Top 6 Household Cleaning Mistakes You Might Be Making

Did you know there are cleaning mistakes you might be making that could be making your home dirtier instead of cleaner? Here we break down the top 6 cleaning mistakes you might be making in your home.

1. Dusting with a feather duster – Feather dusters do little more than redistribute dust or push it off surfaces to the ground. Making the switch to microfiber cleaning cloths with an appropriate cleaner help trap and remove dust.

2. Cleaning out of order – The subject of many household arguments, there actually is a proper way to approach the order in which you clean various surfaces in your home. For example, if you clean the floor first and dust and clean other surfaces after, you’ll knock dust and debris down onto the floor you just cleaned. The general rule is to start with the highest surfaces and work your way down and save the floors for last.

3. Washing cutting boards in the dishwasher or with dish soap – As you use your cutting board, cuts in the surface collect minute bits of food that allow bacteria to hide in the grooves and grow. This bacteria can infect your food the next time you use it, a big risk for food-bourne illness. Instead use a soaking solution of 2 tablespoons of bleach OR hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water to soak your cutting boards. Rinse well with fresh water after soaking and dry immediately.

4. Forgetting to clean the sink – The moist environment and bits of food in your sink drain create ideal conditions for rapid bacterial growth. Never let food sit in the disposal or allow the sink to accumulate standing water. Clean down the sink after each use and run the disposal. At least once per week, use baking soda and vinegar to clean and disinfect your sinks (and the drains).

5. Neglecting vacuum maintenance – Neglecting to keep your vacuum maintained properly can create a dirty problem. Empty vacuum canisters or replace vacuum bags as soon as they approach the manufacturers noted “full line”. Also, when vacuum is unplugged, use a damp microfiber cloth to clean down the exterior of the vacuum, including vents and attachments. If your vacuum comes equipped with replaceable air filters, make sure to change the filter according to manufacturer directions. Neglecting vacuum maintenance means your vacuum won’t work as efficiently as it should and leave dirt behind, or worse, could blow dirt back out of the vents due to overly-full vacuum bags or dirty filters.

6. Using the same cleaning cloth in multiple rooms – Even if you’re spraying cleaner onto the cloth, there is only so much dust and grime the cloth fibers can remove before some of that grime gets redistributed to other surfaces. This is also a great way to spread germs from one surface to another, instead of killing them. Use paper towel for particularly germy areas and surfaces and throw away the germs. In the rest of the house, use a different cleaning cloth for each type of surface in the room with a different cleaner (for example, glass and wood would have separate cloths). Also, use fresh cloths in each room or change them when you notice grime beginning to collect.

Cleaning your home should leave it sparkling and gleaming – not dirtier and grimier! How many of these top 6 cleaning mistakes have you made before? A few simple swaps and you’ll be cleaning as effectively as possible. And if you need a few extra hands, The Clean Up Club can tackle any cleaning task!