It’s spring cleaning time! As every year, you are well-equipped and full of knowledge to rush into your spring cleaning! But do you really know how dust goes off best, which cleaning tool we never clean and how often you should replace your vacuum bag? The answers will surprise you and change your annual habits enormously. Helpling outlines the 10 biggest mistakes we always do when it come to spring cleaning and gives advice on how to tackle his upcoming cleaning season.
1-Getting spring cleaning done during the weekend: wrong
Timing, as much as it is important to finish spring cleaning in one go, the task can be overwhelming and exhausting. Don’t start the cleaning on a Thursday evening after work or even Friday. That means you will spend your precious Friday and Saturday cleaning and you will miss your weekend, coming back to work on Sunday with very low energy. Break down the task into manageable portions. The best is to divide it room by room. Perhaps you can allocate a few hours for spring cleaning every other day.
Further, doing all deep cleaning alone can be a very exhausting job, you do not want to end with sore muscles and body aches. Ask for help so you will do a better job in a shorter amount of time.
2-The more foam, the better the effect: wrong
It is almost common knowledge that the more foam occurs, the better the cleanser works. Who does not believe that? This actually not true! Too much foam reduces the fibers movement. Hence whether washing or wiping: loads of foam can actually cause the dirt to be removed less efficiently. Therefore, always follow the recommended dosage, it’s there for a reason – the environment will also be grateful for this!
3-The sponge is the filthiest cleaning tool: wrong
Warm, humid and in touch with leftovers: this sums up the perfect surrounding for bringing the sponge with its 10 millions germs to life. Mostly forgotten: the same conditions are on our mop! We wipe with one billion bacteria per ten square feet from room to room, but rarely clean the wiper itself. After every use, wash the removable cloth at 60 degrees. Alternatively, you can gather all the cleaning cloths and wash them all at the same time after each cleaning. For better hygiene, a fixed fringe wiper should be exchanged every two months.
4-Washing your windows in the sunlight: wrong
Even if the sunshine reveals clearly the dirty spots on the windows – that doesn’t mean to grab the puller right away. Through the sunshine’s heat, the cleaning water is transpiring on glass plates much faster, causing nasty streaks! Instead – be patient and do it when the sun goes down and the job will be easier.
5-Replace your vacuum cleaner bag only when full: wrong
Always ignored and not changed until it’s almost exploding: the vacuum cleaner bag! Way too late: sand and dust reduce the suction power, additionally food leftovers decompose in the warm environment. Also, the evolving mold can lead to a bitter smell in the vacuum cleaner. Change the bag already when it’s filled to two thirds of its maximum capacity – this means every 6-8 weeks! If your vacuum cleaner does not have a bag, it is even better, you can clean it after each use without thinking about the cost of the bag!
6-The machine drum cleans itself with every cycle: wrong
After every washing, the drum is looking clean and fresh – but appearances can be deceiving: moisture evaporates slowly changing the drum into a germ incubator. To avoid spreading bacteria and smell, give 50g baking soda into the drum and fill up the detergent drawer with 50 ml of vinegar. Run the cycle without any clothes in it and the now lime-free drum smells fresh again! Most of the newer models of washing machines have a special cycle to clean the drum. Normally it is called “Eco drum clean” which normally runs at 70˚C.
7-Dusting works better with a wet wipe: wrong
The most hated household task without any doubt is getting rid of permanently returning dust! Most common question: Should we wet or dry wipe it? The answer: moisture attracts dust – so it’s better to use dry anti static wipes. You can use a designated dusting brush or use the small brush that comes with a vacuum cleaner. That way you can clean super narrow corners. Most of vacuum cleaners provide extra brushes with different shapes as well.
Additional tip: polish the surfaces with a mixture of water and a drop of fabric softener. This impregnates the surfaces and avoids quick dust returns!
8-Germs die in the freezer: wrong
You free your fridge regularly from bacteria – but oversee the freezer? Unhygienic habit: germs rest up from minus 18 degrees but will reactivate again as soon as it gets warmer. To avoid this, shut down the empty freezer filled with towels and defrost it overnight. In the next morning, wipe it out with vinegar-based cleanser to free it from last sleeping bacteria.
On a side note:
Sun-rays kill mites: correct
Before changing your winter bedding, your eiderdown need a refreshment! Washing them is just an option, if you have an electric dryer. If not, the feathers will clump and stick together. To kill mites effectively take the eiderdown out in the sunlight! UV rays have bacteria killing properties so that the invisible mites die already after 24 hour.
Washing curtains at only 30 degrees in delicate mode
Washing curtains is exhausting: they are long, unwieldy and dusty. Instead of the annoying old-school hand washing of curtains, we can now use the 30 degrees delicate mode of our washing machine. Important tip: avoid the spin cycle! The tough spin causes creases within the sensitive material which you hardly can iron. Also make sure to wash curtains only with mild detergent, otherwise clumpy residuals stay on fine fabric. You can hang the curtains back while they are wet and avoid ironing them altogether. This can also depended on the fabric that your curtains are made off. Sometimes ironing is an unavoidable task.
Also, don’t forget to clean all the cabinets, closets, walls and ceilings. Spring cleaning is supposed to be a very thorough, deep cleaning and de-cluttering process. Just think of every corner in the house – the seen and unseen. You never know you might find lost precious items while you are cleaning.
Finally, if you like to change your decoration from time to time, it’s a good idea to do that during your spring cleaning. You can rearrange your furniture, add art pieces or remove other things you no longer love. Not only will you get a clean and sparkly house but you will also give your home a fresh vibe.