Cleaning your home should be as much of a priority as taking care of your health. But there are some mistakes you might be making that make your home dirtier over time. From not using the right cleaning techniques to sticking with the same rags, how you clean is as important as how often and with what. Keep reading so you can learn to be wary of those mistakes. Remember, apartment cleaning services won’t have much of an impact if you’re making your home dirtier.
1. Not applying elbow grease when cleaning
Tough stains, in particular, require friction and physical exertion to clean. The reason being is that you need heat and pressure to degrade the stain enough so that it can be cleaned. Stains like blood, paint, chocolate, grass, and soap scum can’t easily be eliminated. Not unless you’re scrubbing hard in a vigorous motion, and often, for a sustained period. While cleaning, double-check your technique. The simple truth is, if stains aren’t going away, you might not be using much force as needed.
2. Using the same rag everywhere
Cleaning surfaces with rags or sponges will leave bacteria deposits in the rags you use. Be sure to use a different rag for each room and consider swapping them out more often. Remember, the rag will collect dirt as soon as it’s in contact with door handles, countertops, tables, and other surfaces. Clean it as often as possible and go into a cleaning job with at least several on hand.
3. Cleaning with dirty water
Replacing your water regularly will help you avoid spreading dirty water throughout your home. Doing so will create an odorous mess and leave bacteria and viruses lingering behind. It’s best to swap out your water when you notice it’s too black, gray, milky, or dirty. While changing the water, you should be careful not to splatter any in areas you just cleaned.
4. Not washing your bed linens
Bed linens can attract all sorts of bacteria. If you’ve heard the way bedbugs can torture the residents of a home, understand that not using hot water to clean your mattress and linens will leave you sleeping with germs. To emphasize the point of cleaning your linens, examine one study where a woman slept on a bed for 28 nights without washing the blankets, sheets, or pillowcases. Researchers found Bacteroids, which are linked to pneumonia, as well as Fusiobacteriales, which are known to cause throat infections. Not washing your linens is a mistake you’ll regret.
5. Not touching the coffee pot
You might not think twice about your coffee pot other than the outside of the glass pot. But because of the heat and the moisture, the inside of a coffee machine can collect bacteria as leftover coffee grounds and liquid remain inside. To avoid a nasty cup of coffee and a grimy-looking machine, clean the coffee pot on a regular basis. Go over your coffee pot thoroughly with warm water and a rag after each time you use the machine.
6. Forgetting to dust the ceiling fans
Ceiling fans collect dust because of the way air circulates around a room. Many dust particles settle in places where no air will blow them away. Since many homeowners neglect ceiling fans, it’s possible that it’s caked on top of the fans. You can dramatically improve the air quality in your home by remembering to dust the fans several times a week. Large amounts of dust collect various contaminants and germs. All of these germs circulate throughout your home thanks to the work of your home’s air conditioning.
7. Not decluttering along with cleaning
Rearranging, getting rid of unwanted items, and straightening your furniture might not seem like a big idea. In reality, decluttering offers benefits, including a better mood, improved focus, and even an improved ability to sustain relationships. Not decluttering simply tells your mind it’s okay to be unclean. More importantly, getting into the habit of tidying up will keep you in the mindset of wanting to stay clean in the future.
If you’re living in an apartment, cleaning services have probably come to your attention. But no amount of cleaning services will help you if you’re adding more bacteria to the home. Fortunately, now, you have an idea of what you might be doing to keep your home dirtier. From here, when you hire a cleaning service, your own efforts will assist theirs, making for a cleaner home overall.