Health and comfort are not the only benefits of a clean and tidy home. It also lifts your spirits and enhances your mood and mental performance. Furthermore, a tidy workplace is associated with higher mental productivity, according to a new study. And since more people are working from home, organizing your home can be the secret to boosting your productivity and creativity.
However, although cleaning your home has many benefits, many homeowners loathe this duty. Others who don’t mind the task are more likely to be too busy to find the time to do this task. In reality, cleaning will save you time and energy, whether you are too busy or hate the work. But you need to know how to do it the right way. As a result, we put together a list of the most common cleaning mistakes homeowners make.
Keep reading to see how to avoid them and what you can do to clean your home efficiently.
Using the same rag or sponge
A rag is a rag. Right? Wrong! No matter how frequently you reapply the cleaning product of your choice, your one cleaning rag will eventually become smeared. And if you use the rag repeatedly without washing it beforehand, the grime and bacteria will spread from one region to another. As a result, using throwaway towels or setting aside particular rags for each area of your home is a better alternative. When dusting off the coffee table or using a rag on the windows, remember to use the towels instead of the same old kitchen cloth and place them in different visible spots.
At the same time, you could shorten your dishes’ lifespan if you use an inappropriate sponge. For instance, you should use metal sponges for cast iron skillets and stainless steel and regular yellow sponges for aluminum pots and nonstick cookware. Using an excessively abrasive sponge on ceramic or non-stick surfaces could cause the coating to peel off prematurely.
Using the wrong cleaning products
Cleaning products are not all equal. As a result, you can reduce the effectiveness of your cleaning efforts by using the incorrect cleaning supplies. For instance, on fragile surfaces like granite countertops, never use chemical cleansers that might harm them. At the same time, we know it’s impossible to prevent smudges on walls or doors, especially if you have kids. Not to add crayons or marker marks. Although aggressive cleaners can quickly remove the stain, they frequently destroy surfaces since they often contain bleach or other strong chemicals that remove the surface layer by layer.
Therefore, to keep everything intact, try using a simple cleaner first. It often happens that a multipurpose cleaner can do the job better than expected. It might require a bit more elbow grease, but the result is what you are after, so it will be worth it. Furthermore, when cleaning your home before moving out, you should be careful what cleaning products you use. After all, you wouldn’t want to leave your home with unaesthetic chemical stains or flakey surfaces. Therefore, use appropriate cleaning products that protect surfaces and leave your home squeaky clean.
Soaking surfaces with water or cleaning products
While talking about cleaning before moving out, we should mention another one of the most common cleaning mistakes homeowners make: soaking surfaces. To make a surface simpler to clean, you might feel the temptation to soak it. However, it’s not a good idea to do that on every surface, although more might sometimes be beneficial. You can do that in particular situations when you want to give cleaners a chance to work before wiping them away.
But it might not be wise in specific cases, like cleaning your king-sized bed to get it ready for the move, especially if it is a long-distance one. When you pack it, it needs to be clean and dry, as it can start molding on the road if it is humid and wrapped in plastic foil. That applies especially when it comes to the mattress. So be careful when using cleaning products or rinsing the surface with water. Don’t soak it or if you do, give it time to dry out completely.
Rubbing instead of blotting
If you own carpets and rugs, you probably know how they attract all sorts of colorful stains. However, the most significant error to avoid when cleaning these stains is scrubbing them. So whether you stained your carpet with red wine or any other colored liquid, DO NOT SCRUB! Many people use vigorous cleaning to remove stains from their carpets. That makes things worse and spreads discoloration. Therefore, instead of vigorously cleaning the stains, blot them off using warm water and a soft washcloth or microfiber cloth. Blotting increases the likelihood of removing the stains while keeping them isolated in the damaged area.
Overlooking areas of your home
The window screens are an excellent example of an area often overlooked during cleaning. You may not be aware of all the benefits your window screens may provide for your house. For instance, they enhance beauty while letting light into the room and acting as insulation. However, you might find that the screens have stains and streaks of dirt on them after a rainstorm. And the idea that precipitation is to blame for the dirt streaks is popular. On the contrary! The rain only accentuates the layers of dust on the window screens. Therefore, when cleaning your windows, pay attention to cleaning your window screens, too. You can clean them quickly and eliminate the collected filth and dust with dishwashing solutions and warm water.
At the same time, don’t forget about cleaning the door frames, outlets, light switches, window stills, or spaces under the furniture. These spots are often overlooked, although they are perfect for gathering dust.
Using a dirty vacuum
Everyone knows that once the vacuum container fills up, you must empty it. Nobody is aware, though, that vacuums also have additional components that get clogged with dirt. In most cases, dirty vacuums have lowered suction and even have the potential to push out dust while in use. Furthermore, as you use the hose, vent, and other attachments, they all come in contact with dirt and dust. As a result, when you use the vacuum and least expect it, dirt may suddenly reappear in the cleansed area.
Most vacuum manufacturers provide instructions on how to change or clean their attachments, filters, and vacuums and how often you should do so to keep your equipment in good working order. Therefore, as soon as the vacuum bag or container is full, change or empty it. Furthermore, clean the hose, vent, and attachments using a damp microfiber or a moist paper towel with the vacuum turned off and unplugged.
Overlooking the correct order of cleaning your home
One of the biggest and most common cleaning mistakes homeowners make is to clean in the wrong order. Yes, if you didn’t know, there is a correct order for cleaning. For instance, gravity might hinder your cleaning efforts if you start with the floors. Also, crumbs, dust, and other particles may fall to the floor as you clean upper areas, needing a second vacuuming or mopping. Instead, make your way down from the top of the room to catch everything at once. At the same time, when you spray the room after cleaning, the spray particles will settle on the surfaces attracting more dust. That can be one of the reasons you need to clean your home more often. A solution to that issue would be cleaning the room from top to center, spraying it with an air freshener, and leaving it to settle. When you return to cleaning, the area will smell great, and you can continue cleaning by wiping surfaces to remove any oily or sticky film. That way, your surfaces will stay cleaner for longer.
Disinfecting before cleaning
Cleaning and disinfecting are not the same, and understanding the difference can change how you clean surfaces. While disinfection requires chemicals to kill the germs, cleaning can remove them physically from a surface. Therefore, cleaning is an essential initial step because the disinfectant won’t efficiently target the bacteria if the surface is covered with dust or other debris. As a result, ensure the surface is clean and debris-free before using a disinfecting spray so the chemicals can work.
Final words on most common cleaning mistakes homeowners make
As you can see, there are many common cleaning mistakes homeowners make. However, with the right tips and tricks, you can learn how to efficiently clean your home. Things like cleaning from top to bottom or using the right cleaning products can go a long way.
Not to mention changing your cleaning cloth or sponge and disinfecting only after cleaning. And if you could use some help with cleaning your home efficiently or need a professional to do it, get in touch with us today at 619-366-0886 or get a free quote by filling out our form!
