Cleaning MacGyver Style
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KiwiTek
Posted: 16 February 2013 - 04:59 AM                                    
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I was walking along the laundry isle at the super market today looking at all the cleaning products in all their flashy brightly colored packages and I started thinking about how nasty these chemicals are and how much of it we flush, rinse and drain away into various water systems which one way or another eventually end up in our environment. Which got me wondering about what MacGyver would use for cleaning?

Almost certainly he would use natural products where-ever possible, things such as white vinegar as a general cleaner are far safer and friendlier to the environment than the harsh concentrated chemicals of most cleaning products. It has hundreds of uses around house as you can see in the below link. I would think that for things where you couldn't use a natural alternative, such as laundry and dish washing, he would use an eco-friendly product.

1001 uses for white distilled vinegar

Another alternative I think MacGyver might use is a steam based cleaner. These work by pumping steam through a cloth covered cleaning head. The heat from the steam breaks down and loosens dirt and grease and kills bacteria and the cloth picks up and holds it all making cleaning as simple as wiping the cleaning head over the surface with no chemicals being used.

Even things like vacuum cleaners have had me thinking from the MacGyver angle. What would he look for in a vacuum cleaner. My guess would be the best clean for the least amount of electricity. This would mean probably an upright vacuum as they are considered more efficient than the canister models because the suction is right next to the carpet (instead of at the end of a long tube) and therefore at its strongest and usually employ a rotating brushroll or beater bar, which removes dirt through a combination of sweeping and vibration meaning a quicker clean and so less electricity being used.

I guess it comes down to thinking about what impacts your current cleaning methods have on the environment and how you can reduce the impact without reducing the results.


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MacGyverGod
Posted: 16 February 2013 - 11:54 AM                                    
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If there was something we never saw him do it's exactly that. Cleaning. biggrin.gif

It makes one wonder indeed how he would take on cleaning. He sure find some way to 'MacGyver' something together. Maybe he bought a vacuum cleaner from Phil Sternweis. Or maybe Susan the cleaning lady from the first season followed him everywhere he moved. biggrin.gif

When it comes down to cleaning actually I don't do anything more than taking off the dust with a rag, vacuum cleaning and clean the place up with water and an all purpose cleaner. When it comes down to doing the dishes and laundry... when I still lived in the appartment, I had to do them on my own, didn't had a dishwasher, now that I moved again to a house it's such a relief to have one but I do have to say, I'm still using my very first plastic bottle of dishwashing product and I have been living on my own for two years now. My laundry was being done by family because I didn't had a washing machine. Also that problem is solved.

I do have to say, I frankly know anything about cleaning, just the real basics. I learned some things at the youth house, if it's clean, it's clean. I'm sure there must be a manual of some sort containing all sorts of old household cleaning tricks dating back till the 50's or 60's. Maybe Mac uses those old tricks as well.



I think the poison that was used was applied to this knife, passed to the mutton when it was cut and then activated by the wine. - MacGyver.
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Jediferret
Posted: 16 February 2013 - 01:00 PM                                    
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Didn't MacGyver tell Pete that he cleans his place twice a year like clockwork? XD

Being a bachelor, I would think he doesn't clean all that often. Though, his places are always clean, or at least tidy. He also states in Runners that he doesn't "seem to get around to folding" his laundry. XD Also, his houseboat seems to be all hardwood (dunno about the upstairs), so it's probably pretty easy for him to just sweep.

Being the chemist that he is, I betcha he has his own formulated stuff. Kinda like how he was perfecting non-alcoholic eggnog (I wonder if it was reduced fat too!).

But, that's a good point. There are a lot of harsh chemicals in cleaning products. There are "green" products (Green Works, comes to mind) that you can get that are supposed to be more environmentally friendly, but are usually fairly expensive and don't clean as well.

Currently, I just use what my Dad gets.




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Joe SAKic
Posted: 16 February 2013 - 01:55 PM                                    
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I don't know about 'green' cleansers, although I'm sure Mac would have a very unique 'solution' for it though. tongue.gif I do know that for those of us who still use 'wind power' for drying ..... the evidence in and around the backyard is more than obvious.

So and with that in mind, I don't remember seeing any clothes hanging apparatuses apparent in any of Mac's residence takes ..... albeit those contraptions have little aesthetic value as far as set props go. hmm.bmp



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MacGyverGod
Posted: 17 February 2013 - 10:37 AM                                    
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Cleaning is also something I keep wondering about on how they just keep improving things. If it's clean, it's clean right? How can you keep improving a product that already works? Twenty years ago they already said your laundry has never been so clean or white than ever before. You can say the same things about windows.

Maybe it's indeed by adding chemicals or other stuff that might be dangerous for the evironment.

I bet whenever Mac's on assignment, Pete checks in on his place every now and than as we saw in The Widowmaker. Mac did the same thing for Pete in Early Retirement. Though I really can't see them cleaning each other's places. Except maybe watering plants, checking the mail and take out plants that are growing in the refridgerator. laugh.gif



I think the poison that was used was applied to this knife, passed to the mutton when it was cut and then activated by the wine. - MacGyver.
Sometimes you just have to die a little inside to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of you.
It's better to be a little sad than to be fake content.

 
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MacGyverisms
Posted: 17 February 2013 - 01:46 PM                                    
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I'd have to agree with you MacGyverGod. And also really cool idea.



"You may not believe this, but there have been times when I've had a lot more fun in the back seat of a car." - MacGyver (Golden Triangle)

"Some may call it an obstacle course, others call it MacGyverLand." - MacGyver (The Survivors)


 
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