Common Cleaning Mistakes We All Make

There are a lot of things in life which we must do which aren’t particularly fun or interesting, like waiting in line or picking up after our dogs. Cleaning your home is another such task; most people don’t enjoy it, but it still has to be done.

Even though it may not be your favorite thing in the world, that doesn’t mean you can ignore it, or do a shoddy job at it. Cleaning experts at Castle Keepers of Greenville share some of the tips and tricks which can make your cleaning much quicker and more effective while avoiding making some amateur mistakes.

Do You Wear Gloves While Cleaning? You Should

If you are in a hurry, or you are only cleaning a small spill, cleaning barehanded is fine.

However, if you have planned to clean your home or a part of it, and you don’t wear gloves, you are playing with your health. A vast majority of the chemicals we use for cleaning are abrasive and can damage your skin. After all, that’s how they manage to get the stains out of your house.

Even the cleaning products which are touted as ‘natural’ and ‘green’ can dry your skin right out. Some home cleaning experts suggest wearing gloves which are lined with cotton because they offer more protection, and avoiding rubber and latex ones. However, any protection is better than nothing at all.

Rubbing the Carpet Stains

Even though this might be your first instinct when you spill coffee or anything else on your carpet, rubbing is maybe the worst thing you can do for the stain. It will only drive the stain further into the fibers of the carpet, making it that much harder to remove.

Instead, you should try blotting the stain with a paper towel or a cotton cloth. Also, going from the outside in makes more sense, as you are preventing the stain from growing. What you want to do is essentially to dilute the stain by spraying water and detergent on it and blotting it until it has disappeared.

Spraying the Cleaner on the Surface

Most of the cleaners we use are fairly strong, which means that putting them on a sensitive surface can cause quite a strong reaction. In fact, much stronger than what you need to remove the stain.

You should only spray directly on the stain if the stain is really serious or if it has dried. Otherwise, spraying the cleaner on the cloth or a brush that you intend to use to clean your home is sufficient.

Using Cotton Cloths to Clean Glass

Cotton cloths are great for a multitude of reasons and purposes. However, cleaning windows or other glass surfaces is not one of these uses. Cotton cloths tend to leave small bits of themselves behind on glass surfaces, so even if you have just cleaned your windows, they will appear to be mushy and dirty.

Instead, most cleaning experts will recommend that you use a microfiber cloth which will not shed and will get the maximum amount of dust and dirt.

Using Vinegar on Stone

A lot of people really like cleaning with ingredients that they have at home, rather than buying chemical cleaners from the store. While there is some merit to using rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or baking soda, these substances are not as strong or as effective as store-bought cleaners, and they might not be always suitable for cleaning.

For instance, vinegar is a form of acid, which can really easily damage the top coating of most stone countertops. That leaves the countertops porous and susceptible to damage.

Even if you are not a fan of cleaning, you can still learn to apply these simple improvements to your


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Matthew Okafor