Avoid these five common cleaning mistakes for a hygienic home

Avoid these five common cleaning mistakes for a hygienic home

While everybody loves the idea of a sparkling clean house, hardly anybody enjoys the process of cleaning. After all, it’s exhausting and demands a lot of time and effort. Nevertheless, cleaning your home regularly is necessary. A great way to make it a quick and convenient process is to avoid some common cleaning mistakes. These mistakes may not only waste your time but also make a home dirty and unhygienic.

Starting with the floor
Where do you begin when cleaning your entire home? If your answer is the floor, you probably need to rethink your cleaning strategy. This is one of the most common cleaning mistakes to avoid. That’s because when you clean other areas and objects, such as ceilings, walls, photo frames, tables, and lights, dust and other debris can drop to the floor, requiring you to vacuum or mop the floor two times, otherwise, you may end up with a not-so-clean home even after doing all the hard work. So, always begin from the top of the room and work your way down, cleaning the floor in the end.

Using dirty cleaning supplies
Before you begin, the first thing you must do is check whether your cleaning tools are clean. There’s no point trying to wipe the floor, appliances, or other areas and objects of your house if the rag and vacuum you’re using are soiled and dirty. Using a soiled rag might only spread the grease and grime across a surface and make it more unhygienic than before. So, ensure you wash it well before use. Similarly, wash and sanitize the toilet brush after each use and empty the vacuum as soon as it becomes full, and change or wash its filter every once in a while.

Rubbing stains
It might be tempting to start scrubbing vigorously the moment you encounter accidental spills and splatters, but that will likely be a costly mistake. When you rub the stain, you might spread it across the surface, push it deeper into the material, and even ruin upholstery fibers. The right procedure to remove the stain is simple – blot it with a clean cloth to draw the residue out and finally, use a stain removal method that is ideal for the type of stain and material it is on.

Scrubbing all utensils with the same sponge
People often think the same sponge works for all the utensils. Perhaps it appears so, but you’re likely shortening the life span of some of your utensils. For example, if you scrub a pan with a non-stick coating with an abrasive sponge, you may cause the topmost layer to flake off prematurely, making it useless. Be informed that there are different sponges for different surfaces. Use a regular sponge for non-stick pans and aluminum pots and a metal sponge for cast iron skillets and stainless steel plates.

Spraying polishing solutions directly onto the furniture
Here’s another cleaning mistake you must absolutely avoid if you don’t want to ruin the look of your precious, elegant furniture. When you spray the wood polish directly onto the furniture, one area can get soaked in polish, which can eventually lead to staining. In addition, soaked residue can build up on the wood surface, causing it to warp. A safe alternative is to spray the polish onto a clean cloth and wipe the entire surface for an even application.

Moreover, food odors can make the home stink and one of the best ways to keep the odors away is using Glad® with Clorox™ ForceFlexPlus tall kitchen trash bags. This is an innovative solution to keep bacterial and food odors at bay. The bag comes with a 3-ply drawstring that grips the trash can well and doesn’t let the bag move.

Finally, you can also maintain a clean home with good-quality cleaning supplies. Amway™ is a popular brand that sells a wide range of laundry, dish, and surface pre-wash sprays, dish-washing liquid, and other multi-purpose cleaning products that are safe to use daily. You may choose from a wide range of eco-friendly cleaning supplies from Amway Home™ to maintain a clean and tidy home.

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Mistakes to avoid while using a vacuum cleaner

Many people use vacuum cleaners but still can't figure out how to use the appliance properly. If you don't use a vacuum cleaner the right way, you'll never get the desired results, plus you'll end up damaging the machine. Regardless of the type of vacuum cleaner you own, there are certain mistakes you must avoid while using it to improve its efficiency and longevity. Read on to know what these mistakes are. Emptying the dust bag only when overfilled Although inconvenient, it's necessary to empty the dust bag well before it's full or after each use. If you operate a vacuum cleaner while its dust bag or container is full, performance drops drastically. It doesn't pick up dust and dirt as effectively as it can. Moreover, a full dust bag can restrict airflow within the appliance, increasing the risk of overheating and damage. Don't want to empty the dust bag frequently? Consider buying a vacuum cleaner with a bigger dust bag. Assuming it's broken If your vacuum cleaner stops working suddenly, that doesn't necessarily mean it's broken. Vacuum cleaners often lose suction when the dust bag is full, or the hose is clogged. Also, many models today come with a feature that makes the appliance shut off automatically when the motor becomes too hot. This is to prevent further appliance damage and hazardous incidents. Empty the dust bag and clean the filter, hose, and brush roll to restart successfully. Vacuuming everything It can be hard to resist the urge to vacuum just about anything and everything when in a hurry. This is one of the costliest mistakes vacuum owners make! Most vacuum cleaners are designed to pick up everyday dust and dirt. Running them over small, hard objects, such as a penny or screw, can seriously damage or even break the appliance. You must also avoid trying to suck up water or other liquids, as it ruins the motor and can cause an electric shock. Using baking soda to pre-clean or deodorize Many homeowners use baking soda to remove resilient stains and get rid of odors from carpets and upholstery. While that may be effective, it's not advisable to run vacuum cleaners over surfaces rubbed with this chemical compound. The tiny baking soda particles can clog the filter over time, making the machine work harder and decreasing its longevity. Operating with the wrong attachments Not getting the desired vacuuming results? Maybe you're using the wrong attachment or not using one when required. Most vacuum cleaners come with dusting brushes, crevice tools, and sundry attachments to clean hard-to-reach areas, such as ceilings or under the furniture. These attachments also eliminate dust and allergens from spots homeowners overlook, such as light fixtures, baseboards, lampshades, and furniture upholstery.

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5 easy ways to create a beautiful garden

Your garden is the entryway to your home. Not only can they give you fresh fruits, flowers, and vegetables for your home, but they also beautify the space. A clutter-free, colorful garden can help relieve stress and become a quiet place for reflection. No matter the size of the yard, it’s only natural to want to beautify the space and get the most out of it. Here are 5 tips to decorate your garden: Add flowering plants Flowering plants can add a lot of color to your garden. They break up the green patches and give the garden focal points. They also attract pollinators like butterflies and bees to naturally pollinate your yard. Consider planting flowering plants in your garden and assorting them by color to give your yard a well-organized look. Add yellows and oranges with plants like orange marigolds, yellow capsicums, calendula, cosmos, and nasturtiums, purple with beetroot, lavender, violet, purple basil, rainbow chard, and petunia, and blue, white, and gray with sage, alyssum, cabbages, cauliflowers, leeks, and other plants. Make your yard look larger To make a small yard appear bigger, use horizontal layers of different heights to add the illusion of depth. For example, planting low shrubs before a slightly higher fence and taller shrubs near the house can add dimension to your garden and make it look much bigger. Tidy your garden Remove the weeds regularly and control the growth of plants that may compete with your planted varieties for nutrition. These weeds can be used to make compost to keep your garden healthy. Another way to add to the beauty of the garden and prevent the growth of unwanted plants is by adding some decorative mulch. Add a feature piece Your garden can seem more fascinating and appealing by adding a focal point, such as a tree, that draws attention. Outdoor art, such as unique pots, furniture, wall-mounted frames, or other things, or edible art, such as a food garden with herbs that serve several uses in your garden, also adds essence to the garden. Adding furniture like a table and some chairs will serve the dual function of making the space more welcoming and giving you added space to host visitors in your home. De-clutter the space Overcrowding your garden can make it hard to enjoy it. Try to balance your garden between the hard surfaces and your selected plants. One way to do this is by using one or two materials that make for a more planned garden area. You can also consider growing some plants inside the house or around your porch (depending on the sunlight they need) to balance the inside of your home with your garden. You will notice many of these hacks in practice in gardens around you. Take a minute to slow down and check what appeals to you the most, to design a truly built garden to captivate your senses. Having a well-planted garden may increase the debris around your gutters. To keep your gutters clean, install a leaf gutter guard. A leaf guard for your gutter helps keep it clear from larger debris like sticks, leaves, and branches, so your gutter drains do not get clogged. You can shop for leaf gutter guards online, or visit a professional service close to understand which guards will work best for your home.  LeafFilter is a big name when it comes to cleaning and protecting gutters. Their gutter protection systems and devices aim to keep gutters free of wood, debris, leaves, and other things that can clog up the pipes. LeafFilter gutter brushes can be easily fitted in place, and it prevents anything from entering the pipes, ensuring the smooth flow of rainwater. 

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