AAA Cleanco is pleased to offer house cleaning, housekeeping and maid services to customers in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta and surrounding areas. In between house cleanings, there are several maintenance tips you can follow to help keep things spick and span and healthy for your family and pets until our next visit. Following is a list of the 10 worst cleaning mistakes you can make.
1. Cleaning Glass Windows when Sunny
You may notice streaks and handprints on the windows when it is the sunniest part of the day. It is only natural that your first instinct may be to get out your glass cleaner and begin wiping down the glass, but this is a mistake! The sun causes the cleaner to dry too quickly, and while the handprints may be gone, there will be plenty of streaks left behind.
2. Overusing Vinegar
Cleaning with natural cleaners to prevent chemicals from harming your lungs and eyes is admirable and great for the environment, but vinegar cannot clean everything! For example, it is not a great disinfectant, so keep it put it away when you are spot cleaning the toilets or a countertop that has had raw meat or chicken juice on it.
3. Not Letting the Toilet Brush Dry
Toilet brushes are a breeding ground for germs. Allowing the brush to dry across the toilet before placing it in the holder will prevent bacteria from growing freely on the brush.
4. Putting the Wrong Things Down the Garbage Disposal
You may hear about lots of food products that can be used to deodorize your kitchen drain but often these food products should never go down the garbage disposal. One such example is coffee beans. They can easily get stuck and could slowly clog your drain. Instead, use lemon ice cubes; they will sharpen the disposal and then melt entirely.
5. Scrubbing Carpet Stains Out
When a glass of juice or wine is splashed onto the carpet, it may be your first instinct to grab a wet rag and begin scrubbing hard. This is the worst thing to do as it will fray the carpet strands and spread the stain while forcing it deeper into the carpet. Instead of scrubbing, try blotting with dry paper towels. Once most of the liquid use been extracted, use carpet cleaner to get the rest of the stain out.
6. Using Furniture Polish to Dust the Wrong Surfaces
Furniture polish is meant to be used only on natural wood as a means to protect it. Most furniture made today either already has protective coats, is laminated or is painted. When you use polish on furniture that isn’t natural wood, you are only making it oily. Instead, use a damp rag to dust and shine surfaces that are not natural wood.
7. Using the Wrong Tools to Clean
Do not wash your dirty dishes and pots and pans with a rag; use a sponge. And don’t use an abrasive scratch pad to wipe down cabinets; use a soft rag. Think about what you want to achieve (and don’t want to achieve) and how best to achieve it.
8. Bleaching Everything
Opposite to vinegar being a great cleaner but a terrible disinfectant, bleach is a great disinfectant, but a terrible cleaner. It doesn’t break down food or buildup and is harmful on the lungs.
9. Not Using the Exhaust Fan Enough
The exhaust fan is for more than just airing out a smelly bathroom. Turning it on during and after a shower will prevent humidity and moisture. Humidity makes it easy for mold to grow and rags and towels to smell like mildew.
10. Forgetting to Clean the Cleaning Tools
Once you have scrubbed down the counters with that sponge, toss the sponge in the laundry or cook it in the microwave for a few seconds. Wash your toilet brush, your rags, and the gloves on your hands when the job is over.
Residential Home Cleaning, Housekeepers, Maid Services, Janitorial & More in Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Bermuda Dunes, Indio, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta, Banning, Coachella Valley & Riverside County California
Now that you know these 10 cleaning mistakes to avoid, you can get smarter at house cleaning in between visits from AAA Cleanco! Call us for your next cleaning appointment today!
