It’s time to start breaking thesehabits so you could get to a cleaner home, faster.
To help, we’ve enlisted an expert to bust those cleaning mistakes.
Allowing Paper Clutter to Accumulate
Scale down that mountain of paperwork piling up everywhere.
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Take a few steps to reduce the clutter.
Designate a place near the entryway for all mail, periodicals, and paper forms.
Sort and shred once a week (keep the shredder close by).
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Immediately file important papers, like tax receipts, and take digital photos or frame special artwork by kids.
Get rid of magazines by donating to schools and retirement homes.
This will cut back on mildew and dampness.
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As far as damp towels on the floor, they’ll give your bathroom thatmildew smelland attract pests.
like ants and silverfish."
Hang wet towels to dry to reuse andlighten your laundry loads.
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(The dryer your towels stay, the better.)
Cleaning With Dirty Tools
Thoroughly clean tools after every use.
Dirty tools yield poor results.
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For example, your clothes will stink if yourwasher smellsfrom built-up bacteria in the detergent’s residue.
Your vacuum won’t function well if the bag is full or thefilter is cloggedwith dust.
Your floors will stay dirty if you use a soiled mop or sponge.
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Leavingdirty dishes in the sinkis the perfectbreeding ground for bacteriaand a jackpot for hungry insects.
Wearing Outside Shoes in the House
Remove shoes when entering the house.
It’ll save you hours of vacuuming and keep bacteria and germs out of living areas.
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Provide a bench or chair for easier shoe removal.
This way you won’t spend time searching for proper cleaners and tools.
“Some, like hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach, lose their effectiveness when exposed to sunlight.
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Hoarding Food in the Refrigerator
Toss food promptly if you know your family won’t eat leftovers.
Simplify the task by selecting unfussy bedding.
A bed with a simplecomforterand pillow shams is easy to make.
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Spend 30 seconds reading the directions to avoid 30 minutes of extra scrubbing or repeating the task.
Using Harsh Cleaners
Always use the gentlest cleaning products needed to produce results.
A good example ischlorine bleach.
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Avoiding washing stained and soiled pillows attractsdust mitesand more.
Useproper cleaning techniquesfor synthetic and down-filled pillows to make them last.
Always approach cleaners with caution.
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Some combinations should be avoided completely, such as chlorine bleach with just about anything else.
Skipping Deep Cleaning
Deep clean your home to avoid health consequences.
Air quality improves, as well, when youdeep clean upholstery, carpeting, and window coverings.
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In addition, deep cleaning the crud out of appliances extends lifespan and functionality.
Interruptions are normal but try hard to avoid stopping for breaks until you’ve completed the task.
Waiting Until the Cleaning Job Is Overwhelming
Do a bit of routine cleaning each day.
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Putting off cleaning and waiting until thetask has become overwhelmingis one of the hardest bad habits to break.
Load and empty thedishwasher, complete aload of laundry, and vacuum one or two rooms a day.
This way, cleaning the entire house will not be so overwhelming.
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Cleaning is overwhelming becausegood cleaning habitsaren’t in place yet.
It’s part of our nature to avoid unpleasant tasks for as long as possible.
However, doing a little cleaning daily stops the overwhelm.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
The best order to clean any room is always from the top down.
Storing Food in the Refrigerator, Freezer or Pantry.
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
