10 Things We Do on a Daily Basis That That Are Ruining Our Homes

Almost everyone knows that leaving clothes in the washing machine is not a good idea and that it’s better to wash dirty dishes right away. However, sometimes even the most experienced of housekeepers can be making similar mistakes while cleaning their apartments and removing their messes. The thing is that they could be using well-known tips that might look correct, but what they’re doing can even be dangerous.

We at Bright Side made a big list of household chore habits that can negate any effort to keep your home clean and that can even harm your health and the health of your family.

Sweeping the floor

For many of us, sweeping the floor is a quick method you use to clean the floors of the house. But actually, working with a broom can hardly be called effective. This type of cleaning doesn’t remove even the 1/10 of all the dirt in your home. Particles of dust rise into the air and settle on your furniture, while other small abrasive particles get into the coating of the floor, which makes it look dusty. That’s why it’s better to not sweep the floor, but to vacuum it instead. It will make the cleaning process more thorough and your apartment will stay clean for a longer period of time.

Using a plastic cutting board instead of a wooden one

There is a myth that plastic cutting boards are more hygienic than wooden ones and it is not completely true. Despite the fact that wood is porous and really absorbs bacteria well, it is also a destructive and aggressive environment for it. At the same time, plastic cutting boards are safe until the moment you see the first scratches on them. Synthetic material serves as an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, and even thorough disinfection won’t be able to eradicate it completely.

Washing a cutting board with dishwashing liquid

Dishwashing detergent effectively removes food residue from cutting boards. But the scratches and cuts on these boards also contain microscopic food debris that are invisible to the eye — and after absorbing the soapy solution, they will then be transferred to any other food that will be chopped on this board. It’s better to disinfect cutting boards with the help of hydrogen peroxide.

Putting coffee grounds and water after boiling pasta/rice in the sink

Coffee grounds poured into the sink often cause sewer blockages. This is all because of the special consistency of the grounds, which stick to the fatty deposits in the pipes and form a kind of clog in there. The same thing happens to the water that is left over after boiling pasta or rice. The sticky liquid quickly settles on the inner walls of the pipes, but dissolves rather slowly, which ups the risk of clogging your drain.

Making your bed right after waking up

This piece of news might excite those who find that making their bed in the morning is a real torture. The thing is that any bed has dust mites living on it. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that feed on the dead cells of human skin. Warmth and moisture are an ideal environment for them. When making the bed right after getting up, a person creates the perfect atmosphere for them. Later, this can cause serious allergic reactions, including bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. That’s why it’s better to keep the bed open for a while in order to let it become dry.

Constantly keeping the curtains open

People whose apartment is located on the sunny side should pay special attention to this point. If you want your furniture and parquet flooring to stay attractive for as long as possible, make sure to close your curtains or blinds during the hot times of the day. Due to the abundance of UV rays, furniture and wood floors can quickly tarnish and become discolored.

Keeping terry towels in the bathroom

Terry towels hanging on hooks in the bathroom can become a real breeding ground for fungus and bacteria. Moisture, heat, and oxygen are the ideal breeding ground for them. That’s why in order not to harm your skin, it’s necessary to change your towels every 2 days. And don’t forget to dry them properly — the best option is to replace them with paper towels.

Putting the toilet brush in the holder right after cleaning

If you return the toilet brush to the holder right after using it, the microbes from the toilet will get into the holder and start actively breeding. In order to avoid this, it’s recommended to hang the brush over the bowl by putting it between the bowl and the seat for a while, so that the extra moisture gets off of it.

Pouring leftover tea leaves in the toilet

It’s not a good idea to flush tea leaves down the toilet. If you keep doing this regularly, the surface of your toilet bowl will turn dark brown due to the tannins in the tea. It could be quite hard to get back the original whiteness of the bowl afterward.

Spraying cleaning detergents directly on the surface

Spraying cleaning agents directly on the surface of furniture and glass creates a thin film of the solution that is invisible to the eye. It can result in letting dust and dirt stick into it even more. The right way is to apply the detergent to a rag or a sponge first.

Are you aware of other secret tips for quick and effective cleaning?