Cleaning up your home may not be your favorite activity of the week, but it is necessary. Well, it’s necessary if you want to avoid being evicted, prevent food poisoning, and skip being crushed by piles of clutter.
Most of us just want to get housework done in the shortest amount of time possible with the best results for our efforts. To help you get a bit more organized, here are the top five cleaning mistakes that you are probably making. Make some changes to your cleaning routine and you’ll get the job done more quickly and have more time to enjoy your clean home.
Don’t Delay! Take Care of Cleaning Tasks Right Away to Save Time and Effort
Do you wipe up the jelly that just hit the floor right away or leave it for a couple of days? Even if you’re in a hurry, if you leave it on the floor, there will be ants beating down your door and traces of jelly tracked all over the floor.
You can spend 15 or 20 seconds now taking care of the problem or spend 20 to 30 minutes later cleaning up the mess.
The same principle applies to almost any cleaning job.
A few minutes spent on cleaning and decluttering a room each day make “heavy” cleaning much easier. The food preparation areas of a kitchen should be sanitized, dirty laundry placed in a hamper, bathroom sinks and shower doors wiped down after each use, and clutter like mail, newspapers, and receipts cleared away daily.
Then the weekly tasks of dusting, vacuuming, toilet cleaning, mopping kitchen floors, and doing laundry are much simpler.
Save Time and Avoid Repetition by Starting in the Right Spot
None of us want to spend more time cleaning than we have to.
If you start at the wrong spot in a room when doing a thorough cleaning, you’ll have to backtrack and repeat steps.
First, declutter by picking up things that don’t belong in the room.
Discard them or return them to their appropriate space. Handle items only once and get rid of them from the room.
No need to take time to clean around them.
When ready to clean, start at the top of a room and work your way down.
If you start by cleaning the floor and then move on to dusting the ceiling fan, wiping down cobwebs, and dusting furniture, you’ll have to clean the floor again once the dust settles.
When cleaning shower walls and doors or windows, start at the top, and you won’t have to backtrack to take care of drips.
Get the Job Done Right by Choosing the Right Cleaning Products
Using a cleaning product that isn’t strong enough to do the job can mean you have leftover dirt, and the task will have to be repeated.
Have you ever washed clothes only to find that stains remain? You used the wrong laundry products. Read labels carefully and follow the directions for the best results.
Checking labels can not only save time, but it can also save money.
Using the wrong cleaning product can permanently damage some surfaces. That’s why you can’t safely use a scrubbing powder on furniture or stone countertops.
If you are trying to reduce the amount of chemicals used in your home, natural or green cleaning products can be quite effective if used correctly.
Choose the right products for each cleaning task to ensure success.
Clean Tools for Effective Cleaning
The tools you use for cleaning can be making matters worse by spreading bacteria and soil around.
If not handled properly, kitchen sponges can become breeding grounds for coliform bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.
A washing machine that hasn’t been cleaned regularly can redeposit body soil and leave laundry smelling terrible. Even a dirty Vacuum Cleaner can puff out dust with every use.
To ensure effective cleaning and prevent the spread of bacteria, take time to wash cleaning cloths, mop heads, and scrubbing brushes.
Clean vacuum filters and cups between every use. Disposable tools like disinfecting wipes, electrostatic cloths, and dusters are great, but remember to use a fresh one for each cleaning task.
By keeping your Cleaning Tools clean, you can maintain a healthier and more hygienic living environment.
Get Kids Involved for a Cleaner Future
One common mistake is not involving kids in household chores.
The perfect time to start teaching kids about chores is when they are toddlers. Toddlers are eager to imitate their parents and can start with simple tasks like folding towels or bringing their dirty clothes to the laundry room. As they grow older, you can introduce more challenging chores like doing the laundry itself.
Creating a chore chart and teaching kids the importance of daily cleaning tasks can make the overall cleaning job much easier.
Start with simple tasks like dusting flat surfaces or washing windows with non-toxic cleaners like distilled white vinegar and water. Gradually involve them in almost every household cleaning job.
While there may be complaints along the way, teaching kids to help with household chores will benefit them in the future when they have their own homes.
It instills a sense of responsibility and ensures they are equipped with essential cleaning skills.
*The information is for reference only.