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Photo : travelarium.ph ( Shutterstock ) You may have seen some of the online chatter about the “salad dressing” cleaning method lately as a trick for removing built-up grease and gunk from kitchen surfaces. Some cleaning hacks are solid and others are less useful ; this one falls into that second category. Still, you might see it around and be struck by the curiosity of it all , so let’s talk about it— and a similar method that is far superior . What is the “salad dressing cleaning hack”? So named because it uses the base ingredients for a simple vinaigrette, the “hack” suggests removing built-up grease and grime from surfaces first by working in a fat (like olive or vegetable oil) onto the area, and then using an acid (vinegar) to wipe up the mess . The oil, it is said, will pull up grease and then the vinegar, per House Digest , “cuts through dirt and kills bacteria.” So what’s the issue? Although vinegar is known for being a go-to cleaning hero, it isn’t the liquid to reac...

Photo : Iryna Tolmachova ( Shutterstock ) Salt is great for dealing with ice outside—but s alt is terrible for your floors for the same reason. Even if you’re very much on top of making people remove their shoes when they enter your home, salty dust can still find a way onto your hardwood and other floor surfaces and could lead to permanent damage if you don’t remove it. Here’s what you need to do to get rid of it the right way. According to SFGate , salt deposits don’t emulsify with soap and water, so don’t waste your time there. What you really need is a weak acid of some kind. You need vinegar. Before moving on to the vinegar, you first need to get rid of any salt crystals. You can do this by vacuuming or sweeping. You also need to wipe up any melted snow or wetness you spot, so grab an old towel and dab it up. Don’t push it around, as any big crystals inside could scratch the floor and you could even push the water into the cracks in the floorboards, which could result in ...