Cleaning class
Teaching useful life skills while in isolation
Casting about for useful things to do — as so many of us are these days — Greg Allen turned his attention to schooling his three young adult sons on the basics of cleaning and home maintenance.
“Teaching them these essentials will give them life skills they can use forever,” says Allen.
As the director of Canadian sales for Libman, an Illinoisbased maker of cleaning tools, Allen is particularly well equipped to give spring cleaning lessons on washing baseboards, wiping electrical outlets, door handles, ceiling fans and cupboard tops, sweeping out closets, dusting light bulbs and tidying outdoor spaces.
(This spring, there are lots of questions about cleaning during COVID, whether surfaces need to be disinfected or simply washed with soap and water, and what the difference is. I tried to sort some of that out on www.aroundthehouse.ca)
The front door is always a good place to start cleaning, suggests Allen, as it’s the most common way dirt and allergens get in. In fact, he recommends keeping a mop in a front closet.
Naturally, Allen likes Libman’s own Freedom spray mop, which has a refillable vessel that can be used with any cleaner, including plain old super-hot water and soap. Just don’t use a waxy or oily liquid in a spray mop; it can clog the trigger. There are several slip-on pads suitable for various jobs available for the mop, which conveniently stores upright.
This is also my favourite mop design. Normally, I use the sample I was sent with a mix of water and vinegar, but I’ve also used it with Mrs. Meyers multi-surface concentrate (also supplied to me) and I do enjoy the natural scents of this effective, eco-friendly line of home products.
Just recently launched in Canada is the brand’s line of soy candles and room fresheners in lavender, honeysuckle, and basil. I don’t typically use air freshening products, but I have enjoyed these subtle, safe, botanical scents, especially on days when I’ve felt a bit cooped up or blue.
Allen will be sharing with his sons why he thinks brushes are the tool of choice for hard-core cleaning, pointing out how the angled bristles on his company’s No Knees floor scrub brush (the head pivots 180 degrees) can get behind toilets, between appliances, and into baseboard corners that are missed for much of the year.
When summer comes, the boys will appreciate the outdoor cleanup they do now, says Allen.
“We probably won’t be going to outdoor patios, so it’s a good idea to get backyards and balconies ready.”
For that, he uses Libman’s flat brushes: sturdy bristles loosen dirt from deep cracks in flagstone and garage floors, and work well on hard surfaces like decks, concrete, pavement, car mats, planters, and outdoor furniture. Inside, I use their smaller brushes in the kitchen, where I keep one for cleaning and one for scrubbing veg.
These products are available at Home Depot and Canadian Tire, both of which are now doing curbside pickup. I used the Canadian Tire site recently; it took a while to get my order in, but once it was, the turnaround was quick and the staff were extremely excellent.
Cleaning can be hard on your hands, especially with extra handwashing and sanitizing. Applying lotion twice a day treats dry, irritated skin and prevents cracked or broken skin.
For this, I really like the samples of Weleda’s Skin Food line I was sent. (I do use and have purchased other products from this company.) This cream is rich but not heavy or oily; the slightly creamier Skin Food body butter is terrific on dry feet, elbows and around rough cuticles. The plantbased scent of both is extremely pleasant.
Amid all the hard work and hand washing, Allen remains positive.
“It’s good to see people doing simple tasks with simple tools. I think, like me, they are really finding satisfaction in that.”