Some Cleaning Chemicals Should Never Be Mixed

Mixing cleaning chemicals can be dangerous and now a survey has spelt out which should never be used together.

If you are an expert cleaner, you will know how to keep your home spic and span. However, when catching up with housework during lockdown and beyond, you should always be careful to avoid any mishaps. Safety is of primary importance, especially at a time like this.

You will be surprised how many people are putting their health at risk, by mixing household chemicals which should never go together.

This has been driven home by a cutting-edge survey by online marketplace OnBuy.com. They have highlighted the household chemicals which should never be combined while carrying out a deep cleaning.

Possible Danger to Health

Cleaning chemicals can often have the reverse effect and make an even bigger mess, instead of cleaning it up. In more extreme cases, mixing chemicals could have dangerous consequences which could endanger your health.

For instance, you should never mix bleach and ammonia. It produces toxic vapour, which can burn your eyes and hurt your organs. This can lead to respiratory issues which is a particularly concerning in the present pandemic.

The survey also recommends not combining bleach with rubbing alcohol as this produces dangerous gases which could cause unconsciousness or potentially death, if inhaled in large amounts.

Mixing these two substances together produces not only, chloroform and hydrochloric acid, but also dichloroacetone or chloroacetone. These could hurt your eyes, skin and nervous system and gravely impair your lungs, kidneys and liver.

Common household liquids can be dangerous if combined.

Some fairly common liquids that appear in almost every house can be very dangerous if mixed together. For example, bleach should never be combined with lemon juice or vinegar (or other acids), as this gives off chlorine gas. Chlorine gas causes respiratory distress and, if it gets on your skin, it can also cause a chemical burn.

If that was not bad enough, exposure to large quantities of the gas in a confined area with no ventilation can be fatal. In fact, this is why the vapour has been used as a chemical weapon.

Check safety information

It is hard to imagine just how hazardous it can be to mix the wrong chemicals. Who could have known it could see you losing consciousness, ending up in hospital or fighting for your life?

All in all, you should be aware of the risks you could be taking when cleaning your home, by making a dangerous chemical combinations. So, always be careful about the chemicals you plan to use, and check they can be safely used together.

Source: Thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

https://www.sparklecleaninglanarkshire.uk/blog/some-cleaning-chemicals-should-never-be-mixed/

Over Two Hundred Hours Cleaning!

A new study shows that Americans spend over two hundred hours cleaning their homes and some would give anything not to.

Does it sometimes feel like you are forever cleaning up and yet the housework is never done? Well, you are not alone. Spare a thought for the poor mums and dads in the United States, who dedicate days of their lives every year to tidying their houses.

If you require further proof, the findings of a new study say the average American parent spends over 200 hours, amounting to nine full days annually, doing the housework.

Researchers, examining cleaning behaviour in the US, consulted around two thousand subjects and asked them about their house cleaning habits. They concluded that more than half consider tidying up stressful, while over three-fifths of American parents say it feels like they are constantly doing housework.

Giving up luxuries and essentials

Sometimes, if the mess builds up, it may seem insurmountable, as if you will never get it done. Well, according to research, many Americans are willing to make major changes in their lives, as well as give up some home comforts, if it meant not having to tidy up.

Incredible as it may seem, especially today, 20% of Americans asked said they would give up their smartphone and never use it again, if they didn’t have to do the cleaning. If that wasn’t enough, two out of five said they would gladly stop watching Netflix for a year.

One in four said they would pack everything up and live in the woods for six months, while more than 10% said they would spend a month in jail if they could forego cleaning their house or apartment.

Better safe (and clean) than sorry.

Yes, doing the housework can feel like a chore sometimes, and you often may not be in the mood, particularly if it’s piling up, but it is amazing what some people will do to avoid it. Would you give up home comforts to avoid picking up a cloth, vacuum or mop and bucket or wiping the home with cleaning products?

If you are a parent, it can feel as if cleaning takes up a big part of your life. But isn’t it worth it to keep your living space tidy, safe and pleasant? Some may not enjoy doing the housework, but surely it’s better than living in the mess or making your family more susceptible to accidents or disease?

Source: Thesun.co.uk

https://www.sparklecleaninglanarkshire.uk/blog/over-two-hundred-hours-cleaning/

Lockdown Easing Leads To Boom In Demand For Cleaners

The loosening of lockdown restrictions is allowing cleaners to return to work and is leading to a boom in demand. Lockdown has had a devastating effect on businesses across the UK. We have seen shops, pubs, and restaurants close all over the country. Quarantine restrictions, where we must stay at home and socially distance, has had a knock-on effect on some trades. Those requiring workers to enter your home, from builders and housepainters, to delivery drivers have been particularly effected.

One area of expertise adversely affected by lockdown restrictions has been the cleaning service industry. However, this may be all about to change with the news that certain restrictions have been lifted in England. This allows cleaners to enter people’s homes once more, which some are already seeing as a relief.

Cleaners Are in Demand

Since the UK Government announced the loosening of lockdown restrictions the upturn for cleaners has been phenomenal. We have reportedly seen a rise in searches for professional cleaning services go up by 400%. The UK has also seen an upsurge in demand as thousands of middle-class families get in touch with cleaners they had employed before lockdown. Many have been asked them to go back to work as soon as possible.

The UK government recently published guidelines saying cleaners can re-enter people’s homes for the first time since lockdown began at the end of March. It has been a difficult couple of months, but those working in the cleaning industry can pick up tools again and return to work, while observing certain conditions.

Government Guidelines for Cleaners

Based on government directions, cleaners obviously can only work in people’s homes if they, and the householders, are not showing symptoms of coronavirus. Cleaners can also be permitted to work for people aged 70 years old or over if they are in good health. However, they may not enter the homes of vulnerable or shielded individuals, unless to provide medical aid or improve health and safety.

Social distancing must be maintained, where cleaners will have to stay two meters away from their customers. Householders will also be asked to keep their windows open to create a steady airflow. They should also keep doors open to negate the use of doorknobs or handles.

Cleaners should take precautions inside houses

If you are a cleaner, working in a customer’s home, you are advised to wipe down any objects, worktops or surfaces you may touch with the cleaning products you work with. What’s more, if you need to cough or sneeze, you should sneeze into your elbow, or cover your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve, to stem the spread of the virus. Or wear a face covering (as has recently been required in shops).

Presently, cleaners in England are not required to wear full PPE in customers’ homes, so as not to infringe on the supply of personal protective equipment needed for NHS workers and care homes. However, cleaners will still use PPE when working in medical or clinical sites like hospitals or other such locations.

You should be aware various cleaning agencies in England require cleaning staff to wear protective items like disposable gloves and shoe coverings when working, to safeguard themselves and their customers from infection.

Return to more normal life

It has been a tough couple of months for the cleaning industry, just like every other trade. However, the news that lockdown restrictions in England have been relaxed, allowing cleaners to work in people’s homes again, is seen as a step in the right direction. We still must be vigilant but this may be the first signs of life returning to normal, with the cleaning service right on the forefront.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

https://www.sparklecleaninglanarkshire.uk/blog/lockdown-easing-leads-to-boom-in-demand-for-cleaners/