5 cleaning mistakes you don't even know you're making

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It's winter, in the midst of a pandemic, and many of us are stuck at home. It's the perfect time to tackle a few cleaning projects. But before we pick up our mops and brooms, there's a few pieces of information Reader's Digest would like to impart — specifically about our tidying-up habits. 

Are you guilty of these housekeeping mistakes?

Dusting surfaces with a dry rag

Put down the duster, or anything that resembles it, especially a dry rag. While dusting your fan may leave it looking pearly white, that dust doesn’t just disappear into thin air! All that sneezing you do when dusting is the result of the tiny particles flying elsewhere, like your table, rug, etc. You may think you’ll clean up all the dust when you vacuum, but there are plenty of nooks and crannies it settles in that you’ll forget about. Your best bet is to wet a rag, which will pick up dust more effectively.

Not washing your pillows

Sure, you know about washing your pillowcases weekly, but what about your actual pillows? Most pillows have a tag giving laundering instructions, yet very few people follow through with doing so. Your pillow is subject to dust mites, body oils, and bacteria from your saliva, which is why you should stick it in the washing machine every three to six months. 

Sure, you know about washing your pillowcases weekly, but what about your actual pillows? (iStock)

Cleaning stainless steel in circular motions

It doesn’t take much to dirty up a stainless steel appliance. One touch and your refrigerator is totally smudged. When cleaning, be sure you’re not wiping in circular motions, because you’ll see the marks when the cleaner dries. Instead, find the grain in the stainless steel and follow that. You’ll notice a big difference.

You’re overlooking switches and remotes

You know to do the big stuff: vacuuming, mopping, wiping away dust. But there are some items in your house that you may have never cleaned, yet harbor a major amount of bacteria. Light switches and remote controls are two highly overlooked housekeeping areas. Cold viruses lurk on such places, from sneezing or coughing into your hand and then immediately flipping on the TV or light. A simple spritz of disinfectant is a good place to start, and a bleach wipe can get into the tough to reach spots where the unhealthy gunk hangs out.

Light switches and remote controls are two highly overlooked housekeeping areas. (iStock)

Washing windows on a sunny day

You can’t control the sun, but you can avoid it, which is something you should do when washing your windows. This is because glass cleaner dries quickly in direct sunlight, leaving behind unsightly streaks that are counterintuitive to your washing job. Opt for overcast skies and the temp below 70 degrees. Check out our other clever solutions to the most annoying window cleaning problems.

For five more housekeeping habits you should drop immediately, continue reading the original article at Reader's Digest.