Cleaning seems a pretty straightforward task. Once you find your strategy for coping with the house chores, it’s not long before you feel like a pro. Still, such confidence may lead to simple mistakes, as cleaning turns into a boring routine. Therefore, it’s a smart idea to reevaluate your cleaning methods from time to time and, if necessary, change techniques and fix mistakes for increasing efficiency.

Using the same cleaning tools for months

Cloths, sponges, and brushes come in handy for getting the dirt out of corners and making a surface shine. They trap all the germs and grime, but they could remain trapped unless good washing is provided. Failing to do so will only undo your hard work and put your health at risk, as you spread and contaminate the areas all over again.

Doing a little extra work after hours of cleaning sounds like a pain, but it will be worth it at the end. Throw all clothes and rags in the washing machine and soak brushes and sponges in hot soapy water. Wash them as much as you can, then rinse with cold water and, definitely, leave them to dry in full. Moisture in sponges encourages bacteria growth, so make sure your cleaning tools are well taken care of.

It is preferable to freshen up your cleaning kit’s content at least once per month. Although bad smells and poor efficiency are clear signs that you need to do it more frequently.

Vacuuming in just one direction

Vacuuming carpets and upholsteries is tedious and often hard on our backs. Though, doing it once or twice a week prevents further spreading of dirt through the house and helps us breathe easier. Unfortunately, it is not always done the right way.

Since this is usually left for last when doing a house clean, it’s tempting to rush it through. Vacuuming only the dirty and visible areas, skipping corners and underneath the furniture may save you a few minutes but will provide poor results and undermine all your efforts. Choosing the best vacuum cleaner for your home will do no good unless you know how to take full advantage if its potential.

Vacuuming only one side is a quite common mistake, which leaves the possibility of 50% dirt to remain trapped within the fabric’s fibers. Invest more effort into going up and down each area at least a few times, so even the deeply rooted grime is extracted to the fullest. This will help improve your upholsteries appearance and future maintenance, as well.

Extra detergent cleans better

There is the conviction that adding a little extra laundry detergent, softener or cleaning product will give better results. While there might be some logic in it, practice proves otherwise. Almost all detergents come with specific instructions on their labels stating the preferred dosage after the manufacturer testing in advance. Failing to follow these instructions will result in losing money and wasting more cleaning efforts.

Meaning, you will have to work harder to remove the cleaner and, more often than not, part of it will still remain. That’s unnecessary since most likely the outcome would have been the same if using a smaller dosage. The excessive product could also change fabric and trap stains instead of completely remove them. So, keep in mind that it’s better to clean twice, if not satisfied with the results, instead of pouring more detergents than necessary.

Forgetting to wash the garbage bin

Who really pays much attention to the bin, except when it’s full? Truth is this is one of the things in the house that requires more care than others, as it holds dangerous content.

Whether you stick to plastic or another type of bag, liquids are hard to contain and they could easily spread to the bottom of the bin and contaminate it. Even if that doesn’t happen, there is the matter of keeping garbage in a small space for some time, cause bad smells to spread, especially when temperatures are high.

Therefore, it is essential to remember to give your bin a quick wash every time you empty it to freshen it up. Warm water and soap are more than enough to disinfect and remove any remaining bad odors. Keep a sponge just for the bin and use it at least once a week to provide a good scrub on the inside, as well as on the outside. Use every time there is liquid inside.

Not cleaning tiles in full

Scrubbing the bathroom is a tough task, which is why it is often postponed for months. However, as the daily use of the room continues, moisture, soap residue, and bacteria collect and remain there. Given that we often walk barefoot on the floor and remain constantly in contact with the surface, it is quite important to provide deep cleaning weekly, if possible, even by-weekly depending on our circumstances.

Mould is a common problem you shouldn’t ignore, too, as it favors moisture and it has no problems growing on grout when the environment is beneficial. So, don’t wait until the dark spots appear on your tiles and the musky odor spreads. Prevent it by not saving efforts on scrubbing and washing the bathroom.

It is very important to get those little crevices where grime is trapped and a toothbrush is all that you need. Whatever product you apply, leave it on for some time to access all areas before rinsing with clean water.

Kitchen tiles are practical and supposedly easier to clean. While simple wiping could be enough, greasy stains from cooking are more of a challenge. Save yourself the hard scrubbing by wiping right after meal preparation, depriving the stains of the change to harden and become tough to remove.

Bio:

Marieta is a cleaning and home improvement expert for Fantastic Cleaners in Brisbane, a house cleaning provider for the area. She’s is mainly interested in green living, easy home organization, and maintenance. She loves writing and improving herself for offering even better advice.