Are You Making DIY Homemade Cleaners With Tap Water?

 In some cases, tap water may be the culprit behind streaks. Tap water can have bacteria, calcium, magnesium, or other minerals in it. When it’s left sitting on top of a surface to dry, the moisture evaporates and what’s left behind are the minerals.

 Not all tap water is like this but if yours is, the simple solution is to use distilled water for any homemade cleaners you make.

 

Are You Using More Cleaning Product Than You Need To?

 Another reason why you might be leaving streaks when you clean is because you’re using large quantities of cleaner beyond what’s actually needed. This is common when cleaning floors. A small amount goes a long way.

If you notice you are leaving streaks when cleaning flooring or windows, back off on how much product is used and see if that makes a difference. You may find it’s another issue but the adjustment in soap-to-water ratio, as an example, will rule out this being the cause.

 

Can Cleaning On A Hot Day Leave Streaks Behind?

 A pesky problem you’ll have to face when cleaning glass and windows and other objects is temperature.

 Experiencing some of the hottest temperatures on record in Canada right now, when the sun’s beating down and the heat’s turned up, evaporation rate increases. A cleaner is in part water. When the water evaporates, what’s left behind is the residue of the product which may dry to whatever surface it’s on.

 For this reason, professional cleaners will tackle a large area in smaller parts. This is how they do floors, windows, and large countertops. It is to battle the evaporation rate. Households and businesses can apply this approach when cleaning the same areas. It’s arguably even more important for businesses who often have a lot of exposure to natural light and potentially will content with higher temperatures than a residential property which is often a little more shaded.

 

Are You Using The Right Cleaning Tools?

 If you are new to cleaning supplies, understandably, one might think more is always better. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. In fact, sometimes you don’t need any cleaner at all. It’s technique-related as to why you’re leaving streaks.

 Choosing the right tools for the job is a large part of it. A squeegee, for example, can wipe down windows and glass, and applied in a downward motion leaves no streaks. A microfiber cloth doesn’t need to be paired with a cleaner and can be used to clean all sorts of surfaces and tabletops, monitors, keyboards, door handles, and other items that may be sensitive to moisture.

 

Is What You’re Cleaning Excessively Dirty With Debris On It?

 Let’s say you want to clean a table’s top surface but someone’s dropped a few eggs on it. You wouldn’t go straight to spraying and cleaning. No, you’d wipe away the eggs first and remove any debris from the table so that it’s as clean a surface as it can be before wiping it down with cleaner. The same applies to floors, windows, and anything you’re cleaning.

 If you are not doing this, you will be pushing around debris without removing it all, hence the streaks.

 Thereby, be sure to sweep floors before mopping. If you’re cleaning a window or countertop, make sure there are no large pieces of debris on it before you start your work. If there are large messes you can wipe away by hand, get rid of those before using the cleaner. This will save you a lot of frustration.

 

Streaks are trouble. They can make you feel like you shouldn’t have even bothered cleaning. Don’t get discouraged though. With a few adjustments and trial-and-error, you can eliminate streaks. Try all of these strategies and find out the underlying cause of why streaks are happening. You’ll feel a lot better once you’ve totally eliminated this issue and can move on with your cleaning routine knowing you’re going to leave the room sanitized and tidy.

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