Cleaning your home is something you’re accustomed to doing. Most times, you’ve got your Cleaning routine down to a science, even when you’re busy. However, there’s a chance that you may be making some critical cleaning mistakes without even realizing it. Even if your home is always spotless and pristine, your cleaning mistakes could result in some hidden dangers and wear and tear of your favorite items.

Whether you’re doing a deep spring cleaning or a fast runthrough, when you’re cleaning your home, using proper techniques will make your home easier to clean in the long-run, and ensure all your products last long. Here are six common cleaning mistakes you should avoid.

Keeping Your Toilet Brush Wet

After you’ve used your toilet brush to clean your toilet, are you letting it dry, or placing it in the toilet holder wet? Like most people, you might be putting it directly into the toilet holder, which is the perfect breeding ground for germs. Once you’ve used your brush, start by letting clean water rinse off the brush by flushing directly onto the brush. To allow it to dry properly, let the brush handle rest under seat so that the bristles hang over the water. Once it’s completely dry, you can place it back in its holder.

Putting the Wrong Items In the Dishwasher

One of the biggest cleaning mistakes that people make is putting the wrong items in the dishwasher. The fact is, many people move into homes and apartments that come equipped with dishwashers, and have never operated one before. These dishwashers don’t come equipped with an instruction manual, and even when they’re brand new with hefty manuals in their boxes, chances are product owners don’t read them thoroughly. For these reasons, it’s common for people to make a few dishwasher-related mistakes.

For example, although copper items won’t be destroyed in the dishwasher, they’ll lose their shine over time. Similarly, nonstick pots and pans can lose their wear over time, deeming them more and more ineffective with each wash. Sharp knives can also quickly become dull. Other items that aren’t great for putting in the dishwasher include: cast irons, brass and bronze products, wooden utensils and Cutting Boards, fine china, and aluminum.

Washing Cutting Boards With Dish Soap

It might seem like washing cutting boards with dish soap is a common sense idea—especially if you can’t put it in the dishwasher—but this is a huge no-no. Because cutting boards usually deal with cold food products, it doesn’t have the same opportunity for heat to kill bacteria that pots and pans do. Therefore, the same standard dish soap won’t be as effective. Raw meats and fruits can leave a trail of harmful germs, and the best way to take care of them is to soak it in bleach after each use. This prevents the transfer of bacteria and keeps your cutting boards ultra-clean.

Spraying Polish On Furniture

If you’ve got wood furniture in your home, chances are you use wood polish to give it a clean shine. However, you should refrain from spraying polish directly onto furniture, as many consumers do. When you spray directly onto wooden surfaces, the polish actually builds up over time. You’ll notice that when this happens, your furniture becomes increasingly difficult to clean.

Clean Your Vacuum Cleaner Correctly

Vacuums take care of a lot of the dirty work for us, but far too often, we forget to take care of them. Like most appliances, vacuums needed to be cleaned and maintained regularly if you want them to work properly in the long-term. As you may already know, the dirt collection cup or bag should be emptied fairly regularly.

On some devices, you can see when this is full, which makes it easier to take care. If the collection area is discreet, it’s harder to remember when to clean it. It’s not just the collection cup that you have to remember to take care of though. You also have to maintain different parts and mechanisms, as hair and other objects can become wrapped in the cylinders, making it difficult for the vacuum to last for years to come.

Not Allowing Cleaning Products to Set

When using cleaning products, it’s imperative that you give them time to set before your scrub the product off. Otherwise, you might not be getting your money’s worth. Many items need to sit for anywhere between 10-30 minutes to sink into the surface and loosen up the dirt, calcium, rust, or other unwanted materials.

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