Cleaning Tips

How much cleaning is a safe level of cleaning your home?

I’ve heard so many people lately say that too much cleaning is bad for your home and children’s immune systems. But then, you get warnings to clean countertops daily because of food/meat germs. What is a safe level (a good balance) of cleaning your home without going overboard? A cleaning service company from Brooklyn mention that many times! I vacuum regularly (house every 2-4 weeks, every week in the kitchen) I only wash my hardwoods maybe once a month or two months, or longer. But I wash/vacuum the kitchen floor more often (son eats things off the floor if I slip up). I wash countertops almost daily with METHOD cleaner (easy on lungs and environment). Sink every 2 weeks or so w/Ajax with Bleach. The only thing I use Clorox wipes on is the diaper pail maybe once a month because my son teethes the handle. I use Palmolive original soap for dishes. These are estimates.

Am I overdoing anything? How do you find a balance? I don’t know who the people you’ve been talking to about cleaning too much, but that is a lot of bad advice. When children are involved, you can never be too clean. You most definitely want to keep counters and bathrooms as clean as possible. It doesn’t take much to disinfect those things. A little, and I mean a little bleach in water will disinfect bathrooms, sinks, countertops and even kids toys. You don’t have to disinfect floors, that’s impossible to do. But countertops should be several times a day, especially if you prepare meats a lot. Even a very little bleach in dishwater does the trick also. The vacuuming routine you have and floor washing seems to be good enough. Why buy wipes, if you keep bleach in your house, that is plenty good enough. I did with my kids growing up and kept illnesses down to a bare minimum. But when they get to school age, they seem to bring it home with them. And there is nothing you can do about that, other than what you already do at home.

No one could call you a fanatic and if they do, I would ignore them. Just do what you are doing.