Cleaning days are when you wage war on the house with the help of your family. Typically, all homes have one dedicated day in the week for extensive cleaning. Be it kitchen counters or living room floors, everything has to be given that extra scrub on the cleaning day.
You might have heard that there’s no such thing as too much cleanliness. But you might be wrong on that one when it comes to certain household items. In the middle of all your dusting, wiping, and organising, there are a few tasks that you can leave out from your regular cleaning routine.
10 Household Things You are Cleaning Too Often
We have a list of items at home that do not need to be cleaned too often. Instead of wasting your time and energy cleaning these, you can use this time to relax and enjoy yourself. Let’s look at the 10 things you are cleaning too often in your home, leading to them being ruined sooner.
1. Carpets
Would you believe us if we say that carpets only need deep cleaning about once a year? Vacuuming your carpet regularly is alright, but make sure you don’t deep clean them too often. Using foamy cleaning products to rinse your carpet frequently will do more harm than good.
Your carpet can become over-wet and even lose some of its colours. Moreover, soap and shampoo residues left in the carpet ruin the fibres and attract more dirt over time. If you think your carpets get too dirty in a year, you can get them professionally cleaned with steam and safe products about once in six months or so.
2. Wooden Furniture
Overcleaning wooden furniture is a big mistake if you want them to last longer and remain shiny and sturdy. Wood cleaning products are formulated to be greasy so that they can provide a nice shine to your furniture.
Using these products in excess can lead to a grease buildup that attracts more dirt and dust. It also doesn’t feel great to touch. Wood cleaning sprays and other such products are ideal for use once or twice a month.
For regular cleaning, wiping with a damp microfibre cloth is enough to remove dust from your furniture. Use wood polishes and strong chemicals very sparingly on your precious furniture.
3. Upholstery
Upholsteries behave the same way as carpets when it comes to regular cleaning. Wetting them frequently or washing them with foamy products not only ruins the fabric and the padding, but it can also lead to a faded, washed-out look.
Moreover, cleaning residues attract mould and mildew. And you wouldn’t want your furniture upholstery to have a mildew growth, do you? It’s just best to stay clear of wet cleaning products unless absolutely necessary. Instead, do your regular vacuuming and they’ll remain fresh and clean.
4. Fans and Fixtures
Your ceiling fans and light fixtures do not need dusting every other day. Sounds shocking? It’s actually true. If you dust your wall fixtures regularly and wipe your ceiling fans, you can now remove them from your basic cleaning routine.
Fans and fixtures typically need cleaning about once a month. You can work up the schedule in a way that you clean the fan and fixtures of different rooms each week. That way, there’s a good gap between two cleaning sessions and you also do not tire out easily.
5. Drapes and Curtains
This one is tricky. Some people wash their drapes and curtains every few days, and some don’t clean them for years. Both these schedules are problematic. Curtains and drapes in living rooms and bedrooms don’t get too dirty, so they don’t need frequent cleaning.
The right frequency is to clean them once every six months or a year. In the meantime, you can sometimes vacuum them or run them through the air-only dryer cycle to remove dust and wrinkles.
Bathroom and kitchen curtains need cleaning more often, typically every season. That’s because they are exposed to more dampness, grease, sprays, and other contaminating material.
6. Bedspreads
Comforters and bedspreads don’t need to be cleaned as often as bedsheets and pillow covers. First of all, they are a hassle to clean because of their size and weight. A seasonal wash is good enough for these items.
Make sure you check the fabric care instructions before taking them to wash. However, if you have pets in the house, you do need to wash quilts and comforters weekly. This is to get rid of dirt, fur, and other icky stuff that your pets may drag onto your bed.
An alternative is to cover your bedspread with a light cloth so you can wash that instead, instead of giving these heavy things for dry cleaning.
7. Oven
Oven cleaning is one of the most elaborate and tedious chores at home. Provided you wipe up spills and cooking mishaps immediately, ovens do not need to be cleaned very often, thankfully. The right plan is to time oven cleaning about two to three times a year.
Ensure you clean ovens after festivals and holidays, not before. That way, the oven remains clean for a few months after your elaborate cooking spree.
8. Pillows
Pillowcases need to be washed regularly but don’t wash the pillows themselves too often. This is because pillows rarely come into direct contact with our bodies. Be it bed pillows or sofa cushions, these only need to be washed every three to six months.
Wash pillows only when they look dirty or stained and definitely wash them less frequently than you wash your bedding. When you do give your pillows a rinse, make sure to dry them completely before bedtime or you might end up with bacteria growth.
9. Mirrors
You’re very likely overcleaning your home mirrors. Washing mirrors with water and spraying them with cleaning chemicals frequently wears off the backing and ruins the mirror frame. So, it is not a good idea to expose your mirror to too much humidity.
Only clean mirrors when they look visibly dusty or smudged. And even while doing so, make sure to use the least amount of moisture and sprays at the edges.
10. Kitchen Cupboard and Pantry
Your refrigerator needs regular cleaning because you store perishable food items there. As for the kitchen cupboards and pantry, you can give them a miss during your weekly cleaning regime. It is enough to clean your pantry once or twice a year unless you store condiments that might go bad sooner.
For spices and dry food items, check expiration dates every six months. Empty the pantry, wipe down the shelves, and check for insect infestations. If your pantry items are not very long-lasting, you can fix a seasonal cleaning schedule.
Excessive cleaning can ruin perfectly good household furniture, articles, and fixtures. In your bid to be a perfect home runner, make sure not to overdo your cleaning spree and cut down the lifetime of your household items.
Stick to wiping and dusting your home regularly, but leave the more stubborn cleaning activities as seasonal or half-yearly events. In case you are unsure of how to plan the perfect interior maintenance routine, HomeLane can help you with expert suggestions and insights on home cleaning.
