Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 09:16 am
Other than the sweet smell of spring, little motivates us to grab some refuse sacks and a feather duster for a whole house clean more than the New Year. The first few months of the year are popular for a deep cleaning, whether it’s to feel fresh for the coming year or a necessity after a season of festive partying.
Of course, we can’t all be Mrs Hinch. Sometimes, our best cleaning intentions can go awry. Sometimes, in an attempt to channel our inner Marie Kondo, we end up sparking frustration instead of joy. But never fear! We’ve presented three cleaning mishaps to the team at Fulcare, experts in cleaning products, to find out their expert advice on fixing three cleaning fails.
Putting washing up liquid into the dishwasher
You’d be forgiven for thinking washing up liquid would work in the dishwasher. After all, the bottle has a picture of clean dishes on. Dishwasher tables clean dishes, washing up liquid cleans dishes…they’re made of the same stuff, right?
Wrong. Do not put washing up liquid in your dishwasher.
“One time, my mum asked my dad to put the dishwasher on while she was out. I came downstairs to find the kitchen flooded with foam and soap suds,” one exasperated reader recounted. “My dad had filled the tablet slot with washing up liquid, thinking it was probably fine to use. We had an hour to clean all the foam out and mop the floors before Mum came back and saw the mess! The dishwasher was spitting bubbles for weeks after…”
Sharon at Fulcare offered the following advice:
“Once you’ve got the foam cleared away, you’ll need to clean the soap out of the dishwasher. The best option would be to put it on a cold rinse cycle, as this will remove the excess soap in the pipes. You’ll want to mop the floors with a little floor cleaner too, as washing up liquid can make floors sticky!”
Getting the old wine-cleaning trick the wrong way around…
Everyone knows that white wine is supposed to clean away a red wine stain. This age-old cleaning hack is somewhat true, although it’s far from the most effective method of cleaning a red wine stain. Tests have shown that while white wine does indeed break the stain down, it often leaves a blemish behind even after washing the item on a cold cycle too.
Worse yet is getting your wines mixed up…
“One of my mates spilled some white wine on the sofa,” recalled another reader. “Without thinking, my brother said he knew what to do to clean it and threw a glass of red wine onto the spilled white wine. Needless to say, it made everything a lot worse.”
Fulcare’s Sharon agrees that there are definitely easier, more effective methods of cleaning wine than using more wine.
“A stain remover is definitely the best option for removing red wine spills — keep your white wine in the bottle! We’d recommend Evans Spotlight Spot and Stain Remover, as it is an excellent product to use for removing those stubborn stains, especially coffee and wine spills.”
Cleaning a painted wall a little too deeply
Ever tried to get those stubborn marks off a painted wall? It’s a catch-22: scrub too lightly and that stain won’t move. Scrub too hard, and you’re liable to take the paint off too. Scrub with steel wool and, while you’ll save yourself a little elbow grease, you’ll definitely pull the paint off!
“We couldn’t get a mark off the wall, so my flatmate thought a Brillo pad would work,” said one suffering renter. “It didn’t work, but it did take the paint off the wall!”
Before cleaning a wall, it’s important to know what type of paint is on there, if possible.
“Waterproof paint is the best option, as it is far more durable when it comes to cleaning,” said Sharon. “But whether your walls are waterproof or not, Erase Away pads would be fantastic in this particular scenario. They are not only recyclable, but also free of chemicals. All you do is add water and they will remove even the most difficult stains from almost any surface.”
There’s no cleaning mishap that can’t be saved! With a little know-how and preparation though, you can avoid some of the most common pitfalls during your big house cleaning session.
