7 Spring Cleaning Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid This Year

Bad habits die hard and this applies to cleaning as well. There are some mistakes most people do when it comes to Spring clean the house. In order to refresh your home faster, easier and stress-free this year, we decided to put together a list of the 10 mistakes (almost) everybody does when doing the yearly deep home cleaning.

Forgetting to Disinfect the Mop

Despite the fact, that the kitchen sponge was named the dirtiest items in your house, your mop is actually dirtier. It accumulates various bacteria after every wipe of the floor. This is why it is a good idea to clean the mop before the Spring cleaning begins. Just wash the removable part of the mop at 60 degrees with some strong detergent. Repeat this procedure after every use of the cleaning tool. Change the removable part of the mop every 2 months.

Setting for Window Cleaning on a Sunny Day

When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, it might seem the best time to give your windows a clean. However, as we mentioned before, sunny days are the worst moment to wash windows. The strong spring sunlight will make the cleaning solution dry too quickly, leaving unsightly streak marks. Check a detailed guide for impeccable results in our blog post Experts Share Their Secrets for Sparkly Clean Windows.

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Not Cleaning the Washing Machine

Most people presume that the washing machine just cleans itself during each cycle. However, it also needs a thorough cleaning from time to time, if you don’t want the drum to turn into an incubator for germs. To avoid that you should include the task in your Spring cleaning routine. Put 1 cup of baking soda directly into the drum, and pour a glass of white distilled vinegar into the detergent drawer. Set the machine on 60 degrees and run an empty cycle.

Dusting with a Wet Cloth

Different surfaces have different electrical charges and for some of them dusting with a wet cloth will just lead to attracting more dust after the cleaning. For most surfaces, cleaning with a dry, clean microfibre wipe is the best way to remove dust. Another option is to use a specialised anti-static spray for wood floors and furnishings. You can read more about which are the biggest dust magnets in your home and how to clean these spots more effectively in the 1st and the 2nd part of our blog post.

Changing the Dust Bag When it’s Full

Most homeowners wait until the vacuum cleaner’s bag is almost bursting at the seams when actually it is better to change it when it’s full at 2/3. Leaving the bag inside until it reaches its capacity is a big mistake as dust, earth, and small particles actually reduce the suction power of the hoover, making your vacuum less effective when the bag is full. Not to mention that small food particles, sucked into the bag start decomposing in a warm environment, developing an unpleasant mouldy smell.

Check also: Which Are the Things You Can Clean Just Once a Year?

Scrubbing Stains on Carpet and Upholstery

Although every upholstery and carpet cleaning guide repeats one and the same advice over and over, homeowners continue making the same mistake – scrubbing the spot and stains, instead of dabbing and blotting. However, when your scrub, you just push the dirt deeper into the carpet’s fibres, making it even more difficult to remove the stain. Next time you need to treat a spill on your rug or upholstery, check our guide on fast and easy DIY carpet cleaning as well as our post on how to take care of different types of upholstery.

Treating the Mattress with Toxic Products

Using harsh chemical products when DIY cleaning the mattress isn’t the best idea, especially if you are prone to allergies, or you suffer from asthma. When you do the Spring cleaning yourself you might be tempted to use stronger products for better results. However, unlike professional cleaners, you probably don’t have equipment powerful enough to rinse off all the solution from your mattress. For safe and green mattress cleaning at home, you can use a handheld steamer, with a bit of white distilled vinegar in the water tank. The hot steam will take care of bacteria leaving your bedding refreshed. However, if you need to take care of an old stain, it is best to turn to professional mattress cleaner.

Want a hand with this year’s Spring cleaning of the house? Don’t hesitate to book our wonderful one-off cleaning service in London!