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Do you know that your bathroom is one of the dirtiest parts of the house? You’d think that just because the bathroom is where we scrub off the grime from our bodies, it should automatically be the cleanest part of the house, but it’s quite the opposite. Germs and bacteria love moisture, and your bathroom is the perfect breeding ground for them. However, with the right products, you can avoid this scenario.
Nowadays, people don’t just clean their bathrooms with only soap and water. They opt for premium cleaning disinfectants such as Clorox or Lysol. These products make cleaning more manageable and kill even hidden pathogens that may lurk behind your bathroom cabinets or sinks, which are not usually removed by simple soapy waters. Although cleaning your bathroom is not exactly the most favorable household task, it must be done for everyone’s safety and benefit.
Read on as we cover all the things you need to know, hacks you wish you’ve known before, and the significance of using these products.
Safety Precaution Before Sanitizing Your Bathroom
Before anything else, it’s noteworthy to mention here that cleaning products can be dangerous if not handled properly. These items should be locked and hidden away if it’s not time to clean yet as it can lead to life-threatening situations, especially when children get a hold of them. First, always read the instructions on the bottle on how to use it correctly for the safety of you and your family. Besides the direction, the label should contain important information such as precautions, secure storage, and what to do when something unexpected happened.
The next thing you have to do is wear protective equipment such as gloves, shoes that cover at least until above your ankles, and a facemask to protect your lungs from breathing in these products’ harsh chemicals. Cleaning products usually contain ingredients that are not safe when ingested, inhaled, or even when it comes in contact with your skin. It’s always important to wear clothes that are form-fitting for less distraction while cleaning. It would also be smart to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting stained or wet.
Lastly, mixing cleaning products is a bad idea. This could lead to poisonous fumes that are very dangerous for you and harm everyone in the house. For example, combining ammonia and bleach creates toxic air that can cause severe damage to your throat and pain in your chest area. Keeping your bathroom spotless is a priority, but you should also consider your safety while doing it.
Ingredients Of A Good Cleaning Product
As mentioned above, one should always check the label of the cleaning product. This is where you will often find the ingredients section. You need to be aware of these chemicals and materials so you’ll know how to use them properly.
Here are some of the most common ingredients you’ll see on cleaning products today.
- Abrasive
This material is used generally for build ups of soil in hard to reach areas. With a little effort with scrubbing, those tough dirt will be gone in no time. A great example of an abrasive is those small steel wire balls, which are excellent for cleaning metals. However, abrasion can be too harsh on glass or wood as it can scratch and destroy those areas.
- Chlorine Bleach
You may have heard of this one before as it is like the most popular one out of everything on this list. Chlorine bleach can act as your heavy duty bathtub cleaner since it can pretty much clean everything. This disinfectant is your best weapon against contaminants like mold, fungi, and germs. It will also dispel any unpleasant odors.
- Hydrochloric Acid
Acids are your best companion to eliminate discoloration due to rust or copper materials. It quickly cleans those stubborn stains and any buildup of minerals in your toilet bowls. However, it would be best if you are more careful in handling products with ingredients like this because it can harm your skin. It would also be wise to keep these hidden all the time.
- Ammonia
If you want to make your old bathroom tiles look new again, look no further with ammonia! This chemical works fine for “refreshing” your bathroom floor as it adds shine and efficiently removes soap buildups in between your tiles. However, ammonia also produces a very pungent smell that may require you to wear a facemask when using it. It can also irritate your eyes.
- Detergent
This ingredient is mostly found in laundry cleaning products though they are also often used for cleaning bathrooms. What’s great about this cleaning agent is that it will leave your restroom smelling like flowers and fresh afternoon air. Aside from that, it is also great for breaking up filth and oils. Detergents are like soaps but only more powerful and much easier to dissolve in water.
Tips For A Fast And Easy Bathroom Cleaning
Cleaning your bathroom can be a stressful task, but it doesn’t have to be a long and tiring ordeal. The right tools and insights can help you save time cleaning to focus more on other things. Just like how you clean other parts of the house, you’ll want to “dry clean” your bathroom first before you use liquid or water. If you see trash that can be picked up by hands, such as empty shampoo bottles or toothpaste, then do those things first.
The next thing you have to do is take your toilet cleaning disinfectant and put some on your toilet bowl. You can leave this to soak for about 30 minutes to weaken the stains and eliminate odors in it. While your toilet cleaner is doing its thing, you’ll want to clean your bathroom windows, walls, and ceilings first. With some mild bleach and light scrubbing, you can avoid molds and yellowish stains from growing, which are not really a good sight for your bathroom.
For cleaning showers or bathtubs, it’s a good idea to use hot water that not only kills bacteria but also works best to remove heavy buildup of dirt.
Importance of Using Cleaning Agents For Your Comfort Rooms
A dirty bathroom is a risk for aging individuals, children, and people who have weak immune systems. They are more prone to health problems that emerge from unsanitary environments. That’s why it’s essential to always clean your bathroom at least twice a week to ensure that no germs can affect you or your family. It’s also smart to keep your bathroom dry as much as possible to keep those pathogens from growing as they thrive in wet places.
The following are the reasons why it is essential to use cleaning products for keeping your bathroom fresh:
- Thorough Disinfecting
Some cleaning products are high in acidity, and some are low in ph levels. Knowing the difference between these two is important, so you’ll know which one to use for different kinds of filth around your bathroom. Products that have high acid levels are perfect for removing rust, calcium, and other minerals. These products also tend to be corrosive as they are in the back end of ph levels, and that’s why one should use this with extreme caution.
On the other hand, cleaning solutions that are low in ph levels are ones you will want to use for cutting through organic dirt and greasy surfaces. Besides that, they are not that irritating to your senses, and also work pretty well although it is not as strong as those with high acidity.
- Prevent Infectious Diseases
Your bathroom is a reservoir for many microorganisms such as e.coli, fecal bacteria, and salmonella that can bring infectious illnesses if not cleaned properly. Do you know that your toilet is home to not a hundred or a thousand, but over 3 million living bacteria by square inches? Just because you can not see them doesn’t mean they are not there. That’s why a simple splash of water is not enough to kill these little ones.
Although all of these may be scary, don’t run away screaming from your bathroom just yet! With the right cleaning supplies, you can eliminate these bacteria and germs from reproducing and prevent catching diseases that can be transmitted, such as viruses and common flu. These products are powerful enough to expel even those that can’t be seen by the naked eye.
- Promote Healthy Living
If you want to have a healthy and safe living, make cleaning a job that you should do regularly. Living in a clean environment decreases the risk of being sick as these cleaning products kill germs and other contaminants, resulting in increased productivity. There’s also a health benefit in cleaning, which is it will keep you active and fit. Cleaning requires physical activity, and scrubbing is not an easy thing to do!
A neat and sanitary environment is also good for your mental health as it reduces stress and helps to calm your mind. Do you notice that when you have messy surroundings, you can’t think clearly? The right cleaning product will help you avoid those things and also allow you to focus more on other things in life. It is also an excellent way to feel good about yourself living in a dirt-free environment.
- Kills Bacteria and Other Contaminants
As it was frequently mentioned earlier, your cleaning products contain powerful ingredients that ensure the eradication of harmful pathogens that may lead to multiple health consequences. If your bathroom is not cleaned enough, rodents and bugs can easily make their way and multiply inside. This will lead to more bacteria and cross-contamination that can cause various diseases. Protect yourself and your loved ones by sanitizing your bathroom with cleaning solutions.
These microbes can stay up to several hours in dry areas and three days on wet surfaces. However, you can fight these with products that contain antimicrobial substances like sodium hypochlorite (or bleach), which is an active ingredient that is very effective in cleaning stubborn soils where bacteria grow.
Pros And Cons Of Using Cleaning Supplies
Yes, your cleaning supplies maybe your bathroom savior. These strong acidic properties help immensely in making our surroundings clean and free from contaminants that may harm our health. It also saves us a lot of time while still doing our jobs very well.
However, as much benefit as it brings us, it also poses dangers that you need to be aware of to stay safe. Because of their harsh chemical properties, your cleaning products may also be dangerous. These can induce asthma, respiratory issues and a significant contributor to indoor air pollution. This also applies to our environment as most of the time, you flush down these chemicals that can harm our aquatic ecosystems.
There is also a toxin hiding in your dry-cleaning solutions called Perc. This neurotoxin is responsible for health hazards such as nausea, dizziness, and sometimes mild memory loss if exposed for more extended periods. However, there are now eco-friendly cleaning solutions in the market that are good for the environment and you. You might want to check those as they give satisfying results similar to commercial cleaning products.
Cleaning can give you that feeling of accomplishment. Nothing is more satisfying when you look around and see all your work for making your bathroom spotless has paid off. There’s a study claiming that cleaning has a positive impact on your mood. Cleaning gives you that adrenaline rush and enhanced mood, just like when you’re watching a car race.
However, as much as cleaning is important for your environment, your health is a priority too. Although it improves your health by driving away bacteria and germs, using cleaning supplies has many risks that you should look out for during application. Indoor air pollution is a thing, and it is 2 to 5 times more toxic than outside air. With no proper ventilation, these pollutants can lead to unfortunate health effects such as skin rashes, sore throats, and even increased chances of cancer if exposed continuously for years.
It’s always better to know these things and be aware of what to do to avoid them.