10 cleaning mistakes to avoid

Here are a few of the main cleaning mistakes to avoid:

1. Not cleaning/maintaining your vacuum cleaner

Every few months take the time to check to make sure your vacuum cleaner is working. Change the bag, clean the filter, cut any matted hairs or string that have attached themselves to the brush, and once every few years take your vacuum cleaner to be serviced.

If you’re going to spend the time vacuuming your house, you might as well take the time to ensure that your vacuum is in good condition so it actually does a good job.

2. Failing to do a test patch

It doesn’t take long to test a product before you use it and it will save you a lot of money and time by not damaging your home. It’s a much better idea to test a carpet cleaner on a patch of corner carpet before you use it on the whole room, damaging it permanently.

3. Not replacing your sink sponge often enough

You can prolong the life of your kitchen sponge by microwaving it for a minute or giving it a wash in the dishwasher but when it starts to stain and fall apart, it’s time to ditch it and get a new one.

4. Using cleaning products on electronics

Never use any kind of chemical cleaners or liquid sprays on or near electronics. If you’re going to clean your desk, move your computer and speakers before you start spraying cleaner everywhere.

One incident probably won’t harm your electronics, but cleaning products and chemicals can severely harm electronics over time. Always read the cleaning instructions for electronics and if you’re not sure, use only a dry, clean cloth, soft brush or air cleaner for electronics.

If you need something stronger try isopropyl – it has no minerals in it and is pure alcohol so it won’t leave a build up of product. It’s safe for most electronics, but make sure you read the cleaning instructions for your devices before using it.

5. Over-filling the dishwasher/washing machine

It doesn’t matter how much you want to squeeze that last dinner bowl in, it just makes the dishwasher completely ineffective. It’s much better to leave if for the next load so you don’t have to re-wash everything that wasn’t washed properly in the poorly packed load.

6. Using your sink sponge to wipe up floor spills

Have separate sponges for separate areas of your house. One for the kitchen sink, one for the bathroom and one for the floors. It’s hard enough keeping your kitchen sponge ‘clean’ without having to deal with foreign bacteria from the floor and toilet.

Here’s a neat tip – have pink coloured cloths or sponges for the kitchen sink and don’t use them anywhere else. This will keep you from accidentally using the wrong one because you can always remember ‘pink is for the sink’.

7. Waiting too long to deal with carpet stains

They really should be dealt with immediately. Use a towel to soak up the spill and blot, never rub, a carpet spill. Next, pour a thick layer of bi-carb soda over the spill to soak it up and vacuum up the bi-carb the next day.

If you leave the stain until the next day without treatment, it gives it time to set and seep into the fibres of the carpet, making it much harder to get stains out.

8. Using too much cleaning product

You should always use the amount specified on the packaging. More product doesn’t mean you’re doing a better job of cleaning – you might be making it worse by creating a product build up.

A good rule of thumb is to apply the product to your cloth or cleaning implement – you’ll use much less than if you try to cover a big space and chances are, a smaller amount of product is the correct amount of product.

9. Neglecting your rubbish bin

We use our rubbish bins every day but how often do we clean them? Once every few weeks take your rubbish bin outside and fill the bin with hot soapy water. Leave it to soak for a while, ditch the water and let it dry completely. It will kill any germs and yucky bin juice smells.

10. Forgetting to clean your dishwasher

Every few weeks or so, give your dishwasher a break and let it run empty. It will get rid of soggy food build ups and it will help your dishwasher to run much more efficiently.

Source: www.realestate.com.au