1. You should never used any alcohol to clean the inside of your aquarium. Alcohol can pose health problems for the fish in your aquarium.
2. It is not a good idea to wash your filter media with regular tap water. The tap water can kill the beneficial bacteria that is built up in the filter. Use distilled water to clean out your filter and its components.
3. Cichlids tend to be very intelligent fish. You should do your best to interact with them as some species will respond positively to you arriving home. These fish are very active and if you interact with them, they can develop much better.