Quick Tip from Q-Tips

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Heather says:

It’s time again for another quick tip from Q-Tips brand cotton swabs.

This time we’re heading into the bathroom and no, this tip has nothing to do with personal hygiene. Have fun watching the video. Someday I’ll get more comfortable on camera, until then, I’ll blink a lot. And I do mean, a lot.

Remember, do not use chlorine bleach to clean when there is any chance of the chemical coming into contact with ammonia. Remember, it’s not like you’re going to perform medical procedures on your toilet, and you do wash your hands after using the facilities, there is no need to have a sterile toilet. I’m not saying let your water closet devolve into  that awful scene from the movie Trainspotting -there’s a blast from the past for ya- just don’t obsess. Clean it and get on with your life.

For more great tips from Q-Tips be sure to check them out on Facebook.

Oh and for reading this far, I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m giving away three $50 gift cards, just leave a comment to enter, one entry per person, no purchase necessary. I’ll close comments on Monday May 28, 2012 and select the three winners at random. You must be a resident of the US to participate (Dear Rest of the World, Please accept my sincere apologies. Love, Heather)

This is a sponsored post. Q-tips® product was provided by Unilever, the makers of Q-tips®; my tips and usage suggestions are my own.

72 thoughts on “Quick Tip from Q-Tips”

  2. Great idea to use Q-tips in the bathroom for those hard to reach areas! I especially can use the warning against mixing bleach and urine — didn’t know! My boys LOVE to make messes in the bathroom (wish I had a live-in cleaning gnome that lived in my bathroom and cleaned everyday).

  3. I had a horrible experience once in which I practically had to tackle a coworker from adding ammonia to a bleach filled pail to mop the floor.  You know, to make it cleaner.  *shudder* 

  5. Don’t forget to take some Q-tips to the kitchen.  Oh so helpful to grab onto grease and just toss it out.  My griddler always looks brand new when I am done with it.

  7. Maybe Q-Tip will make longer ones so we don’t have to get too close using them on the toilet!  Like the swabs the dr uses when doing a throat culture! Yuck.  Anyways, I never thought about urine having ammonia in it either!  Hmmm wonder why so many toilet cleaners contain bleach…maybe they never thought of urine having ammonia either.

  13. Yay I love gift cards! Q-tips are one of my favorite household items, and not just for cleaning. I use them to smudge eyeliner or remove mascara that got crazy, and to clean up around nails when nail polish gets crazy. Best thing ever!

  27. I use Q tips for everything.  They really help in some hard to get to cleaning situations. My youngest son had borrowed my blender when he moved away to be near his college.  He brought it back with crud in between the buttons and I used to Q tips to get all the particles out of the sides of the buttons.  Thank you for all your wonderful articles.  MS

  28. I hadn’t thought about bleach combining with the ammonia in urine before. Now I’m mortified by the thought of people suggesting bleach or bleach-based cleaners for the toilet bowl! Thank goodness for vinegar!
     
    Thanks!

  29. Wow, I never thought of the ammonia in urine before, certainly not in reference to using bleach to clean. Especially if one is a water-conservation enthusiast!  I haven’t used bleach to clean in forever myself, but I’ll mention it to folks I know that do…

  34. Love your tips!  Include me in the didn’t think or realize about bleach and urine (because it’s has ammonia in it).  Thanks for the heads-up.  I wouldn’t mind winning either!

  40. Yikes!  I knew about not mixing ammonia and bleach, but it never dawned on me about the whole ammonia in urine thing!  I’m glad you mentioned that.

  42. Yay Heather, great video.  I never understood the bleach in the toilet thing.  I like to use Lysol disinfectant or its generic equivalent for washing the rim, seat, and handle, though.  Just a little diluted with water in a spray bottle and your choice of disposable wiping implement: spray it on, clean the bowl, wipe it off, done.  And don’t forget to clean the front and the base.  I haven’t had a little boy in my household for over 20 years now and golly, there’s still always an inexplicable mess there.  o_O

  44. Oh, toilets!  Can’t live with them, can’t live without them!   LOL   Haven’t had a little boy at home for years, but now the grandsons are coming along and I’m back in the cleaning trenches again.   Oh, well, it qualifies as CUTE now that it;s grandkids and not kids!

  46. My little sweet grandma taught me not to use bleach & mix it with urine! She was always teaching me stuff through out my childhood & until my 30’s, boy she was preparing me with a lifetime of household smarts & tips! I now use every little thing she taught me with my own family! And one day pass it on! I also love love Q-Tips!!! They are great for getting makeup off, nail polish off, cleaning in the bathroom, cleaning the air vents in the car, and small places around the house! Kids also love to paint with them!!!

    Thanks for this post!!

    Jen

  49. Wish I’d have bought stock in Q-tips when my kids were little.  I’m a great-grandmother now and I bet I’ve bought 3 tons of Q-tips over the years.  Live and learn!

  56. Here’s a tip – “100% cotton” isn’t always 100% cotton. My itching ears resolved after changing brands of cotton swabs.  Saving a little money with a Chinese-manufactured store brand wasn’t worth it.
     
    I don’t know if this is the place to suggest a blog topic, but I have a related question about “100% cotton.”:
     
    I’ve noticed nauseating smells from new “100% cotton sheets, pillowcases, and handkerchiefs from China. Even after repeated washings and overnight soaks, the smells remain detectible.
     
    I assume the manufacturer started off with cotton material and sprayed something on it to make it sell better. In the “old days” they’d use starch dissolved in water. When you washed the item, the starch went into solution and you were left with clean sheets.
     
    That doesn’t happen with these new Chinese items. Whatever they sprayed on the sheets doesn’t dissolve in water – and It smells much less healthy than starch.
     
    I thought about asking someone at the store or the manufacturer what the solute and solvent were, but didn’t think it would be very likely they’d be honest. They’d have to insist the sheets were 100% cotton and perfectly clean and healthy.
     
    I think you’ll know how to ferret out the real story.
     
    So, the question is: How can I get the “new” smell out of Chinese sheets, pillowcases, and handkerchiefs?

  60. I love this site! And I really appreciate your “clean it and get on with your life” comment about cleaning the toilet.  I’ll admit that’s my least favorite cleaning job, and I try not to linger 🙂

  64. You did a great job on camera…never thought about ammonia in urine…I’ve used bleach in my bathroom toilet many times before…thanks for the great tips.

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