The end of the year is finally here. Have you started cleaning up?
When you start working, the long vacation season at the end and beginning of the year is really precious time for you.

Since this issue is a special year-end issue for the year 2021, we interviewed employees of Sankyo Rikagaku, a general abrasives manufacturer with a history of more than 90 years, about what they want to polish this year.

1. Ask an abrasives professional what you most want to polish in 2021.

Moisture, mold, and water stains, powerful enemies of cleaning
No.1　bathroom・Kitchen and other water areas

The number one spot went to water areas such as bathrooms and kitchens!
The water area will be one of the places where mold and water stains are likely to occur due to moisture.
Mold and water stains were also a major concern in the survey.

👤 Bathroom doors and glass. Reason: Because it got moldy.
👤 Bathroom chairs. Reason: They're covered in mold.
👤 Kitchen faucet. Reason: I can't get the water stains out.
👤 Kitchen sink. Reason: Because persistent water stains don't come off at all.

Also, perhaps because it is the end of the year? Among the water-related answers, high attention was paid to bathroom and washroom mirrors, which are not easily done on a regular basis.

👤 Bathroom mirror. Reason: Because I usually don't clean them very often and I want to polish them at the end of the year for a big cleaning.
👤 Bathroom mirror. Reason: Even if you clean them, they'll scale quickly.
👤 Bathroom mirror. Reason:It's hard to get off.
👤 Bathroom mirror. Reason:Because I want to start the New Year with a clean mirror and a refreshed mood.

It is tempting to remove mold and water stains at once, but it is important to note that each of these stains has different properties and their handling methods are completely different.

There are two main types of mold that occur in the home.

・Red Mildew
They are the cause of the slimy residue on floors and shampoo bottles and feed on soap scum to reproduce.
counter-measure：It can be removed relatively easily by applying a mild detergent for bath use and scrubbing with a sponge.

・Black mold
Unlike red mold, it is dangerous to leave for long periods of time because it can take root and penetrate deep into gaskets and other materials.
counter-measure：Use chlorine bleach to remove it from the root.

・Water stain
These white scaly stains, which occur mainly on mirrors and faucets, are caused by calcium and magnesium in tap water.
In fact, common bath detergents are designed to remove the "grease" of hot water stains and soap scum, which are the main stains in the bath.
Therefore, it has little effect on water stains such as scales on mirrors.
Not only that, but if the detergent is used and its oil residue is left on the mirror, it can lead to further water stains.
For water stains, which are alkaline stains, we recommend using citric acid to remove stains through a neutralizing reaction.
Furthermore, citric acid also has the effect of sterilizing mold, so it can be used in areas of concern to prevent mold.
counter-measure：Stubborn water stains can be easily removed by using citric acid (acidic).

★Cleaning Tidbits★Baking soda for water stains? Citric acid? Which is better?

Although baking soda is the spark for the recent trend of natural cleaning, baking soda is actually not suitable for water stains.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) contains metal ion components,
Because it is alkaline, it is less effective against the same type of alkaline stains.
For water stains, use acidic citric acid!

It looks clean, but when you look at it surprisingly closely, it is dirty!
No.2　automobile

No. 2 is also the end of the year! Car wash (automobile).

👤 Automobile. Reason: I didn't have a lot of time to polish it.
👤 Automobile. Reason: I want to start the New Year with a clean slate.
👤 Automobile. Reason: I would like to clean the entire car at least once by hand from the car wash machine!
👤 Automobile. Reason: I just want to clean it up normally.
👤 Headlight lenses of your car. Reason: Because they are fumigated and look bad.

Many wanted to clean their cars at the end of the year and start the New Year with a clean slate.

When it comes to car washing, there are two types of people: those who wash their cars by hand and those who use automatic car washes, but do you know the best climate for car washing?
If you are going to wash your car, you will of course want to avoid rainy days and wash it during the day on a somewhat sunny day.
In fact, during the daytime on a good sunny day is not very suitable for car washing.
It is no exaggeration to say that the perfection of a car wash depends on the wiping process.
If you go to the trouble of washing your car but drive away without wiping it clean, you will be left with a mark called a "water spot" in the area of the water droplets.
For the same reason, in a well-sunlit day, temperatures are higher, moisture evaporates, and water spots are more likely to occur.
If you wash your car on a sunny day, we recommend that you do so during the morning or evening hours, avoiding the daytime when there is direct sunlight.
In other words, although it can be a cold and difficult time of year to wash a car, winter is ideal with little rain and cooler daytime temperatures.
Car washes get very crowded at the end of the year, but I am surprised that it was the best time to wash your car for no other reason than the desire to start the New Year clean.

Put an end to tough accumulated oil stains
No.3　Around the kitchen

Kitchens are used every day and are easily soiled. Especially since we cook, grease stains are unavoidable.
Many people know that it is actually good to wipe off dirt as soon as it gets dirty, but they inevitably put it off until later, and before they know it, it is the end of the year.

👤 Around the stove. Reason:oil stain remover
👤 Frying pan・Scorch marks stuck to pans. Reason:I usually leave them as they are, but I want to clean them during the year-end cleaning and welcome the New Year.

You can use hot water for cleaning grease stains.
Especially at this time of year, the water is cold and the oil hardens and is difficult to remove.
Warm the greasy area and then wipe it off with a cloth containing baking soda.


Some of the other responses we received are listed below.

👤 Toilets. Reason: Cleaning toilets is a good way to increase money
Am I the only one who puts the cleanliness of my own bathroom on the shelf and ends up observing it in other people's homes?

👤 Wooden flooring. Reason:Due to partial prominence
Waxing, yes, I would like to do that, if I could...I would!


👤 Entrance tiles. Reason: Because I usually don't do much cleaning and I want to polish them at the end of the year for a big cleaning.
👤 Concrete in the parking lot. Reason: Dirty except where there is a roof due to moss and dirt
Entrance tiles tend to accumulate dirt quite easily due to the grooves in them.
If it's outdoors, is it time for an abrasive? Can someone please test this?

👤 Window glassreason:I always use frosted glass.1I would like to see the outside view through clear glass at least once a year.
It would be a waste to not be able to see the scenery outside even though it is a beautiful sunny day!
But still, cloudy glass is always a good expression!

👤 Family Shoes　reason:I want to thank you for another year of hard work.
Lovely. I am most impressed this month! I am thinking about polishing my family too!

2. Ask an abrasives professional what you most want to polish in 2021.
～extra (special) edition～

Some of the answers were unusual and interesting.

👤 back teeth（Wisdom tooth）　reason:2021Because of frequent visits to the dentist.
I am sorry for your loss, I just hope that in 2022 you won't be under the care of a dentist.

👤 shellfish　reason:Because I want it to be shiny and shiny.
Shells! The glittery pikakepikake might indeed be more beautiful. Very curious about the use...

👤 Hobby game skillreason:It's my life's work that I've been doing for almost 20 years.
Good luck with that (laughs). 20 years is great, and I feel like you already have great skills.

👤 Myselfreason:devoting oneself to one's studies on a daily basis
The spirit is wonderful, I bow down to it.

👤 Sensitivityreason:I'm a company man.
I want to polish my sensitivity, and I want to know how to do it. I feel like I'm starting to polish something I can't see from my game skills...


These are the ranking of "Things to polish at the end of the year" by polishing professionals! We asked employees of an abrasives manufacturer to rank the "things you want to polish at the end of the year.
Although I was more interested in the extras than the main story, I would like to thank the employees of Sankyo Rikagaku Co.
Dear readers, please keep up the good work on the FUJISTAR blog.

If you are interested in Sankyo Rikagaku Co., Ltd. or polishing after reading the FUJISTAR blog, please feel free to contact us.