Eraser Sponge Uses Archives

How to Properly Clean Your Dishwasher

How to Keep Your Dishwasher Clean

Your dishwasher is one of the hardest working appliances in your kitchen, considering it cleans the grime and food off your dishware. It makes sure your dishes, glasses, silverware, and cooking accessories are sparkly clean. Keeping it clean and well-maintained will help get dishes as clean as possible and also extend the life of the appliance.

Clean the Gasket Seal Around the Dishwasher Tub

The plastic or rubber-like seal around a dishwasher tub helps to secure it and prevent any water leakage. Over time, the seal can become dirty and possibly smell. Use an eraser sponge to remove any dirt, grime or food particles from the seal. Check the racks and the silverware basket to make sure they are clean as well. Over time, dirt can build-up and food particles can become trapped, especially inside the basket. Some silverware baskets are removable and can be cleaned in the sink. An eraser sponge can also help remove dirt and grime from racks and the basket.

Remove and Clean the Dishwasher Filter

Check the bottom of the rack or consult your owner’s manual to see if there is a removable filter that should be cleaned. Many newer-models of dishwasher have a filter that can be removed and washed out in the sink. The filter traps food and other foreign objects from being sucked into the dishwasher pump and damaging or clogging it. To clean any filters, pull out the bottom rack and check for a removable filter. You may also have protective caging at the bottom of your dishwasher that is removable as well. Unsnap it and rinse it off in the sink with a sponge. Snap the caging or replace the filter back into place once it is clean.

Run a Cleaning Cycle

Many modern dishwashers have a cleaning cycle that can be run to clean the inside of the dishwasher. Use a commercial dishwasher cleaner, or else place a cup of plain white vinegar in the top rack of the dishwasher and run a normal cycle. Some blogs suggest using bleach to clean your dishwasher, however if the inside of your dishwasher is stainless steel this can lead to corrosion and damage. As ever, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to extend the life of your dishwasher and minimize maintenance.

Posted on June 24, 2019November 11, 2021 by spongeoutlet

Use the Eraser Sponge with Your Pet

Having a pet as a member of your family is truly a great experience, but there comes a price with it like everything else. Cleaning up after your pet can be annoying because it’s usually a common occurrence. Whether it’s cleaning up their eating area or cleaning up an accident they had in the house, an eraser sponge is the way to go.

Why the Eraser Sponge?

As parents of animals, we don’t always have the time to grab a bucket, fill it with water, and wet a mop, to wipe up floors; or time to get down on our knees with a bucket full of water and a sponge to clean up scuffed cabinet doors. The eraser sponge makes it easy to clean up spills, scuffs, and dirty paw prints in a snap. Also, it is simple to use for cleanup, so you can show your kids how to clean with it. The eraser sponges from Sponge Outlet are strong enough to use on almost any grit, grime or dirt without compromising your counter-tops, walls, floors or other surfaces.

Giving a small child a mop and bucket of water can create even more of a mess than the one you were attempting to clean.

Keep the eraser sponges handy, and have your kids watch you clean up scuffs and marks left by your pets; then engage them in the activity with you.

After using this technique, your kids will be able to always clean up after your pet makes some kind of a mess. An eraser sponge is your all-purpose cleaning tool for households with pets. You won’t need to switch up from a sponge to a mop.

You can clean all your pet’s messes with the eraser sponge; making the clean-up process easier and quicker. Now you can get back to the other tasks on your to-do-lists.

If you’re looking for an easier way to clean up after your pet’s mess, contact Sponge Outlet at 877-776-6430 to find out more on our eraser sponges and how they can help with pet messes.

Posted on June 17, 2019June 18, 2019 by spongeoutlet

Cleaning Your Microwave with an Eraser Sponge

Cleaning out your microwave is never a fun job to do, but sometimes we forget to put that paper towel over the food we are re-heating and the result is some splatter on the walls of the microwave. We even sometimes put off cleaning it up because we say we’ll clean it the next day. But in reality, this usually gets put off for a week or two, and it becomes the dirtiest place in the kitchen. No one wants to heat up food in the microwave if it’s dirty.

A Dirty Microwave Can Cause Health Issues

We should be cleaning our microwave after each time we use it but most of us don’t. Sponge Outlet’s eraser sponges are the perfect tool to use to clean out a dirty microwave. Using our eraser sponge, scrub out any food splatters from walls, rotating tray, and door. This will help get all of the tough spots cleared out first. Some food may be hard to remove but the eraser sponge can handle tough grit, grime, and dirt.

After, Steam Clean the Microwave

Using a microwave-safe bowl, vinegar, water, and a sponge, you can get your microwave looking brand new. Pour an equal amount of water and vinegar into a bowl, usually half a cup of each works well.

Put a toothpick into the solution before you start. You’ll notice that bubbles form on the toothpick allowing it to boil without exploding.

Leave the bowl in your microwave for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how dirty it is. When the minutes are over, let the microwave stand with the door closed for several minutes allowing steam to penetrate the microwave.

Be sure to have oven mitts on hand in order to take the bowl out which will be extremely hot.

After you remove the bowl, stick the eraser sponge into the bowl when the solution is still hot and scrub the rest of your microwave.

Make sure you wipe down corners, windows, walls, and the outside of the microwave as well.

Our eraser sponges are also disposable so once it cools down, it can be thrown out. Visit Sponge Outlet or call 877-776-6430 to find out about more of our cleaning products!

Posted on June 7, 2019 by spongeoutlet

Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Bike

Your bike is your loyal companion out on the road or trail. When you return from a long day of pedaling, chances are you’ll toss your favorite bike shorts and windbreaker in the washing machine—but when’s the last time you washed your bike?

If your bike is looking a little worse for wear these days, but you’re not sure where to get started to make it look like new again, you’re in luck: SpongeOutlet is here today with a step-by-step guide to cleaning your bike. Read on, pick up the supplies you need, get started, and then get back to the trails!

Plus, cleaning your bike regularly will maintain its paint job and keep it looking as good as the first day you rode it out of the bike shop. If you don’t clean your bike regularly, the dirt and grime build up can start to impact some of its mechanical integrity.

Gather Your Cleaning Supplies

You’ll need a few things to properly clean your bike, so the first thing you should do is gather your supplies. Grab two buckets, bottle brushes if you have them, a soft microfiber cloth, regular sponges, eraser sponges, a garden hose, degreaser for the chain, and dish soap.

Depending on the type of bike you have, there may be specific cleaning instructions, so make sure you check the internet before you dive in with your scrub brush. If your bike company or brand recommends a certain type of soap, it’s probably a good idea to pick up a bottle. Your bike is made to last through tough conditions, but it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to maintain its paint.

Step One: Clean Your Bike Wheels

The first thing you want to do is fill your buckets with dish soap and water and remove the wheels from your bike. Use a soft, plastic brush to gently remove grease and grime from your wheels. Don’t forget the valve, spokes and hub, and flip the wheel over when you finish one side.

One of the buckets will be the grimy bucket, and the other will be the finishing bucket. Use the cloth or sponge in the grimy bucket to do your first round of washing—give everything a good wipe down.

Once you give everything a good scrub, hose down the wheels. Then, swap to the finishing bucket, and re-scrub everything. This will ensure you loosen all of the fine dirt that might be stuck in your wheels’ nooks and crannies.

Once you’re done with the wheels, check the tires for air and set them aside to dry.

Step Two: Clean Your Bike Chain

Use a degreaser, and apply it to each of the links: Bicycling.com says turning the cranks backwards can make it easier to reach each and every link. If your chain is still a greasy mess after you use your degreaser, you can apply a little dish soap and run your eraser sponge around the chain.

A little grease left over is OK, as long as you remove the major build up. Rinse the chain, repeat if necessary, and move on to step three.

Step Three: Clean Your Bike Frame

Next up is the frame: use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth and start at the top and work your way down. Start by wetting the frame with a garden hose, and then using your cloth to scrub it. Tough spots can be tackled with eraser sponges, just be careful not to damage the paint with too much harsh scrubbing.

Rinse, repeat, and then buff with a dry microfiber cloth to make sure all areas of the frame have dried to a sparkling finish. Buffing your bike after you clean it with a microfiber cloth can actually prevent dirt from sticking to it while you’re out on your next ride!

Step Four: Clean the Smaller Parts of Your Bike

Use a toothbrush to get the grime and grease out of any hard-to-reach areas on your bike, and don’t forget to dry and buff those areas really well when you finish up. And, remember to wash things like handlebars, cup holders, and pedals. Some of these pieces may be easy to remove, so if you’re going for a deep clean, snap off the pieces and clean them before reattaching them to the bike.

Just like any pastime, riding a bike can be fun, relaxing and rewarding, but it’s important to take care of your equipment. After all, you spent a good deal of money on it! So, remember to regularly wash your bike, and if you’re not up for a weekly deep clean, a wipe down with a microfiber cloth and some soapy water after a ride in between deep cleans will do the trick.

For more tips on cleaning items around your car, office and home, check out our blog. Contact SpongeOutlet today if you have any questions about our products or how you can use them to keep your life sparkling clean!

Posted on July 24, 2018 by spongeoutlet

How to Clean Your Outdoor Furniture This Summer

Finally, we’re able to enjoy some good weather! The sun is shining, it’s warm and comfortable, but your outdoor furniture is covered in pollen and dirt from last year…

Well, not to worry, SpongeOutlet is here today with some tips on how to clean your outdoor furniture this summer.

Whether you just broke your outdoor furniture out of the garage, or you’re finding that it needs a good wipe down after it’s been out on the back deck for a couple weeks, we have the info you need.

Dirt & Dust Build Up

Outdoor furniture is prone to dirt and dust build up, so it’s important that you properly store it when you’re putting it away for the winter. If you can, wrap it in an old sheet or cloths to keep the dirt at bay, and keep it in a dry spot in your garage or shed.

When you first take your furniture out of storage, even if it was covered, you’ll need to give it a good wipe down before it’s safe to sit on. The first thing you should do is attack the furniture pieces with a bucket of soapy water, and a microfiber cloth or paper towels. This will remove all the fine dirt and dust that built up on the chairs during the winter months.

Don’t skip this step, even if your chairs were stored in a clean space, dust is everywhere! And you don’t want it to transfer to your guests’ clothing once they sit on your furniture.

Make sure you choose the proper soap for your furniture. If your furniture is wicker or wood, you’ll need to use an oil-based soap to remove any dust and grime from the surface. Metal frames can be cleaned with mild dish soap.

Don’t forget to give everything a good rinse, and let it dry completely before you use the furniture.

And, if your furniture is hard wood, you may want to sand the surface and apply a fresh coat of paint each year before use.

https://youtu.be/ODriEgXXIh0

Tough Stains

For areas that have become rusty or stained from last summer’s use, that you can’t clean easily with a cloth and soapy water, take an eraser sponge to the area. Eraser sponges will remove any tough stains from the surface of your furniture but be careful in areas where the paint is chipping—you want to avoid causing further damage to the paint.

Cushions

If your outdoor furniture has cushions attached, you should follow the cleaning instructions on the pillow tags. If they are machine washable, toss the covers in the wash and make sure they are completely air or tumbled dry before you use them. If your cushions aren’t machine washable, you can probably still clean the surfaces of them with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust.

Maintenance

On a weekly basis, hose down your furniture to remove debris like leaves and bugs that could damage the integrity of the rust-resistant paint on the surface of the furniture. Make sure that you take the cushions inside whenever you can if it’s going to rain: prolonged exposure to rain without ever becoming fully dry will cause mold to grow inside and on your cushions.

About halfway through the summer, or once a month, give your furniture another wipe-down with a cloth and soapy water, to make sure that you’re removing any dust and dirt that’s stuck to the surfaces. And, if there are any stains, use an eraser sponge to get rid of them right away.

If you have a big party and your furniture is used heavily over the course of an evening, it’s a good idea to hose everything down to remove food and alcohol particles that could cause problems down the line.

And, if you know there’s going to be a big summer storm, bring your furniture inside or tie it to your deck to avoid it being thrown around in the wind and damaged, or damaging something else, like your house!

Proper Storage

At the end of the summer, repeat the deep clean that you performed at the beginning of the season to remove dirt and grime, and store your furniture in a place where it will stay dry and not too cold, if possible. Wrap your furniture with old sheets or cloths, and keep any fabric or pillows sealed in a storage bin.

If you follow these simple (and frequent) cleaning tips, your furniture will last you for many summers to come. In the meantime, get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!

For more information on Sponge Outlet products, or for more cleaning tips for around the house, head to our blog often! Questions? Call us at 877-776-6430.

Posted on July 3, 2018 by spongeoutlet

Moving Into a New House? Here’s How to Clean It

Finally moving into your new home is so exciting: you get to rearrange all of your furniture, buy some new pieces, and decorate the space exactly how you pictured it in your head. But before you can get to all of the fun parts of moving, there are a few things you need to take care of first, including cleaning your new house from top to bottom.

Whether your home is a new construction, or you’re moving in after the previous owners vacated, it’s a good idea to do a deep clean before you move in any of your belongings. That way, you won’t have to worry about certain difficult cleaning tasks, like shampooing the carpet, once your furniture is all moved in.

If you’re not sure where to start, not to worry: SpongeOutlet is here today with some tips for cleaning your new home.

Read on for our cleaning guide, and get that new home cleaned out before the move-in date.

Sanitize the Bathrooms

The bathrooms are a great place to start. Even if they appear to be clean enough, your bathrooms can benefit from another deep clean and disinfect. Start with the toilet: replace the seat and cover if the old one is looking a little worse for wear—it’s a super inexpensive way to freshen the bathroom.

Angie’s List says don’t forget areas like underneath the sink, in the cabinets and drawers, and behind the toilet. These hard-to-reach areas may go uncleaned for a while once you move in your toiletries, so take advantage of the empty storage areas, and clean them now.

As for the shower and tub, use a grout and tile cleaner, but keep in mind that replacing the grout is an easy job that you can probably do yourself with a bit of help from your local hardware store.

Disinfect the Kitchen

Sure, wipe down the countertops, but more importantly: clean the appliances. Remove all of the stove grates and knobs, take the shelving out of the refrigerator, and set the oven to “self-clean.” Kitchens are notorious for built-up grime, so take a look at the vent hood, and replace or clean the filter. Wipe down the walls around the stove, and make sure there’s no grease or grime stuck anywhere.

Don’t forget the dishwasher: you can search the model you have online to see the best ways to clean it, but many dishwashers will have a clean setting—just pop in some dishwasher cleaning soap.

The insides of the cabinets, including the back of the doors, will need a good wipe down. Don’t forget the knobs: they collect grease from our hands and may need some special attention.

Clean the Bedrooms

The bedrooms are a little simpler: if there are built in cabinets, give everything a dust and then a wipe down. Go over the baseboards with wood cleaner, and make sure that the shelving in the closet is clean and shiny.

As for the floor, mop if it’s hardwood or laminate, and hire a carpet cleaning service if it’s carpet. If it seems relatively clean to you, you could wash the carpet yourself; just remember that the previous owners probably didn’t shampoo before they moved out, so if they had pets or kids, it’s probably a good idea to bring in the professionals.

Check out the light fixtures next: remove the covers and dust the fixtures and the bulbs. If you have ceiling fans, make sure to give them a good dusting before you turn them on, or else they’ll scatter dust throughout the room!

Clean the Living Spaces

Living areas should be treated similarly to the bedrooms, with an emphasis on that carpet cleaning step, especially for high-traffic areas. Clean the walls, and make sure there are no fingerprints left over from toddlers, or marks on busy corners.

You can buff those out by using an eraser sponge, without damaging the paint. You may even want to dust the walls (but make sure to do this before shampooing the carpet!) with a microfiber cloth. If you have tile, Moving.com suggests renting a steam cleaner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgE7wMkDPSY

Take a Look Outside

Don’t neglect areas like sheds and garages: truth is, if you don’t clean those out, you could be looking at an annoying pest problem down the line. Make sure to sweep the floors, de-clutter the rooms, and re-seal or caulk any holes that mice may be able to burrow into. Trust us, it’s much more annoying to deal with a squirrel living in your garage than to sweep and seal the space before moving in.

If there are washing sinks or laundry machines in these spaces, clean those two: search for your washing machine and dryer models online to find out the best way to clean them, and don’t forget to pull them out from the wall and dust behind!

Moving into a new home can be overwhelming at times, but if you get the heavy lifting cleaning out of the way before move-in day, you can focus on unpacking and getting settled in. For more tips on how to clean your home the best way, check out SpongeOutlet’s blog.

When you’re ready to deep clean, pick up all of the cleaning supplies you’ll need from SpongeOutlet!

Posted on June 1, 2018 by spongeoutlet

What to Clean Before Brining Your New Baby Home

There’s no doubt about it, preparing your home for a new baby is a huge feat. You need to stock up on supplies, baby-proof areas like sockets and sharp corners, paint the nursery and that’s not even counting the ways you’ll need to mentally prepare!

One thing that new-moms-to-be are liable to forget about in the stress and excitement of having a new baby is cleaning the home. Bringing a new baby into your house is a great reason to do a little spring cleaning, no matter what time of year it is. You don’t want built up dust and grime bothering your newborn; plus, you’ll probably have a ton of visitors in the next few months, and visitors usually bring their germs with them.

If you’re not sure where to start when it’s time to start cleaning your home in preparation for baby, here’s a list for you and your partner to tackle together.

Clean the Crib & Changing Table Before Baby Arrives

Even if you just purchased your baby’s bedroom furniture, it will need to be cleaned before the baby comes home. The warehouse or shop where the furniture was built or sold probably was not the most sanitary space, so make sure to disinfect all surfaces.

If your items are hand-me-downs, use an eraser sponge to remove stickers, crayon marks, and other general wear and tear that may show on the furniture.

Clean the Nursery Curtains Before Bringing Baby home

If your nursery has curtains hung on the windows, take them down and wash them before baby arrives. Curtains are notorious for holding dust build-up, so if you’re making some cosmetic updates to the room, go with blinds instead. They’re easier to clean, and won’t hold as much dust.

Clean the Car Before Taking Your Baby Home

Head to the garage for your next cleaning task: Give your car a good cleaning on the interior before you drive baby home from the hospital. Build up on the door handles and steering wheel can transfer from your hands onto your newborn, and since they hardly have an immune system yet, you don’t want to risk them getting sick!

Use our microfiber cloths and disinfectant spray on all parts of the car’s interior (and exterior, like door handles) that you touch on a regular drive. And, while you’re at it, make sure baby’s car seat handles are disinfected, and if you can remove the padding for baby’s seat, toss it in the wash.

Clean the Carpets Before Bringing Baby Home

Carpeting is another notorious item for storing dust and mildew. Check out a non-toxic cleaning service. It may not smell as lemon-y fresh, but it’ll clean your carpets without leaving behind chemicals that can be harmful to your baby.

Clean the Kitchen Before Bringing Your Baby Home

Baby food prep, whether you’re breastfeeding or not, will most likely happen in the kitchen—those bottles of breastmilk won’t warm themselves up, after all. Make sure you do a deep clean of your kitchen, including all surfaces, the sink, and the inside of your appliances, including the fridge and the microwave. Anything that you do in the kitchen (like marinating cubes of raw chicken) could come in contact with a baby food item or your formula. Take precautions once baby arrives, but a deep-clean prior to that day will make you worry less.

Clean all Linens Before Baby Arrives

Don’t just open a fresh set of sheets for the crib and throw them on: make sure to machine wash them with soap that’s safe for baby. You should do the same for your bedding, too, including your comforter and any throw pillows that you have hanging around. Chances are, you and baby will be spending quite a bit of time napping in your bed, so cleaning the crib is only half the battle.

Preparing to bring home baby doesn’t have to be a scary process. If you make a list of all the items you need to clean prior to leaving for the hospital, then you and your partner can cross everything off in a couple of days.

Once baby arrives, don’t forget to work these disinfecting practices into your regular cleaning routine: wiping down surfaces with disinfecting wipes will keep your baby from being exposed to potentially germs! And tools like microfiber clothes and eraser sponges can help make your cleaning routine easier to deal with.

For more information on how to stay clean after baby comes home, click here to read our post about how eraser sponges will make cleaning a breeze for any mom.

Posted on May 1, 2018November 8, 2022 by spongeoutlet

How to Use Our Eraser Sponges on Your Car

Cleaning your car with SpongeOutlet Products

During the winter months, it can be hard to keep your car looking clean. The roads are often covered in salt on a daily basis and paying for a car wash seems pointless.

Although we understand the struggle, it’s really important to regularly wash that four-wheeled vehicle. Spring is here (hopefully to stay) which should make it easier to get out and clean your car yourself, saving you money down the line!

A buildup of dirt and grime on a car can result in chipped paint and rusted metal on the exterior of your car and believe it or not, the inside of your car can suffer too from not getting cleaned on a regular basis.

SpongeOutlet has some tips on how you can clean and preserve the exterior and interior of your car with our products, such as our eraser sponge and microfiber towel.

If you’re planning on doing a little bit of “spring cleaning” within your car, which you certainly should, keep these tips handy! If you follow our instructions, both your interior and exterior will shine for months to come.

Using Eraser Sponge on your Cars Interior

You might think that our eraser sponges are meant to be used only in the home but they can serve a great purpose when it comes to cleaning your car as well.

Start with taking a wet sponge to your car’s center console and dashboard.

Both of these areas not only collect a lot of dust but host fingerprints and coffee spills which build up on the surface over time, making them appear both dull and dirty. Using gentle motions move the eraser sponge in a circular motion to remove any buildup.

The steering wheel is another space that you’ll want to pay close attention to when doing a thorough cleaning of your car.

If you are in your car, chances are your hands are on the steering wheel which makes it one of the places that gets, quite frankly, filthy. You can use our eraser sponge to remove gunk and grime from your steering wheel, leaving it as good as new.

If you have a leather or vinyl interior, an eraser sponge can be great for removing food stains or even colored pencil stains if your children got carried away crafting in the backseat during a long road trip.

Click here for some more tips on using your eraser sponge to get the interior of your car cleaned up.

Eraser Sponge for Your Cars Exterior

The eraser sponge can also be used on some parts of your car’s exterior to remove tough stains.

For instance, our hubcaps or rims are often one of the first things on our car to get soiled. If your hubcaps are looking dull, wet an eraser sponge and start scrubbing to make your whole wheel look brand new.

Watch the video below to check out our technique when it comes to scrubbing your hubcaps clean:

It is important to avoid using our eraser sponge on any painted portion of your car because it may cause the paint to chip or fade. However, areas with stubborn stains such as door handles, roof racks, grills, and even glass can benefit from a bit of eraser sponge action!

Wipe with a Microfiber Cloth on the Interior

On a daily basis, your car’s interior collects dust just like your home does. Consider keeping one of our microfiber cloths in your glove compartment to give your car a quick wipe down before you park it for the night. You’ll be surprised to find out how much dust actually builds up inside your car!

If it’s time to give the exterior of your car a good washing, you can use our microfiber cloths to clean your car as well.

Simply fill a bucket of warm water with an appropriate soap, dip in our microfiber cloth, and start wiping!

You can also use our microfiber cloths to dry your car once you’re finished rinsing away any soap residue.

Once you’ve cleaned your car, you should also consider giving it a fresh wax. Other towels made from cotton can leave particles behind resulting in streaks after waxing but our microfiber cloths won’t. The smooth fabric of our microfiber cloth will leave your car looking shiny and clean with no lint left behind.

While you’re cleaning, Auto Trader says you should also check your tire pressure and your wiper blades. Don’t forget to check the oil, too.

Cleaning your car can be a pain, but it’s important to do regularly: don’t overlook the interior after you wash the exterior! The products we offer here at SpongeOutlet can help make the process easier to deal with.

Check out SpongeOutlet’s new video series on our YouTube page for more everyday cleaning tips!

Posted on April 23, 2018 by spongeoutlet

What to Clean at Home After Getting Sick

Spring may have sprung in some parts of the country, but besides warm weather and longer days, that means one thing for sure: it’s the season of the common cold!

No matter what you do on a daily basis, you’re at-risk for the common cold when the weather changes from cold to warm; when you’re out and about, there’s not much you can do to avoid it except washing your hands frequently, and staying away from other people who are sick. If someone gets sick in your home, though, then you definitely need to take a few preventative steps to keep others in your household from getting sick.

Here are some tips on what to clean at home after getting sick, to prevent your loved ones and any visitors to your home from picking up the same virus!

Clean the Usual Places After Getting Sick

High-traffic areas should be your first stop after a virus runs its course through your home. Use disinfectant spray to tackle door knobs, light switches, bedside tables, kitchen appliances, TV remotes, cell phones, and drawer pulls that you may have touched while you were contagious. Don’t forget your garbage cans: if there were lots of tissues piled up in there, your garbage can could probably use a good wipe down.

Think about where you spent most of your sick day home from work, and make sure to disinfect those areas: you might want to add your coffee table, bedside table, entertainment center, gaming consoles and anything else you used to pass your sick time, to the list.

Clean Toys After Getting Sick

If you have kids and one of them was the virus carrier, make sure to disinfect their toys and stuffed animals. Stuffed animals may be able to be machine washed, but for most toys, you’ll need to disinfect and wipe dry. Some toys can be cleaned by going in the top shelf of the dishwasher.

This can prevent your kiddo from spreading the virus to his or her friends at school, and it’ll also make other parents feel more comfortable bringing their little one by for a play date after your child has recovered.

Wash Your Bedding After Getting Sick

If you wallowed in bed for a couple of days during your cold, chances are, your sheets could use a wash. When you’re sick, you sweat more than usual, especially if you had a fever. So, once you’re cured, strip the bedding and wash everything. While your bedding tumbles dry, leave your mattress uncovered for a while so that it can air out, too. Take your vacuum cleaner stick attachment to the mattress to rid it of dust and dandruff that can aggravate colds and allergies in the future.

Wash everything in hot water and use a bit of liquid bleach if your sheets can tolerate it!

Clean Bathrooms After Getting Sick

Clean your bathroom and not just the touchpoints like the faucet. Do a deep clean of the bathroom where the sick family member spent time; wash the shower curtains, scrub the tub and the toilet, and use a disinfectant spray on the sink. Tile floors should be mopped, and any rugs or mats tossed in the washing machine.

Don’t forget the towels! Hand towels should be washed every couple of days and more frequently when someone is sick to prevent spreading the illness. In fact, it’s a good idea to designate one specific hand towel per person while someone is fighting off a cold, to be extra sure that the virus won’t pass while you’re washing your hands in the bathroom.

Use a microfiber cloth for disinfecting the bathroom and other hard surfaces, like the countertop in the kitchen: you’ll get a cleaner clean than using items like paper towels, and you can wash and re-use microfiber cloths.

Clean Your Toothbrush After Getting Sick

If you use an electric toothbrush, follow the cleaning instructions that came with the product in order to give it a deep clean. Disposable tooth brushes should be swapped out for a fresh one.

Let Fresh Air In Your House After Getting Sick

An open window will help wash out that old, stale air from your home so that everything smells fresh and clean. If it’s chilly in your neighborhood, crack the windows at night while you’re snuggled in bed: a little bit of fresh air can do wonders, but you won’t recover fully if it’s too cold inside!

Clean Your Car After Getting Sick

Don’t forget to clean your car! Your steering wheel probably has some dirt and grime on it from your cold, so use a disinfectant spray that’s safe on leather (or whatever your wheel is made of) and disinfect, along with other frequently touched areas in your car like the radio dial, gear shift, and cup holders.

Watch our video for additional car cleaning tips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky9kpm6yaq4

If you’re careful to clean all of these areas in your home, and quit sharing water bottles and food while you’re feeling under the weather, there’s no reason to believe that anyone else will catch your cold!

For more cleaning tips, head over to the Sponge Outlet’s blog, and pick up a few of our essential cleaning supplies, like our eraser sponge, today.

Posted on March 16, 2018 by spongeoutlet

Fully Clean Your Basement With This Guide

It’s officially spring cleaning season, and if you’ve been meaning to get to your basement for a couple of spring seasons now, this year is the year to finally tackle it! We know that it can be hard to fit in de-cluttering and deep-cleaning your home with your busy schedule, but it’s important to make the time for these tasks as often as possible. Dust build up can irritate asthma and negatively affect the air quality of your home; plus, hoarding too much junk isn’t good for anyone.

But, there’s no doubt about it—cleaning up your basement is a huge job. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry: Sponge Outlet has created a basement cleaning guide for you.

Follow these steps, and you’ll have an organized, clean basement in just a couple of days.

De-Clutter and De-Junk Your Basement

The most logical place to start cleaning a basement is by getting rid of your junk. It’s also probably the most difficult item on the list, so getting it out of the way first will make the rest of the process much easier to handle.

You might want to recruit a few friends or family members to help you with this step since de-cluttering your basement is no joke.

Most people use their basement as a storage space, and if you’ve lived in your home for a while, chances are there are tons of random items piled up down there. Take your time and sort through all of your belongings. Open every box and bin, and make sure you take a good inventory of what you have.

Then, start sorting things into piles: if you’re not sure where to start, use categories like these—summer sporting goods, winter sporting goods, off-season clothing, important paperwork, miscellaneous items, and more. Depending on what’s in your basement, your piles will differ.

Once you have everything allocated to a pile, think about how you want to re-organize your basement. It’s important to put everything back in a very organized manner—otherwise, the deep clean will be for naught! You might want to take a quick trip to the hardware store or home goods store to pick up some fresh containers and a few label makers. Start putting things away in a way that makes sense to you, and make sure you clearly label all your boxes.

As you go, toss items that are broken and beyond repair, and make a donate pile of things you no longer need. If you haven’t used the item in the past two years, you’ll probably never need it again. If you can afford to part with it, do it! Local charities will be happy to sort through your belongings and make sure it all goes to a home that could use it.

Dust & Vacuum Your Basement

Before you start re-stacking the shelves, grab the vacuum cleaner and clean out the hard-to-reach crevices behind your shelving. If you can move furniture, do so and do a thorough vacuum of the carpet. You can’t do such a deep clean every year, but it’s important to do so occasionally.

For those of you with concrete surfaces in your basement, use warm water and detergent with a nylon brush to clean the floors. When you’re finished, use a soft mop to rinse the floors with warm water.

Get Rid of the Musty Smell in Your Basement

If your basement tends to have a musty smell, it probably needs some fresh air, a few fans, and a de-humidifier. Talk to your local hardware store about the best way to get some air flowing in your basement.

A few days of fresh air and a new set of fans, combined with a strategically placed de-humidifier, will have your basement smelling fresh in no time.

If you notice mold as you deep-clean your basement, call in the professionals. Chances are that it’s just a harmless household mold, but it could still be dangerous to you and your family. Keep your respiratory systems safe and have an expert mold removal team stop by your basement.

Prep Your Cleaning Toolbox for Your Basement

As you clean, it’s important to have a few key tools handy at all times. Start with a regular sponge to clean up messes, as well as an eraser sponge to tackle tough grease or stains. You’ll also need white vinegar, a soft cloth, dish-washing liquid, a bucket, ammonia for tough messes, a dustpan and broom, vacuum cleaner, baking soda, and kitty litter to mop up any moisture.

Don’t forget to order everything you need for the basement job right here at Sponge Outlet.

Posted on March 9, 2018March 10, 2022 by spongeoutlet

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