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9 Cleaning Mistakes You Must Avoid

9 Cleaning Mistakes You Must Avoid
September 16, 2022

Are you one of those people who love keeping their home clean? What if we were to tell you that those cleaning techniques you use regularly might be causing more harm than good? 

How to avoid cleaning mistakes?

Whether you tend to get carried away with your cleaning or go the opposite way and do the bare minimum to simply get a passable clean, you could be making some mistakes that are making things worse. 

This article will look at nine common home cleaning mistakes people make that you really need to avoid.

1. Cleaning harder, not smarter

You can reduce the exertion you use while cleaning by working smarter, not harder. One of the most basic rules of cleaning is to use the right steps to achieve the level of cleaning you desire. 

When it comes to hard-to-remove dirt, the trick is to loosen up the grime so you can wipe instead of scrub away the mess. This applies to dishes, the oven, and anything where scrubbing seems necessary. 

Let’s not forget that scrubbing can also cause damage. Soaking doesn’t necessarily mean submerging something. While this works for dirty pots, a dirty counter or an oven needs spritzing instead. 

Spraying the surface of things like your oven walls and letting it sit for an hour makes it easy to wipe away the mess. So, less elbow grease and more grease removal!

2. Using outdated cleaning supplies

We understand that cleaning supplies are expensive, so tossing them out doesn’t make sense. However, using old cleaning supplies can actually be more costly than you think because you need to use more to get them to work. 

If you’ve had old cleaning supplies lying around for years, it’s best to toss them and replace them with new ones.

3. Using dirty cloths

You’re just spreading germs if you’re reusing the same cloth repeatedly without ever washing or replacing it. Your microfiber cloths are meant to be washed regularly, and old rags should also be cleaned or replaced. 

The same goes for anything you use to wash, from rags to mops and spray mop pads to sponges. Even vacuum bags should be replaced often, as they get too congested and interfere with your vacuum’s suction power.

4. Cleaning without a plan

If you tend to go at your cleaning from all sides, you’ll accomplish less and take longer. We recommend a top-to-bottom approach to make sure you’re getting the best results. There’s a reason for this. 

If you start by sweeping and vacuuming, for example, when you get to dusting, you’re putting the dirt back onto the floor. If you start in the middle, then head for the ceiling fan; again, that dust goes back downwards, thus undoing your dusting. 

So, if you begin at the top and work your way down, you’re cleaning the mess as it comes down. 

Also, simply cleaning here, there, and everywhere is distracting and causes you to feel overwhelmed. You also miss spots. The best way to proceed is to choose a corner and make your way around the space, going from room to room if you’re cleaning the whole house.

5. Being a minimalist cleaner

If you do the bare minimum every time you clean, then every job is equally labour-intensive. 

If you take a more thorough approach the first time, you will create a nice clean base that only requires touch-ups.

6. Not cleaning often

This might sound counter-intuitive, but only cleaning once a week actually makes you work harder than cleaning more frequently. Yes, it sounds wrong, but hear us out. If you wait to clean once a week, the dirt and mess build up, so you have to clean for a more extended time. 

However, if you clean as messes appear, then your weekly cleaning becomes a matter of quick vacuuming or sweeping and some other less chore-heavy tasks. 

Some examples would be keeping things neat by putting them away after you’re done with them, tossing dirty clothes in the laundry, sweeping the kitchen daily, and wiping the sink and counter with a disinfectant wipe after you brush your teeth. 

You can also remove dust immediately if you notice it or take a wet mop to any stains on the floor. Quick cleaning spurts offer major rewards, including feeling less overwhelmed because your home always looks neat and tidy.

7. Using natural cleaners on stone countertops

You might think using natural cleaners is safer when cleaning natural surfaces like stone. 

However, the acid in lemons and vinegar damages your marble and stone counters. Yikes! 

It might not be noticeable today or tomorrow, but trust us, down the road, that shine will be gone. 

Always use cleaners explicitly designed for granite and marble, even if it feels wrong to do so.

8. Making disinfectant wipes your go-to, cheaper cleaner

Thanks to the pandemic, we all got into the habit of wiping everything down with disinfectant wipes. They’re also pretty handy, too! No need for a spray or cloth; just wipe and go, right? 

We hate to tell you this, but if you’re using the same wipe to do your entire kitchen or bathroom, they aren’t disinfecting anything other than the first surface you wipe. 

Despite being disinfectants, they collect germs and bacteria and start losing their powers as you build up those germs.

So, you better start investing in the super-sized package because you’ll need it. You should be using a new wipe for each new surface that you tackle.

9. Upping the detergent for stains

More is less when it comes to laundry detergent. No, this isn’t a typo; we do mean more is less. 

When you add more detergent, you don’t increase its cleaning power even a bit. Instead, you create a soapy residue that clings to the clothes. 

Also, it feels uncomfortable wearing the clothes because the residue is weird and attracts dirt, hair, and dust. Thus, always follow the instructions to get the best results from your laundry detergent.

So, there you have it. Stop making these mistakes, and you will see better results.

If you just can’t be bothered to use these tips, let Maid4Condos do your home cleaning in Toronto! Click here to learn just how affordable we are! You can call us at 647-822-0601, or contact us online here.

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