9 Cleaning Mistakes that are Making Your Home Dirtier
Cleaning your home can be an exhausting and time-consuming task, but there are ways you can speed up and streamline this process to make it more effective.
Try vacuuming in an order that takes advantage of gravity (i.e. start from the back and move towards the front), this can significantly cut down your cleaning time.
1. Using the Same Rag to Clean Throughout the House
Maintaining a clean home may be challenging, but it’s vitally important. Not only will it make your space look better, but keeping it free of allergens and bacteria will reduce allergies as well.
When cleaning, always use a fresh and clean sponge or rag. Throwing away old sponges and using one specific one per surface helps avoid cross-contamination.
Do not forget to dust hard-to-reach places such as ceiling fans and light fixtures, as well as surfaces people touch like light switches, remotes and door handles.
2. Not Taking the Time to Deep Clean
Striking an effective balance between home cleaning tasks such as sweeping, mopping and vacuuming as well as other more specific ones requires paying special attention to high-touch areas that collect dirt. Not doing so could result in allergens and bacteria building up that makes your house feel dirty as well as having negative health implications for yourself and others living there.
When it comes to deep cleaning, it is best to start from the top down when starting any room or appliance. This ensures that no dust particles escape into areas you have already cleansed and that every surface receives adequate attention from this step onward.
3. Not Keeping a Cleaning Schedule
Staying on top of a cleaning schedule is key to maintaining a tidy home. But sometimes it can be challenging knowing where and when you should start your cleaning regiment.
Maintaining an efficient cleaning schedule requires breaking it into small tasks that can be completed on an ongoing basis, to make the task less daunting and more manageable. Doing this will keep the task from becoming overburdensome and unmanageable.
Setting out a cleaning caddy or bucket equipped with all of the tools and supplies necessary can speed up your cleaning process, and having a checklist or calendar can ensure you stay on track and don’t overlook completing tasks.
4. Not Taking the Time to Power Clean
Even the cleanest homes can still harbor dirt, dust and allergens that accumulate over time. If your house seems dirty than usual, perhaps now is the time for a thorough spring cleaning!
Starting at the highest surfaces is key for successful dirt pickup, according to Stein. “Working from top down allows dirt falling on clean surfaces to be collected rather than being pushed back onto dirty ones,” she notes.
Mats at the entrance will help to trap dirt before it spreads throughout your floors, furniture and windows. In addition, sort mail when it enters to reduce paper clutter and junk mail.
5. Not Taking the Time to De-Clutter
Clutter can quickly make surfaces look dirty, even after they have been dusted or mopped, even after using disinfectant spray to clean. Furthermore, high touch areas such as doorknobs, light switches and remote controls may become breeding grounds for germs that spread to harm both your family’s health as well as that of others in your community. Be sure to disinfect these spaces on an ongoing basis to maintain family wellbeing.
Before beginning cleaning, always declutter. This will allow for faster and more thorough work. Furthermore, start from the top of a room – such as with its ceiling or furniture – and work your way towards its floor.
6. Not Taking the Time to Clean Every Surface
Use of proper cleaning products, conducting room-by-room deep cleans and maintaining regular maintenance are great ways to keep your home in tiptop shape – but be wary of common cleaning errors that could make matters worse!
Filthy cleaning tools spread bacteria and dirt throughout your home. In addition, neglecting to regularly clean high-touch areas like ceiling fans and light fixtures increases the risk of illness transmission. To avoid making common cleaning errors like these, clean room-by-room, targeting dirtiest spots first while employing appropriate techniques for each surface type.
7. Not Taking the Time to Clean Your Bathroom
Bathrooms can become one of the dirtiest rooms in a house due to frequent use, high moisture levels and soap scum build-up. In order to prevent germs from spreading into other areas of your home, it is crucial that regular and thorough bathroom cleaning occurs.
To save time, prioritize cleaning areas of the bathroom that are commonly touched – such as light switches, doorknobs and electronics – first. Also don’t forget to dust ceilings and corners! Finally, ensure rooms are being thoroughly swept from top-to-bottom so dirt doesn’t settle back onto freshly washed surfaces.
