cleaning tip of the weekThe house could use a major overhaul once in a while. Cleaning expert Marja Middeldorp therefore helps to solve everyday problems. This week: cleaning the wheelie bins and garden furniture.
If you’re lazy, let it do it. “There are services that come and clean your bins for a fixed amount per month. I don’t even think it’s that decadent, you know,” says Marja. ,,If you have the garbage collected by the caretaker, that is decadent. No, in the summer you can suffer a lot from dirty waste containers. Flies are attracted to it and maggots settle in it. That stinks a lot. Moreover, not everyone has the space to properly clean a wheelie bin.”
There are also quite a few, all those different trash cans. “In most municipalities you have four bins: for organic waste, paper, plastic and residual waste. Sometimes even a small container for batteries. The trick is not to let the rubbish bin get dirty.”
Piece of cardboard at the bottom
“To start with, it’s useful to put a piece of cardboard or some newspapers at the bottom,” says Marja. “Because if you put household waste in a plastic bag, it sometimes starts to leak. That dried liquid at the bottom is so gross and smelly. It is then useful if that liquid is absorbed and that you replace that piece of cardboard or the newspapers every now and then. Then the bottom stays much cleaner.
Then the cleaning. We bring out the old trusted green soap anyway. This is cheap and environmentally friendly and also ensures that the plastic remains good. Put warm water in a bucket, not too hot, and add some green soap. Use a soft brush with a handle. As a little woman, I definitely need a handle like this, because if I want to hit the bottom of a wheelie bin, I’ll fall right into it and be taken away like vegetable waste!”
Which brush is best? ,,I use a ragbol myself”, Marja replies. ,,I don’t use it for the ceiling anymore, of course. In any case, it is important that the brush is not too hard. Also, do not use a high-pressure sprayer to spray out the bins. That only causes damage to the plastic and new dirt settles more easily in the bin.”
Cleaning garden furniture with the same care
As for Marja, the garden furniture is also immediately included in this cleaning job. ,,Of course there is a lot of plastic furniture and you have that made of braided wire. They look like wicker chairs, but it’s just plastic. It also works best if you use green soap and a soft brush. No aggressive cleaning agents, please, and no high-pressure cleaners either. Then they get such a blow, or cracks appear. You want to sit with your butt on a good piece of plastic and not sag, right?
Then there is of course also wooden furniture. I would say that you clean it twice a year and hose it down with a garden hose. You can use two cleaning agents: soda powder and alternatively salt. Drizzle that over a bit and go over it with a soft brush. Very important: wipe with the grain of the wood, not from left to right and top to bottom. That’s best for the wood.
What is especially striking: that you should treat the items that are outside gently. You might not think that because they have to endure quite a bit in the open air, but they have more feeling than we think.”
look at at vtwonen which jobs you can do in the garden in April. Do you want to ask Marja Middeldorp a question? Send an e-mail to this address ([email protected]) with your name. Check out more cleaning tips below:
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