Because you’re human, you’re going to make mistakes. Because you’re a busy human with so many things on your plate, you’re especially going to be making some silly cleaning mistakes every now and then. You’re probably even just going about your usual semblance of a cleaning routine, like washing your windows on a sunny day or using a feather duster for all your dusting needs, and not realizing that you shouldn’t do either of those things. Huh? Exactly. It’s time to put down that lint roller brush you’re using on your couch to get rid of pet hair and swap it for a reusable pet hair removal tool instead. Here are eight cleaning mistakes you don’t realize you’re making and how to clean better.
1. You’re Still Using a Lint Roller Brush to Get Rid of Pet Hair — Many people still use lint rollers to remove dog and cat hair from their clothing and furniture. While that was everyone’s go-to for years, the reality is that a lint roller just isn’t as effective as a pet hair removal tool. With this kind of tool, you’ll be able to easily remove pet hair from your shirt, your jeans, your couch, and any other non-knit surface. Plus, you can use it to groom your pet, too. A lint roller just has a sticky adhesive that doesn’t completely remove all the pet hair from any surface, and you don’t want to use the lint roller to brush your dog’s fur.
2. You’re Just Spraying Disinfectant Instead of Cleaning — According to MedlinePlus, there is a key difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Disinfecting will kill germs on the surface. Cleaning will remove dirt, dust, and other debris from surfaces. While ideally you want to both clean and disinfect surfaces in your home, you can’t just spray bleach and call it a day. Don’t just disinfect your home by spraying bleach on bathroom and kitchen tiles. You have to thoroughly clean your home as well.
3. You’re Washing Windows on a Sunny Day — You would think that when it’s a warm sunny day outside that it’s the perfect time to wash your windows. Believe it or not, you don’t actually want to wash your windows on a sunny day. That’s because the sun can evaporate any water or cleaning solution you use on it before you’ve actually started cleaning. This leads to streaky windows and cleaning solution buildup, the opposite effect of the crystal-clear glass look you wanted. Instead, wash your windows on a cool and cloudy day, or wash them at night.
4. You’re Using Dish Soap to Clean Cutting Boards — Dish soap and warm water are great for washing dishes. However, it doesn’t exactly cut it for cleaning your cutting boards. Dish soap won’t remove the tiny bacteria and small bits of food that are still lingering on your cutting board. If you’ve been cutting raw meat on your cutting board, the bacteria from your cutting board can transfer to your food and make you sick. To properly clean and sanitize your cutting board, soak it in a mix of bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Use two tablespoons of bleach or hydrogen peroxide per one gallon of water. If you’ve been looking for nitrile gloves, it might be because you’ve realized how important it is to clean cutting boards used for raw meat properly. Dish soap won’t remove the microscopic bacteria and small bits of food still lingering on your cutting board. These tiny remnants can transfer to your food and make you sick. To properly clean and sanitize your cutting board, soak it in bleach or hydrogen peroxide, using two tablespoons of either substance per one gallon of water. Remember to wear nitrile gloves to protect your hands while handling these strong substances.
5. You Don’t Clean the Toilet Enough — We’re all a little guilty of this. Most of us don’t clean the toilet long enough or often enough. It can feel like a long and taxing process when you’re trying to give your toilet a good and thorough scrub down. Make sure you routinely clean your toilet and get into those crevices where bacteria tends to permeate.
6. You Don’t Proactively Groom Your Pet — Grooming your pet isn’t just about making them look good. By proactively grooming your pet and brushing their fur, you’re helping remove excess fur from their coat. Less fur from their coat means less dog and cat hair you have to clean up at home. Use a portable pet hair remover to remove pet hair wherever you go. That way, you’ll be able to use the same tool to groom your pet and remove pesky animal hair from your clothing, car seat and more.
7. You Use the Same Washcloth for Cleaning — You may think that if you’re using bleach and a washcloth, you’re fine to use the same washcloth on multiple surfaces throughout your home. That isn’t the case. When you use the same washcloth over and over again, even if it has a cleaning solution on it, you risk spreading bacteria from one part of your home to another. Use different washcloths or cleaning wipes between surfaces so you don’t transfer germs over and over again.
8. You Use the Same Feather Duster for Dusting — There are several reasons you don’t want to use the same feather duster for dusting multiple surfaces. The first is that it’s like using the same washcloth for cleaning. It’s like using the same dirty lint roller adhesive tape on your clothing all over again instead of using the more eco-friendly Uproot Cleaner Pro. It’s not as hygienic. Different kinds of dusters also work better for different surfaces.
