Make these cleaning blunders if you’re guilty of them. Your house will be ruined if you continue with these unhealthy behaviours.
Our cleaning routines vary from room to room, and although this may be the case for you, you may be committing cleaning blunders that are causing damage across your house. Even while our favourite cleaning solutions are effective, they might really cause more damage than good. Aside from the fact that they harm floors and surfaces, cleaning errors like these may also degrade soft furnishings and upholstery.
You can save money in the long term by avoiding these 11 cleaning blunders that might wreck your house.
Cleaning a couch’s fabric with bleach
If a fabric sofa has a stain, it can be a real pain if it isn’t cleaned properly. On the contrary, never use bleach (or diluted bleach) to remove stains from a fabric couch. After regular usage, bleach may cause tiny holes to appear in a material’s fibres. A new couch is the last thing you want to do if you can avoid ruining the fabric cover.
Spraying a solution of 1 tablespoon dish soap to 34 warm water in a spray bottle works best for removing stains off fabric sofas. Before applying anything on your couch, make sure to read the care instructions. In the case of a leather sofa, you may want to check out how to clean a leather couch and remove daily stains for the best advice.
Using vinegar to clean marble and granite countertops
White vinegar is a typical natural cleaning agent, but there are several items you should never clean with it. One of them is marble and granite countertops. When used on natural stone, vinegar, especially white vinegar, may scrape or wear away the surface. A darkening of the finish may occur as a result of this, resulting in a loss of gloss and shine. It’s not uncommon for natural stone such as marble, granite, or travertine to command a high price when damaged.
Dish soap and warm water are the finest cleaning solution for stone surfaces. Simple! If you’re not sure which vinegar is best for cleaning, try this one instead.
Spraying furniture with wood polish
This is something we’ve all done from time to time, but never use a cleaning agent on unprotected wood furniture. In addition to warping the surface, a buildup of residue may also produce discolouration. You’ll also have to remove the extra polish, which will take additional time. Instead, use a clean microfibre cloth sprayed with polish to wipe off surfaces evenly.
Using too much water while mopping hardwood floors.
While we want our hardwood floors to be pristine, we should never soak the floors with water and then let them to dry.. Standing water has the potential to distort flooring and create significant long-term damage (and expenditures). Using a dry towel or a mop to remove as much water as possible after cleaning floors is the recommended course of action. Additionally, you may hasten the drying process by leaving windows and doors open. If you’re looking for further advice, consider learning how to properly clean hardwood floors without causing damage.
The fifth step is cleaning painted surfaces using a scrubber.
This may be an eyesore when children’s artwork gets on the painted walls. However, don’t scrape your walls too hard to remove stains or markings. You risk damaging the plaster underneath the paint if you try to remove it. Before you begin cleaning the whole area, examine a small area with a non-abrasive sponge to see whether the stain can be removed. A mixture of baking soda and warm water should be applied immediately to the stain, rather than rubbing it. Before bringing in the decorators, check out these best suggestions on how to clean painted walls to remove stains.
Cleansers may be mixed to get the best results.
Even though we all have our go-to cleaning products, we should never (ever!) combine various cleaning products. Washroom cleaners that include both bleach and limescale remover are potentially hazardous, and should only be used in extreme cases. Toxic gases may be generated when some home cleansers, which are made in a certain manner, are mixed with other goods. Do not use several cleaning products at the same time.
Getting rid of stains in the carpet
Accidental stains on carpets may be a bother. And although the natural instinct is to scrub away stains with effort, this might actually cause the stains to spread. In addition, the carpet fibres might get frayed and faded if you massage them too vigorously. Your carpet’s quality, feel, and appearance will all be ruined as a result of this. Instead, use a clean towel with a dabbing motion to gently wipe the carpet stain. Here are a few easy techniques to clean your carpet of red wine stains, whether it’s on it or your clothing.
Mold removal with bleach
Bleach is a typical error when trying to remove mould, but it actually worsens it. A wet environment like a bathroom or window sill is ideal for mould, which grows and may lead to major health issues such as asthma or other respiratory disorders. Even though it does a good job of removing any black spots, the water goes down to the base of the mould and aids in the mold’s growth. Furthermore, bleaching mould might enable it to spread to previously untouched places, which can lead to structural damage. You should bring in an expert to identify the source of the mould and devise a plan for removing it entirely.
Stainless steel and abrasive sponges
When cleaning stainless steel pots and appliances, we often use abrasive sponges to remove caked-on food or oily residue. When it comes to cleaning stovetops, scouring pads and steel wool are simply going to scrape the surface and cause damage. Use microfiber cloths to dry instead of abrasive pads.
Cleaning electronic devices using household cleaners
Never use cleaning agents directly on your laptop, phone, or any other electronic equipment. Electronics may fail, damage, or worse, produce sparks if they are exposed to dampness. The GreatShield Universal Screen Cleaning Kit ($12, Amazon) is a safe and effective cleaning solution for electronic gadgets.