Cleaning Tricks from Olden Days that Work (and Some that Don’t)

Some of the best cleaning advice we have ever received is from those who have gone before us. Our mom and our grandmother have much experience in keeping a home together. As more products come out on the market the cleaning culture changes. Back in previous generations, some cleaning tasks were done differently and we may have been handed down a cleaning secret or two.

Here are 6 great cleaning hacks from yesteryear that still work great today and a few that don’t.

1. Dusting the Ceiling Fan with a Pillowcase

Cloths, rags, and feather dusters will just scatter dust particles off of blades and onto lower lying objects. A pillow case helps to trap in what falls off the blade. This prevents extra dusting.

2. Get Gum out of Hair with Peanut Butter

If your little comes home with a wad of gum in their locks reach for the peanut butter. Apply it to the hair and let it sit for a few minutes. The fat and oil in peanut butter break down the gum and it should slide out easily.

3. Clean Floors with Baking Soda

With all the fancy de-odorizers and abrasive floor scrubbers on the market it is hard to believe that simple cheap baking soda will do the trick. Baking soda is effective yet gentle as a scrub when mixed with water and made into a scrub. It is great at soaking up carpet odors when sprinkled dry and left to sit then vacuumed up.

4. Shine Silverware with Toothpaste

To get those nice eating utensils shiny and new again you don’t need to go buy polish, just head to the bathroom cabinet and get the toothpaste. Rub the paste on the silverware and give it a few minutes to work then rinse and let dry.

5. Remove Sticky Adhesive with Oil

The next time little fingers plant a sticker where it doesn’t need to go and it leaves behind a sticky mess grab a soft cloth and some oil. Gently rub the spot and the goo should wipe away.

6. Wash Walls Top to Bottom

Thanks to gravity dirt falls downward and so do drips from cleaning solutions. Start at the top and work your way down when cleaning walls or anything for that matter.

Some Yesteryear Cleaning Don’ts

• Using Hairspray on Curtain Static

This has been a widely used trick by many, but hairspray is sticky and will leave fabric feeling tacky and even attract dirt and dust.

• Wiping Windows with Newspaper

This may be the most common cleaning hack people use from days past. Though it may leave a lint free window, the ink from the papers can stain the window seal. Microfiber cloths are safer and absorb debris the paper can’t.

• Storing Linens with Wax Paper

If you were given advice to stick sheets of wax paper between linens to prevent color bleeding you may want to switch to acid-free tissue paper instead. Wax paper can melt onto linens in hot weather.

• Using Salt to Prevent Color Fading
• You may have heard soaking clothes in salt water before washing will trap in colors longer, but it has been tested and this is merely an old wive’s tale.

For more cleaning tips and advice feel free to browse our website. For the best professional carpet cleaning in the North Seattle and Snohomish County areas make an appointment with All  Kleen.