Cleaning mistakes come in many forms, and some are more serious than others. At their worst, incorrect cleaning methods and techniques can sicken or kill you. More often than not, though, mistakes can leave things not as clean as you would like, affecting your home’s air quality or leaving residue that attracts and traps dirt.

Common Mistakes

Some bad cleaning habits are hard to break, but many common mistakes are easy to correct, leaving your home cleaner – and preventing costly or irreversible damage. Forgetting to clean the things you use to clean, such as the vacuum, washing machine, and toilet brush, can lead to cross-contamination and reduce the life of household appliances and reusable cleaning tools.

Laundering cleaning rags with fabric softener is another mistake, as it leaves a coating on materials like terry cloth and microfiber that can transfer to surfaces, leaving residue and streaks. Mopping floors with laundry detergent is also ineffective and can leave a residue that attracts dirt.

Using cleaning agents incorrectly, applying too much cleaner, and spraying cleaning agents directly on surfaces can also lead to poor cleaning results. Combining cleaning agents that render each other ineffective, overlooking dust buildup on vents and fans, and running the vacuum only on floors and carpets are other common mistakes to avoid.

Cleaning infrequently and/or sporadically can also lead to bigger problems, such as soap scum, mineral deposits, and greasy buildup. Regular cleaning can help reduce the time and effort needed to remediate severe cleaning problems caused by neglect.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.