Cleaning is a necessary part of life, but some people have developed bad habits that make the task more difficult than it needs to be. Bad cleaning habits are something that many people have to break, but they often don’t take the time to truly think about it.
While there isn’t always a problem with breaking bad habits and creating new ones, when you are cleaning your home or office, this is not the case. If you want to ensure that you can keep on top of the cleaning and maintain a clean and tidy space all of the time, you need to break bad habits. By understanding why these are often bad for your cleaning efforts, you will be more inclined to do so.
Here Are 20 Bad Cleaning Habits You May Not Notice
A thorough and regular cleaning routine is not only beneficial to your health, it can also give you a lot of peace of mind.
Regularly cleaning will help keep your home safe from any sort of harmful bacteria or viruses that could be lingering on surfaces or items in the house. If you want to keep your home in tip-top shape, here are some everyday cleaning habits that you should avoid.
1. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink
If you leave dishes in the sink, they can easily collect bacteria and germs and if they’re not washed regularly they’ll start to smell bad very quickly.
This can make your kitchen a pretty uncomfortable place. You need to wash your dishes as soon as you have used them. It’s actually a good idea to make sure that you have a few minutes every evening where you just sit and do the dishes.
2. Don’t leave your clothes in the washing machine
We often leave clothes in the washing machine for long periods of time. While it’s not uncommon to do this, it can lead to some serious problems.
When you leave your clothes in a dirty machine they can cause plenty of issues. Not only could they start to smell bad, but they can also develop mold or mildew which will make them musty and unpleasant.
You need to make sure that you always empty your washing machine as soon as its finished or you’ll find yourself in some serious trouble.
3. Using too many cleaning products
There are many people who believe that if you have more cleaning products, then your house will be cleaner. However, cleaning products can actually make your house dirtier.
Some of the chemicals in these products are very powerful and if too much is used it can damage and ruin your household items. It’s best to use only a small amount of cleaning agent and instead rely on other, more natural methods of cleaning.
4. Not Cleaning Often Enough
There is a common belief that once you clean it’s all taken care of but this isn’t true. In order to keep your home or office tidy and clean, you need to focus on cleaning at least once per week.
If things are piling up, take some time in the evening to do a good deep clean. This way, you can keep on top of the mess and ensure that your space is always clean.
5. Leaving food out overnight
Doing this is one of the worst things you can do in terms of keeping your home clean and tidy. If you leave food out overnight, then over time it will start to become covered in a layer of ants and bugs.
Not only will this make your kitchen disgusting, but it will also make it plain unpleasant for you as well. You should make sure that you do everything possible to prevent ants and bugs from getting into your food.
6. Forgetting to clean the oven
Most of us don’t always bother cleaning the oven as often as we should. This can lead to a lot of trouble.
When you don’t clean the oven, you run the risk of it becoming covered in a layer of grease and oil. This will make it extremely difficult for you to clean and could lead to some pretty bad smells.
7. Not Pre-Cleaning
Pre-cleaning is a crucial step in the cleaning process that many people overlook. In order to make your cleaning routine more effective, take some time to pre-clean your home or office before you start the deep clean.
This will help to remove heavier dirt and dust so that it isn’t just pushed around during your actual cleaning process.
8. Using strong chemicals for cleaning carpets
Carpets are expensive and you need to make sure that you take great care of them if you want them to remain to look nice for years to come.
It’s not recommended that you use chemicals for cleaning carpets as these can be harmful to your carpets. Instead, it’s best to rely more on natural methods of cleaning carpets such as using carpet shampoo.
9. Forgetting to clean the inside of the fridge or freezer
This is something that most people don’t do and it’s something that should definitely be done often. When you have the inside of your fridge or freezer looking like a big mess, it’s easy for things to become covered in food.
If this happens then it will be very difficult for you to clean and will lead to some pretty bad smells. It’s best to eat all of your food before you leave your home and if there are any leftovers, make sure that you clean them up as soon as possible.
10. Not Dusting Regularly
Dust can actually be harmful to your health if you breathe it in. Because of this, it’s important to dust regularly. You should focus on dusting all of the surfaces in your home, including blinds, furniture, and shelves.
This will help to remove any harmful dust particles from the air and will also make your home look much cleaner.
11. Forgetting to clean your air conditioner
Over time, the air conditioner is likely to get quite filthy. If you’re going to go through the effort of cleaning it, then it’s best to do it properly.
The first thing that you should do is take it apart and clean all the parts which will be easier than cleaning the whole thing. Not only should you clean them, but you should also lubricate them from time to time as well.
12. Leaving your windows open
Most of us are guilty of this and it’s something that we should definitely avoid. When you leave your windows open, they will let in a lot of dust and dirt which is why you need to make sure that you keep them closed at all times.
If you do have to open them up, then make sure that you close the curtains afterwards as this will help stop the dust from getting in.
13. Forgetting to clean the tap area in your kitchen
When you use a lot of cleaning products, then it can often build up and make your sink look quite nasty. If this happens, you should try cleaning the sink with warm water and vinegar as this is something that many people use perfectly well.
Not only will it work perfectly well, but it will also help to keep your sink nice and clean.
14. Not Washing Your Hands After Using the Bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most germ-laden rooms in your house. Because of this, it’s really important that you wash your hands regularly.
If you don’t, you will be spreading germs all over your home and office. This can make people sick and can also lead to the spread of diseases.
15. Not wearing gloves while cleaning
When you’re out cleaning, it’s best to make sure that you wear gloves if you want to keep your hands clean. If you don’t wear gloves, then the dirt will just stick to your hands and it won’t be long before they start to look quite nasty.
In addition to this, it’s also a good idea to have gloves that don’t destroy your skin while they’re on. Some of the best ones are made from synthetic materials which don’t cause your skin to become too dry.
Try wearing some yellow rubber gloves if you don’t have anything better.
16. Forgetting to clean the area around the toilet
This is something that many people tend to forget about quite often and it’s something that will really make a mess around your bathroom.
When you have a lot of bacteria around your toilet, then it will cause a pretty bad smell. It’s best to wear some gloves when you clean this area as well as clean it regularly with warm water and vinegar.
17. Leaving the area behind the fridge unclean
Over time, dirt will start to build up in this area which can result in bad smells. If you want to avoid bad smells, then make sure that you clean behind your fridge every month and make sure that you do this before you clean it.
You should also empty this area out and dry it out after cleaning it to prevent the buildup of any dirt or bacteria in the future.
18. Leaving out the stairs
This is something that many people tend to forget about quite often and it’s something that can really cause problems over time.
If you leave dirt and bacteria behind, then it will start to grow which can be very bad for your health. Make sure that you clean the stairs every week with warm water and vinegar as it will keep them nice and clean.
19. Not Vacuuming Regularly
Just like dust, dirt and debris can be harmful to your health if you breathe them in. This is why it’s important to vacuum regularly.
You should focus on vacuuming all of the carpets in your home, as well as any rugs or mats. This will help to keep the dirt out of your carpets and reduce allergens in the air.
20. Not Using the Right Tools
Another common issue is that people try to clean without using the right tools. This can make the process more difficult and often leads to subpar results.
In order to properly clean your home or office, be sure to invest in the right cleaning supplies. This way, you can clean more effectively and achieve better results.
Amazing Cleaning Tips to Follow to Make Your Home Shine
1. Cleaning Your Home Regularly
One of the most important things you can do is establish a regular cleaning routine. Aim to clean your home or office on a weekly basis, as this will help to keep dirt and debris at bay.
2. Don’t use toxic cleaners
There are a lot of toxic and poisonous products that you can use to clean your home. Some of them can cause damage on the inside if you breathe in the fumes, so it would be better to use synthetic products instead.
There are of course certain natural cleaners which are made to be used around the home which isn’t harmful at all and some of these can be bought from your local store.
3. Don’t use toxic sprays
Toxic sprays are another type of chemical product that you should avoid if you want to keep your home clean. This is because these sprays can cause problems for your health in the long run and it will weaken your immune system.
The only time that you should ever use such products is when there is a serious problem but even then, it’s best to go the natural way and look for products that aren’t dangerous to use around the home.
4. Use glass cleaner to clean your mirrors
When it comes to cleaning your mirrors, there are a lot of different ways that you can do it. One of the most popular methods is to use glass cleaner which will help you to clean any marks off the mirror and will leave them looking nice and shiny.
It’s a good idea to use a microfiber cloth instead of a paper towel as this will get all the gunk off without leaving any marks behind.
5. Have a routine
You should also make sure that you have a regular cleaning routine as this will help to make the process easier. There are many benefits to having a schedule as it will help to keep your home clean on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Bad cleaning habits are common but can make your cleaning routine more difficult than it needs to be. In order to improve your cleaning routine, try breaking these bad habits and replacing them with better ones.
You may find that your home or office is cleaner and easier to manage once you do.
