Each of us received “valuable” advice from parents and grandmothers on how to use improvised means, as well as products and dubious chemistry for cleaning. Not to mention the risk of provoking an acute allergic reaction to volatile reagents up to Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock.
If these tips were indeed so effective, we, armed with thick rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator, would follow it at the very least. But after all, folk recipes in most cases harm not only the owner, but also the product to which they are applied.
Debunking the standard 10 myths about misuse.
10. Salt in a washing machine to prevent staining of things
Grandmothers are advised to pre-soak new clothes in salted water in order to preserve their initial color and prevent “molting”. Contemporaries “developed” the theory, and now loose abrasive material is added directly to the powder compartment or, worse, inside the drum of the washing machine. As a result - salty clothes, which with the human then reveals its “properties” and leads to pinching and skin irritation. In addition, we see micro-scratches inside the drum or system of the machine, which can lead to accelerated wear.
Maybe if the fabric sheds so rapidly and quickly loses color, is it very synthetic and low-quality? Instead of using salt, go to the store for a good conditioner or get out on a competent shopping.
9. Hairspray as a stain remover
Indeed, a small package of effective “Vanisha”, which is enough for several washings, seems prohibitively aimless purchase. But to spend a sticky and harmful substance that destroys tissue - always welcome. If it still acted. Previously, at least special alcohols were added to varnishes, which at the very least could dissolve some greasy and ink spots. Modern means of the cosmetics industry are useless for this purpose. Since you do not want to buy a specialized product, apply ethyl alcohol directly from the medicine cabinet to the stain.
8. Coca-Cola as a toilet cleaner
Everyone knows about the incredible properties of this sweet soda: it allegedly corrodes rust, and removes plaque from the kettle, and now it also acts as an antiseptic. So naive readers flush expensive and tasty soda to the toilet, hoping that the bacterial plaque will miraculously dissolve, leaving a glossy shine and aroma. But no. Specifically, Coca-Cola is unsuitable for these purposes, but the relatively inexpensive concentrate of “Toilet duckling” will replace you with several useless bottles of soda.
7. Microwave sponges for disinfection
A funny trick invented by modern youth. Ostensibly cheap kitchen sponges that are worn out and should be regularly replaced must be regularly disinfected, and a faithful assistant in the microwave will help with this. Advisers argue that during the heating of the sponge in the microwave, harmful microorganisms are destroyed by the rays.
Scientists were not too lazy to debunk this myth, and in the course of the study it was found that even though a microwave kills some types of pathogens, it also frees up space for others that are more resistant to the effect of radiation. Moreover, the more often you warm the sponge, the more “persistent” bacteria that really are dangerous for the body accumulate. It was also revealed that regular warming up of a wet sponge leads to an increase in unpleasant odor and, as a result, to a decrease in its service life.
6. Mouthwash as a washing machine cleaner
Good old citric acid was forgotten, and it was replaced by a rinse aid - a faithful remover of plaque from the teeth, and, therefore, from the surface of the elements of the washing machine. A grand myth, because such a volume of water passes through the unit that for efficiency it will take at least a whole can, which, incidentally, is not cheap. It is much more profitable to buy 1 cleansing tablet or apply effective citric acid, a cheap bleach.
5. Lemon and salt for cleaning surfaces
Frozen grease, scale, rust, plaque - abrasive salt was used from all the grandmother's contaminants, and lemon juice was added for aroma and the effect of “acidity”. The combination of coarse salt with a rather aggressive lemon was advisable when cleaning an old-old skillet, a Soviet oven or an ugly countertop sent to the cottage. Modern materials, including glass and acrylic, require the use of exclusively specialized products with a characteristic mark on the package. Otherwise, thanks to folk recipes, you simply damage the beautiful surface and reduce its service life. And the dishes have recently had one or another non-stick coating, specific alloys in the composition. Salt with lemon loosens such a coating, causes microcracks in it, which reduces the service life by several times!
4. Car wax to protect the stove
Only modern mummies and daddies could come up with this. It turns out that if you open the oven and stove with machine wax, then it will be easier to remove carbon deposits and scale after cooking a juicy fat chicken. Please tell me how to exclude contact of chemical vapors, which are activated when heated, with your dinner? The caustic composition can lead to such acute poisoning that it does not seem enough. It will take more money and time to wash the stomach with enemas and Atoxyls than to purchase some Silita or SIF.
3. Lemon in the dishwasher to prevent stains
The maximum that you can count on in this folk recipe is the aroma of citruses from freshly washed dishes. The lemon slice will not demonstrate the disinfecting properties, and why not, because modern tablets for the dishwasher provide all the necessary effects: cleanliness, freshness, and the absence of bacteria and, notably, stains.
2. Hairspray as an antistatic agent for curtains
Many hostesses manage to “preserve” the appearance of curtains and curtains, treating them with hairspray, they say, will be less electrified. Someone even claims that the product retains the whiteness and glossy gloss of fabric products. Well, first of all, the composition of a cosmetic product is not intended for tissue care, therefore it can naturally have components that destroy them. Secondly, it is corny sticky, which leads to dirty spots and viscous areas on the fabric. Thirdly, after applying the curtain, it becomes a “stake”, since the purpose of the varnish is a good fixation. This cannot but affect the appearance of your curtains and cannot but cause creases on the folds.
1. Freshly brewed tea for cleaning furniture
Neither fresh nor old tea leaves can help you clean wooden and lacquered surfaces. Unrealistic properties are attributed to a regular drink, they say it leaves gloss, makes scratches less noticeable, and its service life extends. If this were so, then with tea bags we would not wipe furniture, but bruises and abrasions, cheaply prolonging our youth and skin health. What do we get as a result? Tea moisture penetrates the micro-pores of the coating, leading to the destruction of MDF or particleboard. The more water procedures, the faster the furniture will become unusable. And if you wipe the white furniture with a teaspoon, it’s a stone's throw to yellowness. It is much easier to buy a regular cream polish, the price of which can be really ridiculous, and the ease of use is significant.
Before following the advice of an avid hostess, do not be too lazy to turn on logical thinking, read about the chemical composition of the product (substance) and conclude that it is advisable to use it in one or another field. The modern market provides cleansing and care products for each item, so there is no need to invent dubious "organic" recipes to the detriment of your health and, in fact, the interior.