Cleanliness is Next to Quizliness: Test Your Knowledge of House Cleaning Skills
Written by Tom Cohen
Last updated · 8 min play time
These days, keeping a clean, germ-free house or apartment is key. But not everyone has the skills to clean like a pro. There are some techniques and things you need to know to make sure your domicile is spick and span. This challenging quiz is your ticket to tidiness!
What's the best way to clean a toilet? How do you make sure your rugs are free from dust? What's the key to keeping your surfaces shiny and your windows streak-free? There are answers to all these questions, and when it comes to cleaning tips, there's always a right and a wrong way.
Let's face it- cleaning isn't fun, but it's a necessary part of life. In this DIY quiz, we'll test your knowledge of the tricks of the cleaning trade. From sponges to brushes to cleaning supplies, this is good, clean fun. Grab your mops, vacuums, and feather dusters, and let's get started!
Quiz written by
Tom CohenI'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.
House Cleaning Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 793 Plays · No comments
Question 1
According to LifeHacker.com, what piece of sports equipment can you use to clean shoe scuffs off the floors in your house?
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ABaseball bat
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BKayak oar
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CFrisbee
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DTennis ball
Tennis ball
The fuzzy surface of a tennis ball is a great way to rub away the scuffs that build up on your tile and wooden floors from shoes and sneakers. According to LifeHacker.com, you take a utility knife, "cut an X in a tennis ball and slip it over the end of an old broom handle. Rub the ball over scuff marks on your wood floors; they'll come right off."
Question 2
Martha Stewart knows all, particularly about obscure cleaning tips. According to the wisdom on her website MarthaStewart.com, what is the first thing to do to remove candle wax from a tablecloth?
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AHeat it with blow dryer
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BCry into your wine
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CScrub it vigorously with a brush
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DThrow it into the washer immediately
Heat it with blow dryer
According to her website, the first step is to heat a low setting with a blow dryer, then scrape up using the edge of a credit card before buffing away the residue. In our experience, that's all easier said than done.
Question 3
In a 2018 Care.com article, what do their experts name as their "favorite go-to cleaning tool, better at cleaning surfaces than sponges, paper towels, and the like"?
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AMicrofiber cloth
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BBrillo pad
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CAn old Washington Redskins t-shirt
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DTerry cloth
Microfiber cloth
According to an expert in the article from Merry Maids, the microfiber cloth collects dust easily and is "also machine washable and quick-drying, which means they are far less likely to hold onto germs."
Question 4
In other weird, but true household cleaning facts, some experts advise that the best way to clean what is to soak it in ketchup for 5 to 10 minutes?
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ADelicate clothing
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BHardwood floors
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CSilverware
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DSponges
Silverware
The acids in the tomatoes act a very good polish for items made of silver. The key is to soak the silver, then rinse it with warm water and buff it dry.
Question 5
Fingerprints, smudges, and watermarks are the enemies of stainless-steel sinks and surfaces. According to Popular Mechanics, what should you pour into sinks to help beat these foes?
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AMotor oil
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BMaple syrup
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CMilk
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DMineral oil
Mineral oil
Mineral oil is a clear, odorless liquid and a common ingredient in a variety of cosmetics and personal care products. It is also made from highly refined, purified and processed petroleum. Note: do not use motor oil. That will turn out badly.
Question 6
According to an article on Today.com, why should all your home cleaning be done by 3 PM?
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AYou'll be too tired later
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BTo maximize light
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CCleaning products don't work well at night
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DHouses aren't as dirty after that time
To maximize light
The article points out that "all cleaning should be finished by 3 p.m. because after that time, the light starts to fade and you don’t see the dirt with the same clarity as you did at 10 a.m.”
Question 7
There's a broad consensus among manufacturers like Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung that the best way to clean the surface of your flat-screen TV is by using what?
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AA dry cloth
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BYour smallest vacuum cleaner attachment
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CWarm soapy water
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DWindex and a sponge
A dry cloth
To avoid people using harsh chemicals and scratchy rags to clean them, most new TVs ship with a soft cloth to clean the screen. It's similar to what comes with glasses and sunglasses. Never spray any cleaner onto your TV screen unless your watching a political pundit that you can't stand.
Question 8
The feather duster is a staple of any house cleaning arsenal. But the first feather duster wasn't officially invented until 1881, when Susan Hibbard was issued a patent for it. What type of feathers did she use?
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AVulture feathers
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BTurkey feathers
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CHummingbird feathers
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DRobin feathers
Turkey feathers
Turkey feathers aren't ideal for feather dusting, as they're a bit too coarse, but the earliest dusters were constructed from the feathers of those common American birds because of their size. In South Africa, a man named Harry S. Beckner started using ostrich feathers in 1903, winding them on broom handles using kick winders, and they became more common.
Question 9
According to many experts, the best way to clean your coffee maker is to dissolve what into the water reservoir before running it through a brew cycle?
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ABoullion cubes
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BTide pods
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CSugar packets
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DDenture tablets
Denture tablets
As described by the manager of Emily's Maids, all you have to is "put a couple [of tablets] where the water goes and run a couple of cycles in your machine—this will clear out any gunk that could be formed on the inside,"
Question 10
There's an art to cleaning hardwood floors, as laid out by the experts at Today.com. They recommend you always use a pH neutral soap mixed with water - "pH neutral" means it has what value on the pH scale?
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A14
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B10
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C1
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D7
7
The pH scale goes from 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Water is naturally neutral, and so are some soaps, like Castile Soap and some other brands you can find online or at the store. Never use ammonia or any acidic cleaners on your floors.
Question 11
As with anything, there's a method to the madness of house cleaning. As suggested by Better Homes and Gardens, what room should you always clean first?
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ATeenager's bedroom
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BGuest bathroom
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CKitchen
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DBasement
Kitchen
According to the article, the kitchen requires the most work, so starting there and completing that room can give you the psychological boost you need to tackle the rest of the rooms in the house. Plus you can eat while you clean!
Question 12
In a way, cleaning is chemistry - not that that fact makes it any more fun. What should you NEVER mix with bleach while making your own cleaning supplies, as the combo creates toxic chlorine gas?
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ABaking soda
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BDish soap
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CWater
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DVinegar
Vinegar
Despite the combination making for a good disinfectant, when combined, these common cleaning agents are a no-no. The acid in vinegar releases toxic chlorine and chloramine vapors when added to bleach. Beware of this combination causing chemical burns to your eyes and lungs.
Question 13
When it comes to eliminating dog smells from your house, cleaning expert and dog owner Leslie Reichert, aka The Green Cleaning Coach, has an unusual suggestion. What does she recommend using to spray on areas where the dog lies?
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AWindex
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BCooking oil
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CPlain water
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DVodka
Vodka
That's right! You can clean and drink at the same time! Quoting Reichert in an article on Realtor.com, "'Yes, vodka will remove the dog smells when it evaporates. I do this three times a week,'" she says. How much should you use? 'Just a spritz,' she recommends.
Question 14
Adding to the list of household staples that you didn't know were so practical, which of these products was once marketed a great floor cleaner?
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AWesson oil
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BListerine
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CPantene
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DDesitin
Listerine
The common mouthwash has been marketed to get rid of nasty germs. All you have to do is add a cup of of it to water to clean off your kitchen tops, sinks, toilet seats, floors, and practically everything. Oh, and it was also once marketed as a cure for gonorrhea.
Question 15
Refinishing wood furniture can be expensive and time-consuming. But there's a solution! What food can be used to remove scratches or scuffs from wooden furniture?
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AGuacamole
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BWalnut
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CPeach
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DBanana
Walnut
As described on FamilyHandyman.com: "Simply rub a walnut over a scratch in wood several times. Then, with your fingers rub the scratched area. This will help the wood absorb the oil from the nut. Lastly, use a soft cloth to buff the area."
Question 16
In 1886, after many months designing it in the shed behind her house, industrious housewife Josephine Cochran invented what device, forever making household cleaning easier?
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AWindow Squeegee
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BRobot vacuum
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CDishwasher
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DGarbage disposal
Dishwasher
Once her patent issued in December, 1886, she founded the Garis-Cochrane Manufacturing Company to crank out her machines. She got real interest at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 where nine of her machines were installed in the restaurants and pavilions of the fair.
Question 17
One of the most dreaded of all household tasks is laundry day. But to be fair, it used to be harder when everyone used clotheslines to dry their wet clothes. As of early 2020, what percentage of American households still used clotheslines?
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A48%
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B21%
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C2%
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D10%
21%
One in five American households still use clotheslines, but the arguments against them keep piling up, like angry neighbors, bad weather, bird droppings, and other environmental hazards like dirt and smog. As the air has gotten dirtier, the use of clotheslines has decreased.
Question 18
You may be doing it all wrong. That's the takeaway from a 2016 CNET article about vacuuming your rugs. What do they describe as the right way to do it?
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AVacuum as fast as you can
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BVacuum in a back and forth motion
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CVacuum in rows
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DVacuum hexagonally
Vacuum in rows
"To vacuum like the professionals, you need to vacuum in rows. First, vacuum a row of carpet in one direction, wall-to-wall." It goes on to say: "After the entire room is done, vacuum the room going the opposite direction. For example, if you were vacuuming north to south the first time, vacuum east to west on the second pass."
Question 19
Large windows let in a lot of light, but can be really annoying to keep streak-free. When using a squeegee to tackle outdoor window cleaning, what pattern do the experts suggest you use?
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AY pattern
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BTop to bottom pattern
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CS pattern
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DCheckerboard pattern
S pattern
As described by the experts at <i>This Old House</i>: "Starting at the top left, pull the squeegee over the soapy pane in a reverse-S pattern (left-handers would start at the top right). At the end of each stroke, wipe the squeegee's blade clean with a lint-free rag. Cloth diapers or old linen napkins are perfect for this task."
Question 20
In 2011, scientists swabbed people's residences to determine the places and things in the average house with the highest number of germs on them. Which of the following had the most?
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AFaucet handles
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BStove knobs
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CCarpets
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DKitchen sinks
Kitchen sinks
The kitchen sink was number two on the list of the top 10. A whopping 45 percent of sinks tested positive for coliform bacteria, while 27 percent contained molds. Experts suggests pouring a solution of one teaspoon bleach per one quart of water down the drain once a month.
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