15 Bad Cleaning Habits to Break

We're all trying to find methods to make cleaning faster and simpler. Believe it or not, often taking certain "faster ways" really makes it harder on you in the long haul. You and your household might even have established some bad practices that are inhibiting your capability to finish the job more effectively (you may even be triggering harm to your home!).

It's time to begin breaking these habits so you can get to a cleaner home, faster. If you begin by choosing one or two bad cleaning habits to alter each week, you'll soon be on your way to a cleaner home-- which leaves more free time for things you enjoy.

1. Allowing Paper Clutter to Accumulate

Even with online billing and banking, there is still a mountain of paper that winds up in our homes. Magazines, newspapers, school papers and projects; they have a tendency to pile up.

Don't let that happen.

Designate a location near the entrance for all mail, periodicals, and paper forms and keep a shredder or recycling bin close by. A minimum of once a week, sort through and complete the required action or toss. 

File important papers like tax invoices. Take digital pictures of kids's special artwork or frame them. Share publications with retirement communities, schools, or simply read the articles online.

2. Leaving Wet Towels and Shower Curtains Bunched Up

Wish to spend less time in the utility room and scrubbing mildew from restroom surfaces? Don't leave wet shower drapes bunched up and wet towels in a heap on the floor.

Leave a couple of inches of space to either side of the shower curtain so air can distribute and help it dry. This will cut down on mildew and wetness. As far as damp towels on the flooring, they'll provide your bathroom that mildew odor and also tend to bring in insects like ants and silverfish.

This is among the most basic bad routines to break. By closing the shower curtain after each usage, it will dry faster and dissuade mildew development. By hanging wet towels to dry, you'll get a 2nd or third usage and lighten your laundry loads.

3. Using Too Much Cleaning Product

If a bit of cleaner works, then a lot of cleaner will work much better and much faster? Right? That's not how it works.

Cleaning videos with all the suds are pleasing to view, but that much soap can leave a film that brings in grime. When you utilize excessive product, there's also a threat of the residue staying active and conflicting with other cleaning products to form unsafe fumes.

Always use one item at a time, in the amounts advised by the manufacturer, and do not skip rinsing if it's recommended on the label.

That's why you should read instructions and always use the suggested quantity or perhaps a little less. You're wasting time and money on the additional product and the water to wash it away.

4. Cleaning With Dirty Tools

How can you anticipate clean results when you are utilizing filthy cleaning tools? If your washer has an odor from built-up germs in cleaning agent residue, your clothes are going to stink. If your vacuum bag or filter is filled with dust, it won't do an excellent job drawing up anymore. A dirty mop or sponge merely pushes around more soil and germs.

Make the effort to thoroughly clean tools after every usage by clearing entirely or cleaning in hot water and including a disinfectant. Occasionally, change with new tools.

5. Using One Disinfectant Wipe to Clean an Entire Bathroom

Disposable disinfectant wipes are excellent for a quick wipe down of a bathroom sink.

However that little square hardly includes enough disinfectant to clean an entire bathroom. By the time you reach the toilet seat, the disinfectant qualities are gone and you are simply spreading out bacteria from one surface area to another.

To be reliable, the wipe needs to include enough disinfectant moisture so the surface area remains damp for a minimum of four minutes. For an extensive cleaning, use multiple wipes or a clean cloth and sufficient disinfectant and water solution.Leaving 

6. Dirty Dishes in the Sink

Just how much longer would it take to put that unclean glass in the dishwashing machine instead of the sink? Leaving unclean dishes in the sink is the perfect breeding place for germs and a jackpot for starving bugs. 

7. Wearing Outside Shoes in the House

Taking just a couple of seconds to remove your shoes each time you come in from outside will save you hours of vacuuming. Not to discuss the bacteria and germs that will stay out of living areas.

Whether entry is through a mudroom or the front door, make this routine  simple for everyone by providing a bench or chair for much easier shoe removal. Keep a shoe tray close by for wet or muddy shoes and a bin to collect each family member's footwear.

8.  Cleaning Products Incorrectly Stored

Do you invest half your designated cleaning time looking for the correct cleaners and tools? This is a bad practice that's easy to change. 

Clear glass bottles might look great on a shelf, however they're not suitable for all products.  Some, like hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach, lose their effectiveness when exposed to sunlight.

Others, consisting of solvents like rubbing alcohol or acetone, are combustible, so they need to be kept in tightly sealed containers away from heat and light.

Gather together the cleaning materials you need for each location of the home and store them close to that location. Restroom cleaners can be put in a little plastic carryall and stowed away on a rack or under the sink. Create two baskets of supplies if you have upstairs and downstairs restrooms.

Keep cleaning and furnishings cleaning products and tools together for quick touch-ups. And, obviously, all laundry items need to be kept securely in the laundry room.

9.  Hoarding Leftovers in the Fridge

If you know that your household dislikes leftovers, then why bother to stash them in the fridge? If you are not going to use food promptly, just go ahead and toss it. Incorrectly saved food promotes mold and germs development and makes cleaning out the refrigerator a much larger job than it requires to be.

10. Leaving the Bed Unmade

Even if the remainder of the bedroom is neat and clean, an unmade bed makes it look unpleasant. Simply making the bed each morning is a routine that will promote keeping the rest of the room (and maybe the entire home) arranged.

Make the job simple by choosing bed linen that is easy to spread out up neatly. A bed with a basic comforter and pillow shams is much easier to make.

11. Not Reading Directions

Many cleaners don't work instantly and need a little bit of time so that the active ingredients can break down the soil and raise it so it can be quickly wiped or rinsed away. Spend 30 seconds checking out the instructions to avoid 30 minutes of additional scrubbing.Have you ever needed to renovate a job like cleaning soap scum from tile since the cleaner didn't work? Maybe you didn't read the instructions.

12. Utilizing Harsh Cleaners

Just like utilizing excessive cleaner can be a bad habit, utilizing a cleaner that is too severe for the task is also wrong. You can do more harm than good if the cleaner strips away finishes or produces hazards for your family pets and family.

An example is chlorine bleach. While it is a good disinfectant, it is  not a great dirt and gunk cleaner and the fumes can be harmful. Always use the gentlest cleaning items needed to produce results.

13. Dusting Last When Cleaning

Save yourself some effort by dusting before you vacuum. A space ought to be cleaned up from the top down so the dust lands on the floor to be swept or vacuumed away. 

This was the way to go when vacuums didn't have HEPA filters to keep their exhaust from releasing dust into the air.

It's still a great method if you utilize a broom to clean your floors, and for the very same reason-- you'll stir up dust that lands back onto your furniture. For those using a modern vacuum, however, it's best to dust initially to move dirt off of surfaces and onto the flooring then vacuum it away.

And remember that an individual disinfectant wipe can't effectively clean a whole restroom? The same goes for a non reusable duster. If it has been a while since you dusted, get a clean duster when the one you're using turns a solid grey. You're no longer trapping dust, you're just pushing it around with an unclean duster.

14.Not Completing Tasks

We all get interrupted, however attempt to complete a task when you've begun it. If you bring out the ironing board, don't stop for a social networks break up until all of the ironing is done.

If you only have 15 minutes to clean, begin by getting rid of clutter and putting products in their proper place. Then if you get sidetracked, you can come back later to do the deeper cleaning.

15. Waiting Until the Cleaning Job Is Overwhelming

Postponing cleaning and waiting up until the job has actually ended up being overwhelming is among the hardest bad habits to break. The majority of us can't deal with a catastrophe and should strive to prevent it for as long as possible.

However if you and your household do a bit of cleaning each day, like load and empty the dishwashing machine, complete a load of laundry, and vacuum a couple of spaces, then cleaning the entire home will not be so frustrating.