X

15 bad cleaning habits you need to nix

Your cleaning habits may be hurting your home and wasting time.

Alina Bradford
Alina Bradford has been writing how-tos, tech articles and more for almost two decades. She currently writes for CNET's Smart Home Section, MTVNews' tech section and for Live Science's reference section. Follow her on Twitter.
Alina Bradford
cnet-smart-home-pr-images-5690
1 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET

Get your cleaning on point

Most of us pick up cleaning habits as we grow up and never change them as adults. Unfortunately your well-meaning cleaning approach may be doing you, your time and your home more harm than good. 

Here's some habits to nix and some good ones to replace them with.

cat-and-spray
2 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You use average deodorizers on pet smells

I haven't found a store-bought deodorizer that holds a candle to a simple mixture you can whip up at home for removing pet smells. 

To make smell-be-gone spray, mix 16 ounces (about 500 ml) of warm water with 10 drops of peppermint essential oil or two tablespoons of peppermint extract in a spray bottle. This will get rid of any animal pee smell. Here are more ways to get rid of pet urine odor.

cleaning your oven
3 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You self-clean and chill

The self-cleaning option on your oven only self-cleans to a point. There's still more to do after the oven cools down. 

Wipe any soot off of the interior with a damp cloth and leave the door open for a few hours so it can air out. 

smart-home-generic-6-6-18-1195
4 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET

You're using the wrong sponge

A sponge is a sponge, right? Not so fast. Actually, your choice of sponge can make a big difference in how well you clean your dishes. Some can even damage certain items. 

Here's how to find the right sponge for each type of plates, pans and glassware.

bathroom-storage-tips.jpg
5 of 16 Alina Bradford

You spend too much time cleaning the bathroom

Cleaning your bathroom isn't a long, arduous task if you're doing it right. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting your bathroom cleaning routine under 10 minutes.

Woman cleaning bathroom sink with sponge
6 of 16 Getty Images

You're not wearing rubber gloves

OK, I'll admit, I'm not a big glove wearer. That is, at least, until I learned why they're so important. 

These three reasons will get you to slip on some rubber gloves every time you clean from now on.

orange-peel-cleaning-solution
7 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You use glass cleaner on your stovetop

You'd think it would be OK to use glass cleaner on a glass or ceramic stovetop, but it's not. 

The ammonia in glass cleaner can damage the stove's surface. Use white vinegar, instead.  

uses-for-vinegar-6.jpg
8 of 16 Taylor Martin/CNET

You don't wipe down your microwave

Hate cleaning your microwave? There's a reason for that. Food left to dry and crust over is pretty difficult to remove. 

The solution is simple; wipe up spills as soon as they happen.

If it's too late for that, heat a bowl of water in the microwave for several minutes until steamy, let it cool for a few minutes and carefully wipe the interior. The steam helps loosen stuck-on gunk.

clean-the-filter.jpg
9 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You don't clean the dryer filter

Cleaning your dryer filter after every load is important. A clean filter will help your clothes dry more quickly and can prevent dryer fires.

smart-home-generic-6-6-18-11671
10 of 16 Josh Miller/CNET

You rinse every dish

Stop prerinsing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. All you're doing is wasting time, energy and water. Your dishwasher can handle cleaning your dishes without your help. Just scrape off large food bits and put them in.

electroluxcomfortliftdishwasherifaphotos-4.jpg
11 of 16 Chris Monroe/CNET

You're not cleaning your dishwasher

Though it doesn't need help washing dishes, it does need help staying clean. Here's a guide on how to deep clean your dishwasher to keep it running right.

coconut-oil-and-baking-soda.jpg
12 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You use coconut oil on everything

Yes, coconut oil can be used to clean more than a dozen things, but sometimes it can do more harm than good. For example, many people online claim you can clean furniture stains with coconut oil. Nope. It's an oil, which means it will give you a bigger stain than you had before.

Cleansing agents and wiper in kitchen
13 of 16 Westend61/Getty Images

You use hot water to mop

Some people think that using hot water to mop their floors will disinfect them. Nope. Water needs to be 140 degrees F to 158 degrees F (60 degrees C to 70 degrees C ) to start killing most bacteria. 

The water that's coming from your hot water tap isn't that hot. Plus, as soon as you put it in the bucket, the water is going to cool down anyway. Hot water can also damage some floors.

Instead, use a antibacterial floor cleaner and warm water to get the best clean.

20160202-135806
14 of 16 Goran Ljubisavljevic / Getty Images

You use dryer sheets

Dryer sheets and fabric softener make your clothes soft and smell good, but they're not good for your washer and dryer. They can also make your towels less absorbent. 

Here's what you need to know and a few alternatives to dryer sheets.

cougar-keyboard-1
15 of 16 Aloysius Low/CNET

You don't sanitize your keyboard

Did you know that your keyboard can have more bacteria than a toilet? Eww! 

From now on, don't just dust off your keyboard, give it a deep, bacteria blasting clean with these tips.

Dusting coils on back of refrigerator with dust cloth, handshot, close-up
16 of 16 Alina Bradford/CNET

You're dusting after vacuuming the floors

If you're saving dusting for last, then you're doing it wrong. Dust before you vacuum so you'll suck up any particles that fall onto the floor right away.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos