We all naturally want a clean and tidy home, especially with young children or pets. However, the quest for a spotless environment can sometimes lead us to spend hours scrubbing every surface.
It turns out there’s such a thing as being too clean. You might be surprised, but experts reckon going overboard can actually damage some of your stuff. Depending on what you’ve got in your house, you could be shortening the lifespan of your belongings without realising.
Here, the cleaning experts at Home Spritz tell YCB about the items that you don’t need to clean too often, with some of them potentially suffering from our overzealous cleaning habits.
Disinfecting every surface
Since the pandemic, we’ve all gotten into the habit of wiping down every surface, from door handles to telly remotes. But it’s easy to go overboard, as disinfectant everything in sight might actually be doing more harm than good.
“Going overboard with disinfectant sprays might actually help germs become more resistant, and this could make the usual cleaning products less effective in the long run.
So, while these sprays are brilliant for certain jobs, it’s best to use them wisely and not too often. If you need to tackle a mess, consider a multi-purpose spray or a good degreaser instead,” recommend the experts.
Carpet
Carpets are built to last ages, but they do need a bit of looking after to see them through the years.
While vacuuming your rough once a week is a good thing, using a steam cleaner could cause some problems.
Steam cleaning too much can cause your rug to fade, making it patchy and even snag the fibres. You should steam clean a maximum of only twice a year.
When it comes to vacuuming, using an edium setting on the head will actually be better for your rug.
Mirrors
We all love a crystal-clear mirror, but going overboard with glass cleaner can ruin the reflective bit at the back. This shows up as black patches around the edges or even in the middle.
So, instead of cleaning too often, give your mirrors a weekly wipe and be gentle with the spray.
Oven
There’s no need to clean the oven every week, or even monthly. A good deep clean three or four times a year will keep it ship-shaped.
“Food doesn’t directly touch the oven insides, so it doesn’t need to be spotless. Plus, the oven’s heat helps kill any unwelcome guests between deep cleans.
Of course, if it has a self-cleaning mode, make the most of it. Just remember to tackle spills as they happen to avoid a bigger headache later,” say the experts.
Hob
You don’t have to give the hob a full scrub every time you cook, unless there was a massive spill.
“A quick wipe after each use and a proper clean once a month will do the trick.
The food doesn’t touch the hub directly, and the heat does a great job of keeping any germs at bay, so it doesn’t need too much attention from you,” suggest the experts.
Tea towels
Your trusty tea towels are brilliant for mopping spills, drying the dishes, and cleaning surfaces, but they don’t need to be washed as often as your bath towels.
They’re designed to dry quickly, which means mould and mildew struggle to take hold. A good wash every fortnight or so should do the trick. Remember to hang them up after each use to help them dry out fast and stay fresh for longer.
Dusting daily
Keeping your home dust-free is a noble pursuit, but there’s no need to go overboard.
“It’s true, dust can be an eyesore to look at and can hold bacteria, but when you dust every day, there’s not much to pick up in the first place.
Instead, dusting once a week should be enough, as it lets a bit of build-up without becoming too excessive. This will save you some time, energy, and money on cleaning products.
If dust triggers your allergies, an air purifier could be a good idea in the meantime,” the experts advise.
Windows
We tend to clean our windows too often, and for aesthetic reasons as well, but they probably don’t need cleaning quite as often as you might think.
Most windows only need a proper clean inside and out once or twice a year. Of course, you can adjust this depending on the weather, dust levels, or how much pollen is about.
Fridge
Keeping your fridge clean and organised is a good habit, but you don’t need to give it a scrub as often as some other kitchen kit.
“You’ll need to give your fridge a proper deep clean about once a month, but if there are any accidental spills, deal with those straight away,” say the experts.
