Cleaning Mistakes That Are Making Your Life More Difficult

Cleaning your home can be time-consuming and at times hard. Don’t make cleaning your home more difficult. Avoid these Cleaning Mistakes.

Common Cleaning Mistakes You Could Be Making At Home

We all want our homes to be neat and clean, and we want to do it as economically and efficiently as possible. After all, we have more things to check off of our to-do list than cleaning the house.

Did you know that you may be unintentionally making keeping your home clean harder on yourself? For instance, certain common cleaning habits could be side-tracking our way to a cleaner home. Things like forgetting to clean our cleaning appliances (yes, you can wash your washing machine), or failing to pre-soak dirty pots and pans, could be costing us valuable time.

Here are some common cleaning mistakes that may be making your life harder than it has to be. One important step is to ensure you have all your cleaning products in a handy spot, like a supply cleaning caddy.

Spraying Cleaners Directly On the Surface

Spraying cleaners directly onto the surface that needs to be cleaned can cause the excess cleaner to get into the air. This may irritate those who have allergies or are otherwise sensitive to chemicals or smells. Spraying the cleaner directly on the surface can cause the cleaner to pool in one spot and may discolor the surface.

It may also, if not cleaned up properly, feel sticky to the touch. Instead, spray your cleaner directly onto your cleaning cloth and then clean your surface.

Not Cleaning Your Cleaning Appliances and Cleaning Tools

If you are like most people, you probably don’t often think about the need to clean appliances that are supposed to be cleaning for you, like the washing machine and dishwasher.

Those appliances are a lot more efficient and effective at their job if you remember to keep them clean.

You should clean the inside of your washing machine and dishwasher once per month to keep them clean and fresh and running at their very best. Another cleaning appliance that you may be forgetting is your vacuum cleaner.

Vacuuming when the canister is full or the filter is clogged just means that you are spreading dirt from your carpets around your home because the vacuum can’t maintain the suction that it would normally have if it is dirty. Ensure the canister isn’t full and you regularly check the filter to avoid this problem.

Overloading Your Dishwasher

Overcrowding your plates, dishes, and bowls in your dishwasher will inhibit your dishwasher from doing its job. Overloading prevents dishes from getting fully cleaned and may cause you to rinse the same dishes twice, causing additional wear on the unit.

There is a fine line between full and overload. And misuse over time can cause your dishwasher to break. Maximize your dishwasher’s cleaning power by running small loads more frequently. This is one of the most common cleaning mistakes.

Cleaning Your Windows on a Sunny Day

A beautiful warm sunny day may seem like the perfect time to clean your windows. It’s not. The warmth from the sunshine will cause your window cleaner to dry quickly, which will leave you with streaky windows, and not the clear, clean glass that you were hoping for.

Cleaning your windows on a cloudy day will give you the beautiful shine that you were hoping for.

Using the Same Cleaning Rag Around the House

Do you tend to use just one rag to clean all of the rooms in your home? Lots of people do, but here is why that’s not the best idea. Even though you are presumably using a cleaner along with your rag some of the dirt, germs, and grime remain stuck on the rag.

That means you could be spreading germs and dirt from the bathroom into your kitchen and so on. Instead, use your spray cleaner with a clean paper towel in each room. Or think about having a designated micro-fiber cloth for each room in your home.

Not Giving Your Cleaner the Time it Needs to Work

Do you ever spray your surfaces (countertops, bathroom tiles, etc. ) down with cleaner only to immediately wipe them away? We’ve all been guilty of that at some point or another, but it is not the most effective method of cleaning your home, in fact, it is a common cleaning mistake.

No matter what type of cleaner you are using, it should have a recommended soak time on the back of the bottle. If you aren’t letting the cleaner soak for the appropriate amount of time before you wipe it off you aren’t giving it the time it needs to clean and disinfect and you could be making more work for yourself later.

Not Pre-Soaking Your Pots and Pans

If you are leaving pots and pans on the stovetop as you eat dinner, you make more work. In fact, you’re only allowing the cheese and other cooked-on food to set in. And when dinner is over, you’ll be greeted with baked-on food that will require some serious scrubbing.

It is best to immediately after cooking and before eating your meal, you should be soaking your pots and pans in warm soapy water.