using bleach is plastic cutting boards, travel mugs, and reusable water bottles. Bleach can thoroughly clean each of these items. All it takes is two teaspoons of bleach.
Fill your sink with roughly a gallon of water, add two teaspoons of bleach and drop the washed plastic items in to soak. After a few minutes of soaking, make sure to rinse everything thoroughly.
How to clean with bleach in the bathroom
The bathroom is a room that people often store their bleach, but another great use of bleach is that it can remove any mold or mildew. You can mix ½-¾ a cup of bleach to one gallon of water. For tackling the bathroom, make sure that you clean all areas with a cleaning agent before using the bleach.
-Spray down the entire bathroom with the bleach mixture.
-For any mildew stains or more difficult to clean surfaces, you can scrub with a brush or sponge.
-Let the bleach sit for a minimum of 5 minutes.
-Rinse all areas that have been bleached and then allow to air dry.
You can apply the homemade bleach mixture onto your grout to clean and return your bathroom to its former glory. Let the bleach mixture soak into the grout for thirty minutes before rinsing. Make sure you do not apply the bleach mixture onto any colored grout as it can cause discoloration.
Another secret to getting your bathroom into tip-top shape is keeping your shower liner clean and mildew free. Believe it or not, you can pull it down and wash it in your washing machine on a cold, gentle cycle with ⅔ cups of bleach. Make sure to line or air dry.
Children’s bath toys are the ultimate mold and ick collectors! You can combat this with a soak in ½ cup of bleach and one gallon of water. Once you let them soak, make sure to rinse them thoroughly with water and let them dry completely.
Give us a call
If learning how to clean with bleach just isn’t for you, call the professionals instead.
Contact TLC Cleaning today for your free estimate on all your home cleaning needs. We will exceed your expectations and make your home the cleanest it’s ever been.
