Clean up with this germ-free advice
Some great tips from experts who help keep our NHS hospitals spick and span
The pandemic means it’s never been more important to keep our homes as clean as possible. And while keeping them as germ-free as a hospital may be a step too far, it’s certainly something to aspire to. But while new research by disinfectant company Hydrus Hygiene (hydrus-hygiene.com) suggests nearly half (47%) of people in the UK say keeping their home clean and tidy improves their mental wellbeing, and millions are cleaning more regularly than before the pandemic, psychologists are concerned about people taking their ‘Covid cleaning’ too far and becoming obsessed.
Although it’s best to try not to become obsessed with cleaning, it’s definitely worth doing it well when you do pick up a cloth and spray. And who better to take a few good cleaning tips from than the army of NHS Property Services (property. nhs.uk) domestics who help keep NHS hospitals spick and span?
Here are a selection of tips from domestics at NHS hospitals and clinics around the country…
1. Cleaning the bathroom
To give bathroom tiles a great clean, put some bleach on a cotton bud and rub it along the grout in places where you see mould, suggests Charly Giles, a domestic assistant for NHS facilities in Portsmouth. ‘After a couple of minutes, rub another cotton bud along the grout to absorb the bleach and wipe away any mould residue.
‘While you’re doing your bathroom spruce-up, pour some bicarbonate of soda down your sink plug hole and watch it quite literally bubble away all the dirt.’
2. Cleaning the kitchen
Another domestic assistant for NHS facilities in Portsmouth, Colleen Brain, says using lemon juice is a great way to clean stubborn grease stains in the kitchen.
And for cleaning the oven, simple soap and washing up liquid can work wonders, promises Maureen Giles, a domestic at Werrington Health Centre in Peterborough.
3. Cleaning the living room
For hard-to-reach places behind sofas or cabinets, use a little hand brush to clean, suggests Dawn Cromack, a domestic assistant at Cleveland Health Centre.
And Kelly Barton from the Integrated Care System (ICS) South Cumbria & Lancashire, adds: ‘When you’re dusting, carry a spray bottle of water and spritz your brush to prevent dust from flying into the air or falling from high areas.’
4. Cleaning wooden furniture
Don’t forget to clean the wooden furniture in your home, says Lee Pearson, a general assistant at St Charles Hospital in London.
He says: ‘I use mineral spirits on a simple microfibre cloth to remove the dirt and lift it off almost instantly, and then a little eco-friendly trick is to add some essential oil (I like lavender) to furniture polish to give it a final buff.’
5. No need for harsh chemicals
Look for readily-available cleaning ingredients in your home, suggests Piotr Kolenda, a domestic assistant for the NHS in Portsmouth.
‘There’s no need to use harsh chemicals if you have two of my favourite cleaners at hand – simple white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda,’ he says.