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12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Spending time doing housework is clearly not my favorite hobby !

However, you have to keep your house clean and orderly... if possible by not spending all your free time there.

Believe it or not, there are things or places in the house that we clean too often! While they don't necessarily need to shine brightly!

So put down that sponge or ditch your broom and take this time to do something more important to you.

Here are 12 things you probably clean far too often at home , look:

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Contents
  • 1. Clothes
  • 2. The dishes
  • 3. The lights
  • 4. Winter clothes
  • 5. Bedspreads, comforters and duvets
  • 6. The curtains
  • 7. Carpets and fabric furniture
  • 8. Sofa covers
  • 9. Bath toys
  • 10. Pillows
  • 11. The oven
  • 12. Cupboards and pantry

1. Clothes

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

If you spend most of your free time running machines and hanging laundry, you're probably washing your clothes too often.

Indeed, unless you have a really messy job or sweat profusely, your clothes can be worn more than once.

There are of course exceptions:underwear, socks, sportswear and anything that is worn close to the body.

These garments must indeed be washed after each use.

But for shirts, sweaters, jeans, you don't have to wash them every time.

Think about how many fewer washes you'll save. Above all, if each person in the family respects this principle.

There's no need to put a pile of barely-soiled, little-worn clothes at the foot of the washing machine.

So you'll have more free time and you'll save money on electricity, water and laundry products.

To discover: 15 Grandma's Tricks To Remove ALL Stains From Your Clothes.

2. The dishes

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

If you rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, be aware that you are wasting time, and water.

You even risk having dishes that are not super clean...

Why ? Because powder or liquid dishwasher detergent contains enzymes that attach to food particles to dissolve them and then allow water to spray them away.

When you pre-rinse the dishes, the detergent cannot cling and is simply wasted going down the drain.

Think of all that water wasted pre-rinsing the dishes. Plus, we bet you leave the tap on during this action!

This represents more than 22,000 liters of water per year. That said, it does not prevent you from removing very large pieces from dishes or plates to avoid clogging the machine.

On the other hand, avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink or hanging out for days in the closed dishwasher.

If your dishwasher is only half full and you want to wait until the next meal to start a cycle, give the dishes a rough rinse anyway. This will save you time.

To discover: The EASY and CHEAP Dishwasher Tablets Recipe.

3. Light fixtures

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

If you dust all the light fixtures in your house every week, you can take a break!

Ceiling lights do not need to be cleaned more than once a month!

Plan a cleaning schedule for the fixtures in each room once a month. Or, take a turn cleaning them piece by piece.

Because it's true that a clean chandelier diffuses the light better. It also works for ceiling fans.

Don't forget to clean the high ground first and vacuum afterwards, because the dust will fall!

To discover: The Trick To Make Your Lamp Diffuse Much More Light.

4. Winter clothes

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Want to save on dry cleaning?

So there's no need to have your coats cleaned every month! One or two cleanings in the season are more than enough.

To avoid going to the dry cleaners, spot stains as soon as possible and treat them, hang the coat properly after each use and remove dust and lint with a brush.

Moreover, most of the time, modern coats wash perfectly in the machine, even those with faux fur.

To discover: The Essential Guide To Make All Stains Disappear Easily.

5. Bedspreads, comforters and duvets

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

The blankets are difficult to clean due to their size and weight.

So, unless you spend your life in your bed or put your dogs to sleep there...

...it is not necessary to wash bedspreads and comforters every week.

Instead, clean them at the end of each season.

Check the label, as most duvets can be machine washed.

If you don't have a large front-loading washing machine, take large items to a laundromat.

For only a few euros, your laundry is clean in less than an hour.

If your pets squat on your bed, cover the bedspread, blanket or duvet with a sheet.

It's much easier to wash! Obviously, immediately clean any small urinary oversight on your bed with this tip.

6. The curtains

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Yes, curtains or sheers do not need to be cleaned regularly.

Only one deep cleaning once a year is enough.

If dust has settled, vacuum the double curtains or unhook the curtains to shake them out.

Do not use hot steam as this may cause some fabrics to shrink.

On the other hand, kitchen curtains should be washed more often, as they retain grease and cooking odours.

To discover: The Tip for Properly Cleaning White Curtains.

7. Carpets and fabric furniture

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Ideally, carpets and fabric furniture should be cleaned once a year.

Obviously, throughout the rest of the year, vacuum it at least once a week.

This prevents dirt and dust from becoming embedded in the fibres.

By cleaning these items too often, you could be doing more harm than good.

Indeed, if you wet the carpet too much, it can cause serious damage and halos.

In addition, too much shampoo attracts dirt because it leaves a sticky film on the fabric. And too much moisture can lead to mold.

To discover: How to Clean a Carpet at Home?

8. Sofa covers

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Slipcovers are perfect for protecting sofas and chairs from stains and dirt.

And they are much easier to clean than sofa fabrics!

But unless you have a pack of dogs sleeping in them every night, there's no need to wash these covers every week!

You can put them in the washing machine once a month. That's more than enough.

9. Bath toys

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

If your children take baths with toys, simply rinse the toys after bathing.

Then hang them to dry in a net.

Thorough cleaning is only necessary about once a month.

To do this, mix 100 ml of white vinegar with 4 liters of hot water and soak the toys in this mixture for 15 minutes.

Then, wipe them with a clean, dry cloth and let them air dry.

To discover: The Tip To Easily Wash And Disinfect Your Children's Toys.

10. Pillows

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Sheets and pillowcases should be washed weekly, as they come into direct contact with skin and hair.

But pillows can be washed much less often than that!

A wash every 3 to 6 months is more than enough to keep it clean.

Be aware that if you wash them more often, they wear out quickly...

Almost all pillows (feather, polyester or foam) can be washed easily at home.

Just check the label before putting them in the washing machine.

Just be sure to dry them properly so they don't take on a musty smell!

To discover: The Best Way to Wash and Whiten a Yellowed Pillow.

11. The oven

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

Oven cleaning shouldn't be on your weekly to-do list.

Especially, if you wipe the spills after each cooking.

In the end, do a major cleaning of the oven only 3 or 4 times a year.

And plan for a thorough cleaning before and after Christmas, when the oven is running at full speed!

To clean an oven, I recommend this natural and effortless trick.

12. Cupboards and pantry

12 Things You Clean (A LOT) Too Often!

If the refrigerator must be cleaned every week, the cupboards and pantry do not need such relentlessness.

Why ? Because unlike the fridge where food is raw, cooked and perishable, the pantry contains cans, preserves and dry food.

It is therefore sufficient to clean it 1 or 2 times a year.

To do this, empty it completely and simply wipe the shelves with a damp sponge.

Check for food moths, otherwise treat them with this trick.

Then, check the expiration dates and arrange the boxes so that the short dates are in front and the long expiration dates are behind.