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Image used with permission: Ramona Lynam
These special-occasion items should be hand washed to preserve their finishes:
Crystal
Decorated glassware
Hand-painted ceramics or stoneware
Milk glass
Pewter
Silver
Items with precious metal (such as gold or platinum trim)
HOW
When washing by hand, follow these easy instructions:
1. Use clean, hot water and liquid dish soap.
2. Start with lightly soiled items, followed…
February 8, 2019
No matter the type of product you are using (soap or detergent), good cleaning takes a lot of energy. Three different kinds to be exact:
Chemical energy, provided by the soap or detergent
Mechanical energy, provided by a machine or by hand
Thermal energy, provided by heating water Let’s look at how all these elements work together.
Assume we have a great, big, oily, greasy stain on one of our favorite shirts…
December 6, 2018
If you take public transportation, this is a place where germs can spread quickly, especially during cold and flu season. Washing your hands before and after your commute can help.
If you bike to work, be sure to wash any grease off your hands when you get to work. If you’ve gotten grease on your clothes, take care of the stain until you have a chance to go home and do laundry (always following the fabric care label). Dab a very small amount of liquid …
February 8, 2019
Cleaning fine washables for picture perfect portraits
Holiday portraits, with family members dressed in their best, are cherished momentos. Whether it's a once-in-lifetime event or a yearly tradition for your family, looking good is the goal.
Portrait-worthy Fabrics
Clothes that are clean and sparkling are the perfect complement to those smiling faces. To make sure your garments are portrait worthy, the American Cleaning Institute urges gentle care for fine fabrics:…
March 4, 2019
Clean water is a critical element of cleaning.
The vast majority of water on Earth’s surface, over 96%, is saline water in the oceans (USGS). Which means, even though water is plentiful there are limited resources of fresh water to relay on. Beyond cleaning, we also need water to drink and to grow food. The average household may use 88,000 gallons of water per year (REU2016). Within your home, faucets and clothes washers make up a significant portion of…
December 6, 2018
You use your cell phone every day. It goes from your pocket or purse to your face. You hand it to your kid to play a game, take it into the bathroom with you and leave it by your bed at night. And everywhere your phone goes, germs follow. In fact, a recent study found that phones have, on average, 10X more bacteria than most toilet seats. Ewww!
Wash your hands before using your phone to minimize grime and germs. In addition, here are some…
December 6, 2018
When it comes to healthy eating, making smart food choices is just one-half of the equation. The other half is using safe procedures for food preparation, serving and storage. Food that is mishandled can lead to foodborne illnesses. And because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness.
There are Four Steps for Food Safety – Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill:
Clean
Wash your hands. To do the job properly, wet hands with warm,…
March 5, 2019
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) issued the following statement by Richard Sedlak, Executive Vice President, Technical & International Affairs, on a final rule by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governing consumer hand sanitizer products and ingredients:
"Hand sanitizers are a critical part of healthy hand hygiene routines for millions of people every single day. In fact, the…
April 11, 2019
Q. The cold weather means I get to wear my favorite scarf. I noticed that it smells a little musty. What is the best way to clean it?
Wash it right – Most people never think to wash their scarves, they’re the bed skirts of fashion. But we wear them next to our skin, so they get oil and perfumes on them which can cause fabric damage. A scarf you wear most days should be washed every couple weeks especially during the cold season. And if you clip of the care…
February 8, 2019
Computer Cleaning:
Hotspots for Germs in the Office
Think about all the "public" surfaces you touch on your way to work – railings, door handles, coins and tokens, cash machines, elevator buttons and more. Then, when you get to your destination, washing your hands probably isn't the first thing you do. Instead, you probably grab a cup of coffee and turn on your computer. If you power up before you clean up, all the germs and bacteria that commuted with you are transferred from…
December 6, 2018