14 Common Myths About Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning, there are several misconceptions about it. There may be practices that are performed that are not as effective as the real ones. These myths about cleaning may be about the method or the cleaning product. Learning more about the myths behind cleaning methods and cleaners can definitely help you make your home shine and germfree.

To better understand the right cleaning methods and products, here are 14 common myths about cleaning:

Myth: Bleach is an ideal cleaner for all surfaces in your home

This is a common misconception when it comes to cleaning. While it is true that it can kill germs quickly, this is not a great product to use when it comes to breaking down the build-up of surfaces. Moreover, this may be unsafe to use at home, especially if you have children or pets. Bleach can be harmful to your family and pets, especially if these are used in strong concentrations.

Myth: Any cleaner will do when it comes to cleaning

Many people simply get a bottle of their preferred cleaning product and start spraying everything in sight. While there may be some cleaners that are great for one task, they may actually be terrible at others. Thus, it is important to read the label of the cleaner before using it. It is important to determine the things or surfaces that you will be cleaning first. This way, you can choose the right cleaning products that would suit the things that you will be cleaning.

Myth: All cleaners need to be sprayed, then wiped off right away

This is another misconception when it comes to cleaning. There are products that work right away and will not require soaking. On the other hand, some cleaning solutions or products need to sit as well as soak a surface for it to properly sanitize or clean a surface. Thus, it is important to read the cleaning instructions of the cleaner that you are using.

Myth: Bleach works best with hot water

Another common cleaning myth is about bleach and hot water. Many people actually believe that bleach and hot water make a perfect pair. However, this is not true, as hot water mixed with bleach can actually turn white into a yellowish tint. To avoid the yellowish stain on white surfaces, you should not use bleach and hot water together.

Myth: Vinegar is the ideal disinfectant and this can get rid of germs better than the other cleaners can

This is a common cleaning misconception. While this can remove guck as well as junk off surfaces, this does not kill all germs. Vinegar may be useful for some situations, but useless in others. Thus, it is important to choose the cleaning product wisely. You can base your choice on the things that you will be cleaning.

Myth: Using more detergent means everything is cleaner. This is a common misconception when it comes to cleaning clothes or doing laundry

It is true that adding extra detergent can help when it comes to heavy soiled clothing. However, this is not true when you use too much detergent when washing regular amounts of clothes. Extra detergent or not, the clothes that you are washing would still come out clean after doing laundry. When an excessive amount of detergent is used, this can leave soap residue on the clothes that need to be washed off.

Myth: Frequent carpet vacuuming can wear your carpet out

Many believe that if you frequently vacuum your carpet, it can wear out easily. However, the best thing that you can do to keep your carpet clean is to vacuum it frequently. This way, your carpet will remain clean all the time.

Dust that may have accumulated in the carpet can be removed so that it will not destroy the carpet material. In fact, professional carpet cleaners can attest that vacuuming carpets frequently can help in cleaning the carpet, restoring its beauty, and prolonging its life.

Myth: All green cleaning products are safe to use

A green label does not necessarily mean that the cleaner is safe to use on all surfaces. Moreover, not all greens are safe to use for your home as well as around your children. Thus, it is still best to read the label of the cleaner before using it. Not all products on the ‘green’ corner of the local retail store are safe. Thus, it is still best to make it habit to read the label of the cleaning products you buy. Even though not all ingredients are indicated on the product label, you will still get a good idea on what the product is made of and you can judge whether the product is safe to use or not.

Myth: If it smells clean, then it must be clean

Just because the area smells flowery and fresh, it already means that the area is clean. The smell may deodorizer and not on the actual cleanliness of the area. The safest clean is actually odorless. Therefore, you should not be fooled about areas smelling clean, but are actually full of germs. This is one of the more common myths about cleaning.

Myth: Steam cleaning your carpet can cause it to stink and grow mold

Most people worry about the carpets smelling stale right after having them cleaned by a professional carpet cleaner. However, steam cleaning your carpet is the best way to keep your carpets clean. Professional carpet cleaners use steam cleaning to effectively clean carpets. While at first, the carpet smells moldy at first, this can go away and you are left with a clean carpet.

Myth: Homemade cleaning products do not work as well as the commercial cleaners

This is another common myth about cleaning. Homemade products are generally safer to use in cleaning. In addition, they work well too. In fact, there are homemade cleaning product recipes that are useful for a wide array of uses and they are effective in cleaning.

Myth: Hairspray is the ideal product that you can use to remove ink stains

This is only effective because this contains alcohol. Instead of using this, you can go straight to the source. Instead of using hairspray, you can make use of alcohol to blot out ink stains.

Myth: For washing windows, newspaper is the perfect alternative to paper towels

Yes, the newspaper can be an alternative to paper towels. However, this cleaning alternative is not an ideal option. It may take the lint out of the glass windows. However, this can also leave smeared ink from the newsprint on the frames as well as the glass of the windows. Therefore, if you are cleaning glass windows, using paper towels and the right cleaning solution is still the best option.

Myth: You should make use of furniture polish while cleaning wood

When cleaning wood surfaces, it is best to dust the wood regularly using a lint-free microfiber cloth. You should not use furniture polish all the time. Using furniture polish is not a bad thing as you can use this occasionally. However, you should not use this all the time and excessively as this can harbor dust.

These are just some of the common myths about cleaning. If you follow these cleaning myths, the methods and cleaning product that you use may not become as effective as the right cleaning methods and products. Thus, it is best to learn more about these misconceptions and make it a habit to do your research first before trying new cleaning methods and cleaners. When you know the proper way to do the cleaning in different areas in your home, the task becomes easier and safer for you, your family, and your pets.

Do you know any other home myths about cleaning? Drop us a comment and share your insights with us! We love hearing from you.