When discussing home cleaning, some will say that common household bleach is an amazing multi-purpose product, and praise its disinfecting properties, while others might describe bleach as a disaster just waiting to happen. Both sides are correct, at least up to a point. The truth is bleach can be quite useful, as long as you use it properly and proceed with caution.
While bleach works wonders for disinfecting different surfaces, a professional house cleaning service in Humble TX may suggest replacing it with safer and more eco-friendly alternatives where possible. For example, as mentioned in our previous blog, cleaning and disinfecting your shower can be done with the help of a home-made paste of hydrogen peroxide and washing soda.
Hand in hand with bleach, another common household product with multiple applications in cleaning is baking soda. Baking soda has no competition when it comes to removing stains and funky smells, and can even remove soot build-up from marble surfaces.
But let’s go back to bleach and explore some of the frequently asked questions:
Is it safe to clean with bleach?
First thing’s first: bleach isn’t actually used for cleaning but for disinfection. This means you should thoroughly clean the surface you plan to treat with bleach before you start disinfecting. In spite of the large number of calls poison control receives about bleach exposure, bleach (at standard household concentrations) is reasonably safe as long as you know how to use it.
The trouble with bleach is that it can be really dangerous in combination with other chemicals such as ammonia. Mixing these two together is a big no-no, as that would lead to release of chlorine, a particularly toxic gas that could leave serious consequences on human health. In fact, if you’re going to use bleach, it’s best you don’t mix it with anything other than plain water.
There are safer alternatives to chlorine-based bleach, which are better for the environment, while at the same time surprisingly effective. For example, you could use oxygen-based bleach such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, or sodium perborate instead of chlorine-based bleach. White vinegar is another common household product that can act as a disinfectant.
What surfaces should not be cleaned with bleach?
While bleach does an amazing job of disinfecting various kitchen and bathroom surfaces such as tile floors, sinks, countertops etc, it should never be used on the following:
- Your food — although bleach is generally used in food production for sanitizing purposes, we’d strongly advise against trying to apply this at home, since it’s too risky.
- Granite countertops — porous materials such as granite could get damaged by bleach, which is why we’d recommend you find an alternative disinfectant for this type of surface.
- Wood — bleach simply isn’t as effective on wood and wood-based materials as on non-porous materials. To ensure you get rid of germs without poisoning your entire household in the process, we suggest you skip bleach when cleaning your favorite cutting board, or wooden table.
- Stainless steel — or any other metal for that matter — could oxidize and corrode in contact with bleach. Unless we’re talking about a bleach-based disinfectant that was designed specifically for metals, we’d advise against using bleach on metal surfaces.
You can never go wrong with exceptional house cleaning service in Humble TX
Keeping a clean home while keeping your family and those delicate surfaces safe can be a real struggle sometimes. When in doubt — ask professionals for help. That’s Clean Maids connects you with the finest cleaning experts every time you call, as your happiness is our main goal.
Due to their vast experience in cleaning, professional cleaners can answer virtually any cleaning challenge that may present itself, including all bleach-related questions you might have. That said, why bother contemplating bleach and cleaning on a lovely sunny day in May, when you could be exploring the Mercer Botanic Gardens instead?
Book your customized house cleaning today!
