How To Clean Cleaning Supplies

I can hear it now: "You mean I have to clean cleaning supplies?" Yes, you need to clean cleaning supplies too - if you want to win the war against household dirt, grime, and germs in your home and keep your family healthy, that is.

A filthy mop will only redeposit dirt or move it around on your floor each time you use it. Grimy rags will leave surface streaks.

Here's how to clean cleaning supplies - brooms, dusters, mop heads, toilet brushes, sponges, and cotton and microfiber cleaning cloths - so you make the most of your precious cleaning time.

How to Clean Brooms

The broom and dustpan might seem like a quaint idea from back in the day, but for little cleanups around the house, a broom is just the thing.

Whether yours is microfiber or extruded plastic, the broom's bristles need to be cleaned regularly to remove trapped dirt and dust.

To deep clean, mix a bucket of hot water and three to four quick squirts of dishwashing liquid. Swirl the broom and dustpan through the solution to clean. Rinse thoroughly.

To dry, store the broom with the bristles down and place a bucket beneath it to capture any drips. When dry, store the broom with the bristles up to maintain a crisp edge.

De-Dust Dusters

After using it, take your duster outside and give it a good shaking for a minute or so. It helps to tap the handle firmly to loosen dust.

To deep clean, swirl the duster through a bucket of warm water and several squirts of dishwashing liquid for a minute or two, just as you did with the broom.

Rinse thoroughly and gently squeeze out excess water. Drip dry, or place the duster in a jar with the fluffy side up. For extra fluffing, use a blow dryer on the lowest setting to dry it for two minutes.

How to Clean Mop Heads

Whether made of cotton, sponge, or microfiber fabric, mop heads should be cleaned thoroughly after each use to remove dirt and debris from the fibers.

This is because once the fibers are saturated with soil, your mop head cannot efficiently gather or mop up additional dirt, dust, or debris, leaving filthy streaks on your floors.

Removable cotton and microfiber mop heads can be sent for a spin in the washer in hot water with a heavy-duty laundry detergent to remove embedded grease and soil. Add one-half cup of chlorine bleach to the wash to disinfect. Hang or lay flat to air-dry. Wait until the fibers are completely dry to return it to the cleaning cache.

For non-removable fabric mop heads, soak for 15 minutes in hot water and detergent or pine oil cleaner in a bucket or sink. 

Then move the head around to loosen the soil. Rinse thoroughly and allow to air-dry. If the mop head smells funky, add one-third cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of rinse water to disinfect the fibers.

After using your sponge mop, rinse it thoroughly under hot, running water. To disinfect, submerge the mop in a solution of one-third cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water for 10 minutes.

Wearing gloves to protect your hands, agitate to loosen dirt and soil. Rinse the mop thoroughly, then press and squeeze out excess water. Allow to air-dry.

Tackle the Toilet Brush

There's a relatively painless way to complete this often unpleasant chore. Remove the brush from its caddy (if it has one) and soak it in a diluted bleach solution.

My favorite shortcut is adding one cup of bleach to a toilet bowl full of clean water, then letting the brush soak inside for about an hour. When time is up, I flush the toilet to rinse the bowl and brush.

Let the brush drip dry into the toilet bowl, sandwiched under the toilet seat. Let the bruh dry completely before putting it back in the toilet brush holder.

Sanitize the Sponge

Your handy cleaning sponge is hands down one of the dirtiest things in your house. Go figure- it's wet, absorbent, and you rub dirt and food on it day in and day out.

By definition, sponges, whether natural or human-made, are porous materials. While those pores are what make them so great for absorbing spills, they are also quite adept at holding on to moisture and bacteria, creating the perfect environment for illness-causing germs to grow.

To clean and disinfect your sponge, fill a bucket or sink with water and one-third cup of bleach per gallon of water. Toss in the sponge for a 5-minute soak. Then rinse, squeeze out excess water, and air-dry in a well-ventilated area. 
In testing, the bleach solution killed 99.9% of bacterial strains from sponges.

Microwaving your sponge is another effective method of sponge disinfection. It was equally effective, zapping 99.9 percent of sponge germs in two quick minutes.

To use this method, make sure your sponge is moist or place your sponge in water (one-quarter cup for scrub sponges and one-half cup for cellulose sponges), then zap on high for two minutes.

You may want to let it chill in the microwave for a few minutes before retrieving; it emerges very hot. To guard against the risk of fire, only zap sponges that are without metallic content.

Sponges should be cleaned weekly. But no matter how diligent you are about cleaning, they won't last forever. If the sponge has a funky odor after cleaning, replace it.

That odor is a sign of excessive bacterial growth. And even if it doesn't smell, its lifespan in your kitchen should be two weeks, max. Out with the old, and in with the new!

How to Clean Cleaning Supplies: Cleaning Cloths

Both cotton and microfiber cleaning cloths come in handy on chore day. Microfiber cleaning cloths are a blend of polyester and nylon, offered in various textures and weaves, designed to clean a range of surfaces, including mirrors, windows, and stainless steel.

I use microfiber cleaning cloths because they don't leave lint or surface streaks behind after use. Because they are washable, they're an economical choice. 

Cotton cloths are the workhorses of cleaning cloths, ideal for heavy-duty cleaning jobs around the home that involve oily or strong cleaners. Another plus: they're more sanitary than sponges.

How to clean cleaning supplies: Cotton cloths can be machine-washed in hot water with laundry detergent and chlorine bleach (following label instructions) to remove soil and disinfect.

If a cloth is saturated with grease or cleaning products, presoak it in hot water and a degreaser before washing. And keep it out of the dryer.

Even after washing, oil-soaked cotton cloths are combustible. Allow them to air-dry instead.

You can also machine wash and dry microfiber cloths to prepare them for their next round of cleaning.

Just avoid using fabric softener frequently in the wash water or dryer sheets in the dryer, as it diminishes the dust-attracting qualities of the fibers.

Now that you know how to clean cleaning supplies, you can keep these essential tools performing at their peak.