Over the years, we here at Knights of Cleaning have made our share of mistakes that a lot of people make when cleaning. We’ve tackled the issues and always try to keep ourselves from repeating these cleaning blunders. We’ve found that there are 5 Major Mistakes that people make when cleaning their own homes and cleaning someone else’s home. While reading through them, don’t feel bad if you find that you’ve been making some of these mistakes…because like I said, EVERYONE seems to make them.
MOPPING AGAINST THE GRAIN:
It may seem like no big deal to mop your wood floors any old which-way, but doing zig-zags and swirls with that string-mop actually creates more streaks and leaves a lot more standing water on the floor which isn’t good for wood floors. The same goes for the flat Swiffer-type mops. Whichever mop you use, follow the direction of the wood planks and make sure to keep that direction. Mopping in different directions or mopping against the grain of the wood leaves really noticeable streaks which makes the whole room look disordered. And no matter what kind of mop you use, make sure to spray mop the floors or wring out the string-mop completely. This prevents standing water which can damage the wood, dull the wood finish and leave a discoloured residue.
Leaving Streaks on Glass or Mirrors:
One of the things that bug me the most is seeing lines on my face when I look in the mirror. Vinegar is one of the best eco-friendly products to use on windows and mirrors. Now, what do you use to wipe it with? Microfibre towels are an excellent choice, but depending on how new they are, some fibres may get left behind, leaving your mirror a bit furry-looking. Then there are also paper towels. Now you may end up getting the same result if you use very cheap paper towels or extra soft. Either way, both are great options and just like those wood floors, find a direction and stick to it. Wiping vertically (up and down) usually works best. Make sure you have either natural or artificial light while doing this. Light while you work, will show any area that has been missed or expose one of those sneaky streaks for you to snuff out.
Forgetting to Wipe Door Handles or Light Switches:
Treat every season as if it’s flu season. Viruses don’t take holidays, so make sure you’re cleaning all the most commonly touched things in your home regularly. Light switches and door handles/knobs are at the top of that list. Not only will wiping them down get rid of the bacteria, but it will also get rid of all those fingerprints, PB&J smudges and dirt left behind from everyone bustling around all day. Try to keep a routine, maybe wiping these things down once or twice a week to prevent the buildup of a potential invader. Spending 5 minutes to wipe all the switches and handles is better than sitting on the couch, sniffling for a week.
Forgetting to Wipe Down Shampoo Bottles:
When you’re wiping down the shower walls, inside the tub and shower doors, don’t forget to give those shampoo/conditioner/shave gel/body wash bottles a wipe down as well. You grab these things every time you take a shower, so soap, hair and dirt accumulate on them. Plus there’s all that water inside the cap of the bottle. Wipe down the outside and if possible, empty out the water from inside the cap. Picking the bottles up will also expose all that dirty water that gathered beneath the bottle. Make sure to wipe this away fast. This will prevent the start of mould and tough-to-scrub soap scum.
Rinsing Out Your Mop Head/Emptying Vacuum Canister:
Okay, this may not seem like something you’d forget to do, but it is quite common. Emptying the vacuum canister is more important than people realize. There’s actually a Fill-Line on all canisters, if your dirt has hit or gone past this line, empty it now! Trying to vacuum after it’s full can damage your vacuum and prevent you from picking up more dirt from your floors. And by the way, that Fill-Line isn’t a decorative mark, find yours and obey the line. It’s there for a reason. If you’re using a Swiffer-type mop with a washable cloth mop head, make sure to take it off and rinse it off after each room. Depending on the dirt level of your floors, you may need to rinse them more often or less often. Definitely rinse it more often if you have pets that shed, otherwise you’ll be spreading the filth around when that fur accumulates.
Have a cleaning mistake you make or notice others making? Leave it in the comments below. We love Reader Tips! If there’s something in your home that you need help cleaning, ask us in the comments and we’ll give you tips on how to combat your filthy problem! There may be others out there who have the same problem. Now I release you to the world, to spread the good news that everyone makes mistakes! #oops! Let’s not make this mistake and hire a cleaning company in Vancouver.