Bad Cleaning Habits You Need to Break
All we ever wanted is a clean and safe abode for you and your family. Sure enough, you’ll go cleaning at great lengths just to achieve that, and we applaud your efforts for that. But, you know, everyone is not fond of cleaning and might take some ‘shortcuts’ to get the job done in the shortest time possible. You might’ve even developed some habits to cut the long rope short. Well, I’m about to ruin to fun for you! Instead of checking out the cleaning tasks faster like you expected, you could be doing the opposite — and that means double the work.
Here’s a list of bad cleaning habits you need to break.
Leaving Dirty Dishes in the Sink
Yeah, we know that reason. You’re just gonna let it soak first before you wash them. And before you knew it, one hour or two has passed by in a blink. Lol!
It’s completely fine if you want to let the dishes soak first to loosen up all the food particles that are stuck into your precious chinaware. But make sure to come back for them as leaving dirty dishes in the sink can actually serve as a breeding ground and a feast site for bacteria and germs. Leftover food also attracts insects like cockroaches and houseflies.
And as you all know are harbingers of sickness and deadly diseases, so you’ve got a pretty good reason to clean that clutter in your sink right away after a hearty lunch or dinner.
You can also train your family to wash their dishes immediately after eating. And of course, don’t forget to scrub your sink with hot, soapy water and spray it with some disinfectant.
Throwing clothes and accessories on a chair
We all have that special chair inside our room where its only function is to serve as a storage for your clothes that are ‘too dirty for the drawer but too clean for the hamper.’ Or just plain storage for newly-gathered clothes from laundry that you are too lazy to fold.
Well, it might be really easy to just chuck and drape these articles of clothing but what you’re really doing is just giving yourself a decluttering job saved for later. Slowly break this habit by ensuring that you’ve taken all of your clothing to their respective drawers before pulling new ones out. If this seems to be a bit hard for you, just make sure that no piece of clothing sleeps on the chair overnight.
Leaving wet towels and showers curtains bunched up
And speaking of leaving things in a big pile of mess, avoid leaving wet towels and showers bunched up after taking a bath or q quick shower. Mold and mildew will thank you for creating a habitat for them to grow and multiply.
Before leaving the bathroom, make sure that your towels are hung up properly to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew — no one wants a smelly towel on their next bath time, right?
Allowing paper clutter to accumulate
Bills, receipts, newspapers, magazines, and even coupons — you name them. They always end up in a big pile of mess somewhere in our living room or entryway. To prevent such clutter, designate a storage area for your newspaper and magazines near the door or entrance. Keep bills, tax forms, and other important documents in separate folders or plastic storage bins.
And for a lesser paper clutter, opt for electronic mails, receipts, and statements of account. Cancel subscriptions for magazines and periodicals that you don’t read anymore.
Cleaning with dirty cleaning tools
Okay, who are you kidding? How can you expect your space to be spotless when you are cleaning it with dirty cleaning tools?
For instance, if your vacuum is already filled with dust and dirt, how can you expect it to do an excellent sucking job? Same goes for your washing. The detergent build-up and residue will just make your clothes stink — the irony. Dirty mops and used sponges will just spread bacteria and germs instead of the other way around.
Before you start your decluttering agenda or right after your previous spring clean, make sure you’ve cleaned and disinfected your cleaning tools. Replacing old tools is also recommended.
Not reading product labels and instructions
Well, there’s a reason why labels and directions are placed on every cleaning product you see in the grocery aisle. They are there for you to read and understand before you go splashing or spraying the cleaning product on every stain or surface.
Some cleaners need to be soaked up for a period of time before you can witness their cleaning power while others are needed to be diluted in water or have a specific way of application. So, to save yourself another 30 minutes of scrubbing and wiping (and to avoid accidents as well), kindly read the labels first.
Not cleaning stains and spots right away
This scenario is very common in your kitchen especially when you are cooking. It is inevitable for foods, sauces, and oil to splatter on your kitchen table or countertops. Countertop spills and stains may harden if not wiped out immediately. So, to save yourself a cleaning job later on, make it a habit to clean up right after cooking.
How about the accidental spills on your clothes or carpet? These set-in stains are harder to lift than countertop stains. Make it a habit to clean them right away with the appropriate stain remover.
Hoarding food in the refrigerator
Everyone is guilty of stuffing their refrigerator with food as long as they can see a space to insert or slip those half-empty containers of milk or yogurt into. It’s fine to put some leftover lunch if you’re going to eat it in snack or dinner the same day. But if you’re not going to promptly consume leftovers, then it’s better to just dispose them. Improperly stored food promotes the growth of mold and bacteria which makes refrigerator cleaning ten times harder than it should be.
Inside our Asian household, there’s this special bottle of sauce that my mother couldn’t let go of even if it has lived its life years beyond its expiration date. I hate to break it to you mom but this Worcestershire sauce should go.
Leaving bed unmade
This may seem a trivial thing but an unmade bed is such an eyesore inside a neat and tidy bedroom. Just take a couple of minutes in your morning routine and kindly arrange those pillows and fold those blankets, please.
Dusting Last
Alright, there’s a methodical way of spring cleaning — dusting should come first before vacuuming. Start from the top — yes, your ceiling, so that all of the dust particles will land on the floor. Simple trick but often overlooked.
Bad habits die hard, as one saying goes. But this doesn’t mean that you can turn them around. By simply reminding yourself to fulfill each task on a daily basis, you’ll be in no time changing the tide to turn in your favor!
