7 Bad Cleaning Habits You Need to Break
We all look for ways to make cleaning faster and easier. Believe it or not, sometimes using certain "shortcuts" actually makes it harder for you in the long run. You and your family may have even developed some bad habits that prevent you from getting the job done more efficiently (you may even be harming your home!)
It's time to break these habits so you can get to a cleaner home faster. Discover some of the bad cleaning mistakes you should avoid.
1. Waiting until the cleaning chores become too much
Putting off cleaning and waiting until the task gets too big is one of the hardest bad habits to break. Most of us can't face a disaster and just avoid it as long as possible. But if you and your family do a little cleaning every day, such as loading and unloading the dishwasher, doing a load of laundry, and vacuuming a room or two, cleaning the entire house won't be so overwhelming.
2. Not finishing tasks
We all get interrupted at times, but try to finish a task once it's started. When you get out the ironing board, don't pause for social media until you've ironed everything. If you only have 15 minutes to clean up, start by clearing clutter and putting items in their place. Then, if you get distracted, you can come back later to do the more thorough cleaning.
3. Dust last when cleaning
Save yourself some effort by dusting before you vacuum. A room should be cleaned from top to bottom so the dust lands on the floor and can then be swept or vacuumed away. If you clean your floors with a broom, that's still a good method for the same reason: you're kicking up dust that will settle back on your furniture. However, if you're using a modern vacuum cleaner, it's best to dust first to get the dirt off the surfaces and onto the floor, and then vacuum it up. And do you remember that a single disinfectant wipe isn't enough to clean an entire bathroom? The same goes for a disposable vacuum cleaner. If you haven't dusted in a while, pick up a clean feather duster when your old one turns grey. You're no longer catching the dust, you're just pushing it around with a dirty duster.
4. Using harsh cleaning products
Just as it can be a bad habit to use too much cleaning product, it's also wrong to use a cleaning product that's too harsh for the job. You can do more harm than good if the cleaner strips the paint or poses a danger to your pets and family. A good example is chlorine bleach. While it's a good disinfectant, it's not a good dirt remover, and the fumes can be toxic.
Always use the gentlest cleaners you need to get results.
5. Leave the bed unmade
Even if the rest of the bedroom is neat and clean, an unmade bed makes a messy impression. Just making the bed in the morning is a habit that helps keep the rest of the room (and maybe the whole house) in order. Make it easy on yourself by choosing bedding that's easy to apply and neat. A bed with a simple comforter and pillowcases is much easier to make than one with lots of messy pillows.
6. Leave dirty dishes in the sink
How much longer would it take to put the dirty glass in the dishwasher instead of the sink? Leaving dirty dishes in the sink is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and a jackpot for hungry insects. Teach everyone in the household to either put dishes in the dishwasher or wash them immediately.
7. Use a single disinfecting wipe for the entire bathroom
Disposable disinfecting wipes are great for a quick wipe down of the sink. But that small square barely contains enough disinfectant to clean an entire bathroom. By the time you reach the toilet seat and handles, the disinfectant is used up, and bacteria is transferred from one surface to another. To be effective, the wipe should contain enough disinfectant moisture to keep the surface wet for at least four minutes. For thorough cleaning, use multiple wipes or one clean cloth and enough disinfectant and water.