TWhat are your New Year’s resolutions? Learn how to really clean your house. Without becoming obsessive on the issue, it’s just a matter of knowing which products to use, learning the ingredients that go well together and those that really don’t so as to avoid polluting the air you breathe every day when cleaning the house. Because on social media, between relaxing music and colored detergents, not everything is always correct.
House cleaning, #CleanTok has more and more followers. But not everything is correct
Cleaning the house is satisfying. Seeing it “polished”, scented and tidy is the satisfaction of many people. That they use cleaning as an alternative method of meditation or mindfulness, an ideal way to also put one’s thoughts in order. Also thanks to TikTok. It is on the popular social network that the hashtag #CleanTok has over 6 million tagged contents, millions of followers and millions of proposals to keep your homes neat and tidy.
Colorful formulations that make inviting foams in favor of cameras, secrets of mothers and grandmothers whose homes were always immaculate, new products to try. In short, behind this hashtag, in addition to cleanliness, which is at times obsessive, there is also an aesthetic that gives satisfaction and makes you want to, brush in hand, clean everything from top to bottom.
But is it really all like that? Is everything we see on social media right and correct? Not exactly. As R5 Living, an Italian brand that has made concrete sustainability its daily mission, explained, Various habits are spread through social media, which are considered green but which are actually real mistakes: «A truly clean house is not one that smells intensely, shines more than others or where there are bottles and plastic bottles of detergents for every use. But it is the one in which thethe air is healthy, the products are chosen with awareness and the daily gesture becomes care for oneself, for others and for the environment” explains Cristina Mollis, CEO and founder of R5 Living.
The 5 most common mistakes on social media when it comes to cleaning the house
So what are they? home cleaning habits that we should forget in the new year?
1. Baking soda and vinegar together, not the winning couple when cleaning the house
It’s a classic. On any profile followed by thousands of people that teaches how to clean the house sooner or later thecombine bicarbonate and vinegar together. A winning couple? Only in appearancebecause natural products. It’s actually one bursting couple. Because, beyond the spectacular foam in favor of the TikTok goal, together they are not ideal, on the contrary.
«If it is true that both are individually useful ingredients, it is equally true that put together they neutralize each other. They are the laws of chemistry: one is basic, the other acidic. The result is carbon dioxide and water, more suitable for creating a “wow” effect on video than for removing stubborn dirt. Furthermore, used too frequently they can ruin delicate materials, such as marble or wood».
2. Bleach, the queen of the house
Its pungent odor and its pure white color give the immediate idea of cleanliness and hygiene. But is it really like that? «Bleach is still seen by many as the foolproof ingredient for “sanitizing” everything. But the reality is more complex: in addition to being highly polluting for the environment, it is irritating to the respiratory tract and potentially toxic if mixed with other products, such as ammonia or muriatic acid. Added to all this is the fact that its disinfectant power is not always necessary in everyday domestic life. For many surfaces and environments, in fact good cleansing with less aggressive products is more than sufficient. Using it every day, often in excess, does more harm than good.”
3. That clean…extreme scent
The clean smell is one of the nicest things after you finish cleaning your house. But is it always good? As the company explains, scented detergents, pearls, fabric softeners are all synthetic fragrances that release volatile compoundsthe so-called VOCs, in the environment.
«These compounds remain suspended in the air, they accumulate in closed spaces and can have negative effects on health such as headaches, allergies, respiratory disorders, especially in more fragile subjects such as children or the elderly. The paradox is that we seek well-being through perfume, but we are polluting the very air we breathe. A truly clean house should not have a “strong smell”: it should be neutral and healthy».
4. Eco-friendly DIY and the idea that it is more effective
Produce your own detergents? Why not! You give free rein to your creativity and above all you are sustainable. Perhaps. Because, despite all good intentions, the various formulations available online in this case do not take into account some fundamental elements: the pH, the stability of the formulation, its conservation and the effectiveness of sanitation.
«In this case, the natural effect risks becoming counterproductive: solutions that are too acidic or too basic can ruin surfaces, and improvised detergents may not correctly eliminate germs, bacteria and grease. Sustainability does not only come from the use of a few ingredients, but also from studied and balanced formulations, which combine effectiveness, safety and respect for the environment. True “green” is not homemade, it is conscious.”
5. Sustainable cleaning? Only if you think about who lives there
«Doing green cleaning doesn’t just mean choosing a recyclable bottle or an “organic” product. We often forget that the sustainability is also a question of health, especially within the walls of the house. Recent studies confirm that Indoor pollution is up to five times higher than outdoor pollutionand detergents, if too aggressive or perfumed, are one of the main sources of contamination. Truly sustainable cleaning takes into account the complete cycle: from the formulation to the plastic used, to the effect it has on the home environment. Reducing disposable bottles, especially plastic ones, choosing concentrated, solid or refillable products are small sustainable gestures that are also good for those who live at home every day.”