Keeping a home clean can be challenging if you don’t have the right home organizing tools. But it’s also important to remember that cleaning requires a lot more than using the right equipment; it demands thoroughness. You need to be wary of cleaning mistakes you might be making unknowingly. In this blog, we will discuss some common cleaning mistakes to avoid so as to ensure your home is spick and span.
Common Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid
In order to make sure your efforts to keep your house neat and clean are not going to waste, make sure to read our piece on common myths about cleaning. Now, let’s dive into the details of five common cleaning mistakes you might be making and how to avoid them.
Using Wrong Type Of Cloth
More often than not, people use a single piece of cloth for dusting the entire house including shelves, tables as well as kitchen slabs. This should not be the case. It’s not a good idea to use the same cloth for cleaning all types of surfaces in your home. For example, the cloth with which you wipe wood can’t be used to clean glass. Plus, using a single cloth can cause germs to spread throughout the house.
Solution
It would be advisable to use separate dusters or clothes for different rooms. For instance, the duster you use in the kitchen to wipe the counter, should be separate from the one used for cleaning the dining table. Studies suggest that kitchen sponges are some of the dirtiest items in the house. So, it’s best if you keep a separate piece of cloth to clean the space where you have food.
Use a heavy-duty microfiber duster for cleaning hard surfaces. This sort of material is ideal for the job as its fibers cling to dust particles, thereby effectively cleaning the surface you’re wiping or scrubbing. And you can easily toss it into the washing machine if you want to reuse it.
It’s better to use a softer material, microfibre cloth with suede-like texture, to clean glass so as to avoid scratches.
Bottom To Top Approach
A lot of people make the mistake of sweeping and mopping the floor before dusting racks and shelves. Understandably, you’ll have to repeat the process as you’ve knocked dust, and possibly dirt, on the floor again. Professional cleaners swear by the top-to-bottom approach as they don’t have to clean anything twice.
Solution
Make sure to dust the furniture first. If you’re deep cleaning, dust the ceiling of your house before vacuuming the floor. This not only saves effort but also helps reduce the time you spend on cleaning. Start by cleaning racks, cupboards and drawers.
Floors should be the final step if you want to get done with the cleaning faster.
Mixing Chemicals
A lot of us tend to mix different cleaning agents, thinking it’d be more effective. But it’s not advisable. Playing with chemicals is a dangerous business. Try to avoid doing that to protect your house and yourself from harm.
There are some videos on the internet in which people use undiluted vinegar as a cleaning agent. However, it’s important to remember that the substance can be harmful for surfaces like glass.
Combining products like bleach, ammonia and detergent is also considered a common cleaning “hack.” It’s not. Not only can it ruin the surface of the article you’re cleaning but also generate fumes that can be harmful for your health.
Solution
The internet can be an effective way of acquiring information but incomplete information can cause damage. Learning the pros and cons of using any chemical-based solution in your home will help you make an informed decision.
If you don’t know about any product or you are using it for the first time, always read the instructions mentioned at the back. It will help you get a better understanding of the chemicals you’re dealing with and where to use them.
Scrubbing Carpet Spills
In a house with kids or pets, spilling accidents are bound to happen, especially on carpets. While the involuntary response to cleaning fibres is usually scrubbing, it’s definitely not recommended for carpets as it can cause the stain to expand and go deeper, thereby making it difficult to remove.
For moments like these, professional carpet cleaners have a cavalry of stain-fighting superheroes. But you can take certain measures on your own as well.
Solution
Acting fast is the key to an effective solution. Delays can cause the stain to become permanent and you might lose a beautiful carpet or rug.
Scrubbing right away can cause more damage than good it can do. Better than scrubbing, always go for blotting using a dry towel or cloth. Make sure it’s white so that the chances of the carpet catching another color of dye also die down. Use a stain remover afterward so that even the minute intensity of stain can also be removed.
Not Cleaning Your Cleaning Tools
One of the biggest cleaning mistakes we make is that we often forget that the cleaning tool also requires maintenance. Cleaning tools harbour dirt and bacteria if not cleaned regularly. Obviously, when the dirty equipment is used around the house, it spreads germs everywhere.
The better the maintenance and cleanliness of your tools, the longer they will work and better will be their performance.
Solution
Cleaning your cleaning tools is important because it is your first line of defence. The cloth that you use to wipe shelves should be properly cleaned and washed daily. The longer you take to wash it, the more the chances will be of infection in your kitchen. Your kitchen should be disinfected at all times since food cooked in such an environment can easily upset your health.
Sponges used to scrub dishes also have a certain life till they work best. After that it might serve as a breeding ground for bacteria because of food stuck on it for a longer period of time. Wash the sponge properly after use and keep it at a place where it doesn’t stay damp and dries.
Vacuums have the ability to suck dirt and debris even from the deeper end of a carpet. But a clogged vacuum does not have that suction power and leaves the tiny particles inside giving rise to airborne problems like respiratory issues due to dust. Deep clean your vacuum every once in a while, and empty its bin after every use.
It is important to avoid these cleaning mistakes if you want to make sure you’re getting rid of both dust and germs properly. If you liked this piece, please make sure to check out our blog on household items you are forgetting to clean. For more blogs related to home improvement and home care, follow Zameen Blog, the best lifestyle blog in Pakistan.
