Cleaning your home might seem straightforward, but there may be a couple of mistakes that you’re making that could be pushing your progress backwards, rather than forwards. There’s a lot of areas in your home that may get neglected when cleaning, or maybe not cleaned as often as they should be. Cleaning sometimes feels like a never-ending task, so make it as easy as you can for yourself.
What mistakes am I making?
There could be a whole host of simple mistakes you may be making while you’re trying to clean. These mistakes could actually be causing you a lot more work and hassle. Correct these mistakes before you get into the routine of making them.
Trying to clean everything at once
Taking on too many tasks at once can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed. So don’t try to clean everything at once. Instead, make a list of all the chores you’d like to get done, and then break the list down into smaller, manageable chunks. This way your brain won’t get overwhelmed and each task won’t seem so daunting.
You’re not cleaning as you go
Cleaning as you go is one of the easiest things to do to ensure that you don’t become stressed with the state of your house. When cleaning, always start at the top of the room and work downwards – otherwise, you’re just creating more work for yourself. Dusting the ceiling and top corners of your room is always a good place to begin, then gradually move further down to desks, window ledges and other large pieces of furniture. Make sure that you’re finishing your clean with the floor. This way, any dirt or dust which has fallen onto the floor while you’ve been cleaning will be vacuumed up afterwards.
Neglecting the linens within your home
Beddings, pillows and curtains are all places in your home where dust mites, bed bugs and skin particles can collect if not regularly washed. A huge number of people make the mistake of putting new pillowcases on unwashed pillows. Just wash the actual pillow! Most pillows can be put in the washing machine on lower heat.
Curtains act as a barrier for liquid between your house and outside, so they can get very dirty very quickly, if not mouldy. Washing your curtains three times a year will prevent any bacterias or mites from building up in the fabric of your curtains.
Forgetting to empty your bin
Dealing with smelly odours in your home is never pleasant, but your bin could be the cause of it. Kitchen bins are a breeding ground for nasty bacteria, so regularly cleaning it will prevent any bacteria from spreading to other parts of your home. Use an antibacterial wipe or spray on the lid at least twice a week. If you do find that your bin has leaked, wipe up any moisture and use antibacterial products to make sure you’re eliminating all germs.
Stay on top of your bin collections. Look online as to when your weekly bin collection (depending on where you live) is and get into the habit of putting your bin out the night before.
Using dish soap for everything
We can take the term ‘all purpose’ or ‘can be used on all surfaces’ quite literally sometimes when it comes to our cleaning products. Although your average dish soap probably works well on your dishes, it might not work as well in some of the problem areas of your home. Particular areas in your home require cleaning products that are specially designed to target that area. For example, granite or marble countertops will need to be cleaned with targeted products, or carpet stains will require carpet cleaner. Dish soap may work in the short term, but not in the long term as dish soap is not cleaning your home effectively.
Forgetting to empty your vacuum cleaner
You’ll probably know when your vacuum cleaner is full, and that is when it’s got really heavy, or smelly. The cause of unpleasant smelling vacuums is usually down to the fact that it’s full, or it’s sucked up something it shouldn’t have. Empty the vacuum bag first, then take a cloth soaked in hot soapy water (or an antibacterial wipe) to the outside of your vacuum cleaner, to stop any foul odours.
You’re washing your windows on a sunny day
When the sun comes in through the window on a bright morning, you may look at them and think that they need a clean. However, hold off. Heat and sunshine make any cleaner you may have put on your windows evaporate almost instantly, leaving a streaky mess behind.
Don’t create more work for yourself by having to rewash your windows, instead choose to clean them on a day that is less bright and more overcast. This way you won’t be left with any smear marks or streaks.
Overloading the dishwasher or washing machine
Overloading your appliances is never a good idea. It’s not good for the appliances themselves, or the items within it. Take the washing machine, for example, an overloaded machine won’t clean clothes properly as the items will move around the machine in one solid lump. Therefore you’ve wasted both your time and money as these clothes won’t come out clean.
Manage your washing loads so that you haven’t got a huge pile of dirty clothes to wash. Dirty clothes and dishes may also contribute to any unpleasant odours within your house, so it’s better to keep an eye on your washing and not let it build up.
Your house doesn’t have to be spotless
If cleaning is getting on top of you, then you might want to explore the possibility of letting a professional cleaning service come into your home and do it for you. The key thing to remember about keeping your house clean is that it doesn’t have to be spotless all of the time. We know you’ve got other priorities other than cleaning, and nobody’s house is perfectly clean all of the time.