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I have learned a very hard lesson since becoming a parent. You cannot keep your home germ-free. You cannot keep it dirt-free or dust-free either. I have also learned that bleach can be your friend. I have several tips, using bleach, to help get rid of those nasty germs that we don't need.

Tip #1 Use a bleach and soapy water solution when you clean. (I recommend using about a quarter of a cup of bleach to a gallon of soapy water. The soap would be your favorite dish soap) Use this solution to clean your whole kitchen, inside the refrigerator and freezer, door knobs, light switch plates, children's toys, etc.

Tip #2 Wash those sponges and dishrags in the washing machine in hot water with a whole cup of bleach to a full load. If you do not have enough to wash in the washing machine, just run a little bit of hot water in the kitchen sink and add a capful of bleach. Soak sponges and dishrags for a few minutes, drain water, then hand-wash them under the faucet with soap and rinse well.

Tip #3 For those sippy cups that have rubber plugs that regulate the flow, they have lots of places in the cap where stuff gets stuck. Soak them in soapy bleach water for ten minutes, then use a bottle brush to clean the cracks and crevices. Be sure to rinse well with hot water.

Tip #4 Use bleach to clean your bathtub, toilet, sink, and tile. Athletes' foot is a not nice thing to have, and you can cut down on your chances of getting by running a little bit of hot water in the bottom of your bathtub, adding just a half cup of bleach, and using a scrub brush just to quickly go over the inside of the bathtub a couple of times a week.

Tip #5 Add a teaspoon of bleach to your dishwater, it will not only help to disinfect and break loose food particles that are stuck on dishes, but your glassware and silverware will shine. Be sure to rinse well with hot water.

Tip #6 To clean your floors, add a cup of bleach to about 3 gallons of hot water, and add a little dish soap or an oil soap. The bleach will help break up the dirt on the floor.

Be sure when you use bleach that you do not mix it with any other chemicals. I have employed these cleaning techniques in my own home and I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

Learn more about this author, Crystal Tackett.
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