Quick tips: home cleaning

These cleaning tips use affordable everyday products that are good to have in your kitchen or laundry cupboard. You can buy many of them from the supermarket.

Remember: cleaning to reduce mould is an important step to creating a healthy home for your family.

We’re often asked how best to stay on top of household cleaning.

    • Mix one-part white vinegar with one-part water in a spray bottle.

    • Spray it over your shower and floors and then wipe down with a cloth.

    • Top tip: Don’t forget to clean the shower head – it can get grimy in hidden, hard to spot places.

    • It’s best to use a squeegee on shower glass doors every day. This will reduce the buildup of soap scum.

    • To remove stubborn soap scum, mix mix one-part water and one-part white vinegar and spray the solution on the glass door.

    • Rub it down with a wet sponge, leave it for about 20 minutes, then wash it down with a watery sponge and squeegee.

    • Put the curtain in the washing machine with a couple of towels.

    • Add half a cup of laundry powder and half a cup of baking soda. Wash on a warm cycle.

    • Add disinfectant or bleach to a half full bucket of warm water, and clean the floor with a mop.

    • Simply wipe down with a sponge and warm water.

    • For small marks use a “Magic Eraser” which works wonders on scuff marks.

    • Dust can build up and cause health problems, especially if you have allergies. Make sure you dust surfaces regularly.

    • Use a damp cloth or disposable rags.

Safely cleaning your oven

It can be hard to get an oven clean, but this method should help. It doesn’t use harsh chemicals, so is better for your family’s health.

    • Baking soda

    • Water

    • Rubber gloves

    • A cloth

    • A plastic or silicone spatula

    • A spray bottle

    • White vinegar

    • A bowl

    1. Empty the oven - remove your oven racks and anything else you have inside the oven.

    2. Make a baking soda paste - in a small bowl, mix 1/2 a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste.

    3. Coat your oven - using a dry cloth, spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. The baking soda will turn a brownish colour as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others, which is fine. Try to coat the whole oven, paying extra attention to any particularly greasy areas.

    4. Let it sit overnight - let the baking soda mixture do its thing for at least 12 hours.

    5. Clean your oven racks - clean your oven racks while you’re waiting.

    6. Wipe out the oven - after 12 hours, take a damp dish cloth and wipe out as much of the dried baking soda paste as you can. Use a plastic or silicone spatula to help scrape off the paste.

    7. Spray a little vinegar - put a little white vinegar in a spray bottle and squirt everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.

    8. Do a final wipe-down -take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy vinegar-baking soda mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar as needed while wiping to get the oven clean and shiny.

    9. Replace your oven racks - replace the oven racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you’re done!

    10. Clean under the stove top elements. The elements can be easily removed allowing you to clean beneath them. This will reduce the build-up of gunk which can create a fire hazard.