5 Things That Actually Make Cleaning a House Harder

There are very few people out there that would opt to do something the long way, especially when it comes to cleaning. We want our investment properties to be clean, but we don’t want to take most of our day to clean our homes. Did you know there are common everyday things we do that make routine cleaning take longer?

Here are some common mistakes that make cleaner a bigger job than it needs to be.

• Neglecting to Clean Appliances

Appliances are made to get things clean so they are always clean, or so we think. Food builds up on the bottom of the dishwasher, mold can build up in the washing machine, the vacuum gets bogged down with dirt, dust, and other gunk. When the yuck in your cleaning appliances builds up enough you are actually making your home dirtier and making cleaning tasks take longer.

Dependent upon the frequency of use; all of your cleaning appliances should be cleaned on a monthly or even weekly basis to keep them running efficiently.

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• Not Changing Cleaning Cloths

If you are cleaning with a rag full of gunk you are not truly cleaning. You are spreading dirt around your home. Ideally, you should have a whole stack of cleaning cloths to get things done. When you see a bunch of gunk on the surface of the cloth fold it to a new clean area until you are out of clean space and then grab a new cloth. Check the cloth you are using after each task you perform. For example, wipe down one side of the kitchen counters and then check to see how dirty your cloth is before moving on.

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• Using the Wrong Tools

There are many, many cleaning tools in the stores. All of them claiming to make cleaning easier and more enjoyable. Some are not worth the investment, others are because they really will save you time. Like that duster with the extension pole for getting the cobwebs off of the vaulted ceiling and microfiber cloths that trap and lock dirt and grime in.

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• Forgetting to Clean from the Top Down

You go into the living room to give it a cleaning, you start with putting away anything out of place and then you move on to vacuuming the floor, then on to dusting, and etc. When you are done wiping the windows you notice some dirt on the carpet that you must have missed and get the vacuum back out to go over the floors one more time. It is most likely that the dirt you noticed came from other cleaning tasks you just finished and now you are cleaning the floors twice instead of just once. No matter what area of the home you are cleaning start with tasks near the ceiling and work your way down. Gravity is not a friend, cleaning particles and debris from above make their way to lower surfaces. So, to avoid cleaning things twice start at the top.

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• Not Hiring a Pro to Deep Clean

There are many surfaces in your home that need  professional deep cleaning at least once a year such as upholstered furniture, carpet, natural stone, and tile grout. Over time gunk gets into deep crevices where only professional high powered equipment can reach. Ignored too long these items will begin to look like they are just always dirty no matter what you do to try and clean them.

Keep these things in mind the next time you are cleaning a house and work smarter not harder.