6 Cleaning Mistakes You Didn't Realize You Were Making

Updated on 11/23/2016 at 5:30 PM

Ready to make your life so much easier? There's lots of little mistakes that can be made while cleaning your home. By tweaking your regular routine, your house will stay cleaner longer and nothing will be damaged. Check out these mistakes and make sure you're not making them!

Cleaning windows while it's sunny out.

The heat will make any window cleaner dry quickly, resulting in streaks and residue. Wait until the sun isn't directly hitting the windows to clean them.

Using lemon on marble or limestone surfaces.

Lemons may seem like harmless things to clean with, but the acid in them can dull the appearance of certain countertops and floors. Sticking to cleaning solutions made for those kinds of surfaces is a better solution.

Placing spoons face up in the dishwasher.

It's OK to put knives and forks face up, but putting spoons face up stops them from getting completely clean. The curve of the spoon makes the water ricochet off of the utensil.

Scrubbing a stain on the carpet.

If you spill wine, juice, or any beverage, rubbing and scrubbing it will only make it worse. It will also cause the fabric fibers to unravel and make a rough patch. Blot the area immediately and apply pressure with towels instead.

Not cleaning your sponge.

You might not think about it, but the sponge you do dishes with absorbs and stores the germs that you're scrubbing off of surfaces. Make sure to wash the sponge with soap and water once you're finished with it. It's also a good idea to swap out for a new sponge every other week.

Spraying extra cleaner.

You probably think you're getting your surface extra clean by spraying some extra cleaner, but it actually results in residue. It doesn't remove any more grime than the amount you're told to use in the directions.