There are few better things than a clean, organized house. Not only is a clean home pleasant to look at, but it can also help reduce anxiety and bring about a sense of peace. But plenty of people don’t know how to clean their homes thoroughly and correctly. Read up on these common cleaning mistakes to ensure that the valuable time you spend your sprucing up your home is wisely spent.
Mistake #1: Using Too Much Cleaning Product
It’s tempting to think that more is better when it comes to cleaning. If a little cleaner works well, then more cleaner should work better, right? But it doesn’t really work that way. Using too much cleaning product often leads to leftover residue, which will actually attract more dirt. It’s also just a waste of money. Always start with a small amount of product and add more from there until you find the amount that will get the area really clean.
Mistake #2: Not Taking Advantage of the Tools at Your Disposal
Too many people don’t fully utilize all the cleaning tools they have at their disposal, including their dishwashers and the oven’s self-cleaning settings. People often believe that it’s less wasteful to wash dishes by hand, but the newer, more efficient dishwashers on the market today don’t have that problem. They are designed to use less water and power, saving you time and money. Consider investing in an efficient dishwasher to save money in the long run and make your daily chores that much easier.
Mistake #3: Missing Spots
You may think that your house is completely clean—but is it really? There are lots of little hidden, easy-to-overlook places you may have missed, including your toothbrush cup and your sponge holder. Both are easily missed during a big clean, and they can become traps for bacteria. Fill these with warm water and drop in a denture-cleaning tablet about once a week. You can also stick them in the dishwasher while you are doing your dishes. While you’re at it, wet down your sponge and put it in the microwave for about one minute daily.
Mistake #4: Taking On Too Much at Once
The urge to clean your entire house in an afternoon is understandable, but unproductive. It’s easy to become overwhelmed or distracted when you take on a giant, all-day cleaning project. Writing up a cleaning schedule that assigns certain tasks to certain days (for example: cleaning the floors on Mondays, washing bedding on Tuesdays, dusting surfaces on Wednesdays, etc.) allows you focus on each task—plus you won’t feel like you’re dedicating hours and hours of your life to housekeeping.
