Last updated on January 3rd, 2022
Cleaning is a task that most of us don’t relish. But it needs to be done anyway. Especially in the current world climate we find ourselves in, where ‘disinfection’ and ‘sanitizing’ have suddenly become routine tasks.
And let’s admit it. We all try and look for things that’ll make this boring job easier and faster. But sometimes, these quick fixes might be making our entire cleaning effort, ineffective.
Here are 5 such cleaning mistakes we all make. Read on to find out if you’re guilty of any of these too.
1. Not cleaning the cleaning tools
First things first. There can be no cleaning with dirty tools. And we aren’t talking about the dirt that may always be visible. If your washing machine, for instance, smells funny from dirt and germ residue, how clean can you expect your clothes to be? Or if the mop you’re using isn’t clean enough, your cleaning effort is only pushing the dirt and germs around.
Pay close attention to cleaning tools and disinfect them periodically with hot water and disinfectant. And when required, replace them.
2. Using one disinfectant wipe to clean many surfaces
Disposable disinfectant wipes are a great tool to quickly disinfect surfaces. But it’s important to remember, that a single wipe doesn’t contain an unlimited amount of disinfectant.
So, unless you want to just transfer germs from one surface to another, use a fresh one, each time you go to a different surface, or when you find that the wipe isn’t as wet.
3. Not storing cleaning supplies in one place
Do you spend more time finding the proper cleaning tools, than in the actual cleaning? If you find yourself nodding, that’s one thing you’ll need to change.
Assign specific places in your home where you can stow away your cleaning products and tools. You can use a plastic carryall to keep them together. And if you have two floors in your house, keep separate supplies for upstairs and downstairs, to make your task easier. And once you finish using them, put them back in the same place.
4. Not reading directions
There’s a very good reason why all products come with directions. And if you’ve ever had to redo a cleaning task a second time, because you didn’t bother reading and following the instructions the first time around, then you know exactly what we mean.
In order to be effective, the application and time that each cleaner needs, are different. So, read those instructions. It might just save you 30 minutes of hard scrubbing. Or worse, starting all over again.
5. Using too much cleaning product
More cleaning product means better cleaning, right? Wrong.
If you use more cleaning products or detergents than required, you are actually doing more harm than good. The extra product doesn’t get rinsed completely and becomes a dirt-magnet on the surface you’re trying to clean. And you end up wasting the product, your money, time, and water.
Happy cleaning, folks!
