7 (often forgotten) dirtiest areas of the home!

What’s the dirtiest area of your home? The floor? The toilet? 

In actual fact the dirtiest places of the home tend to be the commonly used places that are often overlooked during the day-to-day cleaning routine. These areas that get used on a daily basis could actually be the dirtiest and harbour the most bacteria!

Here are a few reminders of places in the home you may have missed in your general clean…

1. Light Switches, door knobs & handles  

Used everyday by everyone in the house! Keep these areas clean to prevent nasty colds and tummy bugs from spreading, particularly around this time of year.

  

2. Kitchen sponge

The kitchen sponge gets used everyday to wipe down surfaces, clean up spills and wash dishes, but you don’t have to start with a new one each week – most can be put in the dishwasher or thrown in the washing machine with the tea towels.

3. Remote Control

The lounge is spotless, the cushions are plumped and the TV is gleaming, but what about the remote control? You might want to give those germy buttons a wipe before the next movie night. Popcorn anyone?

4. Computer keyboard & mouse

We all like to snack at the computer, but make sure you clean the keys and mouse thoroughly in your regular clean or germs will build up and can easily be transferred to your mouth!

5. Kitchen sink & drain 

Left over food stuck in the drain can spread germs back up the plughole to where you’re washing your dishes, especially if it gets blocked or drains slowly. Make sure it’s kept clear, by pouring down a cup of Soda Crystals followed by a kettle of boiling water.

6. Telephone

Phones pick up grease, make up, hair, dead skin and all kinds of nasties, so make sure you wipe the buttons as well as the ear and mouth piece thoroughly.

7. Bin

You empty the bin on a regular basis, but spills and splits in bin liners can lead to a very stinky, bacteria ridden area of the kitchen. Make sure you wipe any part of the bin you touch and rinse out the inside of the bin with a regular Soda Crystals solution whenever you can. Sprinkling a cup of Bicarbonate of Soda in the bottom of the bin will also help to absorb smells.

How to make Spooky Halloween Slime!

Looking for some fun Halloween activities to do with the kids that don’t involved lots of sugary sweets? How about making some spooky slime using Soap Flakes! This simple recipe is great for kids of all ages and can be used as hand soap after playtime has finished.

You will need:

25g Soap Flakes

1 Litre Boiling Water

Food Colouring

A Bucket

Add the Soap Flakes and boiling water to the bucket and stir until the flakes are dissolved. Add the food colouring and mix thoroughly, then leave to set for up to five hours. Here’s our video of the recipe (make sure your speakers are on!!):

Why not make different coloured slime or add plastic spiders and eyeballs for an extra spooky effect!  

Soap Flakes are available from Booths, Boots, Tesco, independent stores, and educational resource suppliers such as TTS.

Please note that the recipe does take up to five hours to set, so you may want to make it the day before you plan to use it.

Soda Crystals, White Vinegar & Bicarbonate of Soda on offer at Wilkinson stores!

Bargain hunters will be very pleased to hear that Wilkinson stores currently have some great deals on Dri-Pak products!

Soda Crystals are now just 70 tiny 
little pennies for a full 1 kg bag!

White Vinegar now has 50% extra FREE!

Bicarbonate of Soda is also on 
offer at larger Wilkinson stores!

Click here to find your nearest Wilkinson store!

Top 5 Student Cleaning Tips!

Let’s be honest, student accommodation doesn’t have a great reputation for being kept clean and tidy, but by using some old-fashioned cleaning tips your Grandma would be proud of, and some cheap and cheerful products, you can have your new student digs looking like a palace in no time! Here’s how to tackle the most common student cleaning tasks quickly and cheaply!

1. Blocked, smelly sinks are awful to deal with, but before you call the maintenance team, try pouring a large mug of Soda Crystals into the plughole, and then sluice it down with a kettle full of hot water. It’s also a good idea to invest in a sink strainer so you can catch food and other nasties before they block the sink!

2. Whereas Mum obviously appreciates you bringing back your dirty laundry back for her every term, washing out stains can be done quickly and easily by spraying with Liquid Soda Crystals. Just spray the stain and throw in the washing machine – easy peasy!

3. It’s no secret that that communal fridges are rarely cleared out and can really start to hum if old food is kept past its use by date. Once it’s been thrown away, spray any sticky spills with naturally deodorising White Vinegar and wipe away. You can also leave an open box of Bicarbonate of Soda on a shelf to absorb smells once it’s clean! 

4. Does that greasy, blackened oven make you want to order take-away for the sixth time this week? Tackle it head on - invest in a pair of rubber gloves, a heavy-duty scourer and a bag of Soda Crystals. Soak the racks and tray in a strong, hot Soda Crystals solution (1 cup to 500ml water), then spray the interior of the oven with the same solution, or try Liquid Soda Crystals in a handy trigger spray bottle. Wait for half an hour for the Soda Crystals to start to dissolve the grease and gunk and scour away the burnt on mess!

5. Finally, cleaning rotas do seem dull but they really work! Organising it so that each person takes responsibility for a single area (e.g. the bathroom), then switching areas each week means that everyone pulls their weight without one person being left to clean everything!