10 cleaning myths you need to stop believing – and what to do instead

Grandma might have been on the right track with her meatball recipe and love advice, but, boy, was she off base with these cleaning tips. Here’s what you need to stop doing ASAP if you want your home to get really clean.

Sorry to burst your cleaning bubble: Though most people associate the smell of bleach with clean, this cleaning myth just isn’t the case. In fact, bleach doesn’t really even clean at all. It disinfects, kills germs and can whiten stains, but it doesn’t clean dirt and grime from surfaces. So if you’re looking to whiten your shirt or rinse away bacteria from that raw chicken in your sink, then bleach is your way to go. However, if you’re trying to remove the grit from your bathtub, you’ll need an actual cleaning product, preferably something with some texture, like baking soda.

Bleach definitely has its benefits. Try these 10 other smart ways you can use bleach around your home.

You’ve probably seen your grandparents use newspaper to clean mirrors and glass and wondered if this cleaning myth actually works. Well, yes, and no. Yes, because newspaper at one time was made of out papers and ink that did indeed leave mirrors and glasses streak-free. Sadly, newspaper today is made out of completely different materials than way back then that actually leave streaks on your mirrors. Trying using rubbing alcohol or a glass cleaner with a microfibre cloth.

Here are 10 more bad cleaning habits you should drop today.

Sure, they’re soft and fluffy, but contrary to their name, feather dusters don’t really do much of dusting. More often than not, they just spread the dust around. Instead, reach for a vacuum with a nozzle attachment or a soft damped cloth when trying to get rid of dust. More than 90 percent of household dust comes from tiny flakes of skin and barely visible fabric fibres that float on the slightest air current and settle on every surface in your house.

Learn 11 things you can do to make your home less dusty.

You might think that if something that smells fresh and good, it’s clean, but don’t let your nose fall for this cleaning myth. Just because a product is labelled as “fresh laundry” or “clean spring air” doesn’t mean that it actually removes dirt and germs. While those air freshener sprays do smell wonderful, they don’t do a thing when it comes to actually removing dirt, stains and germs. In fact, they don’t really even freshen a room, more so just make it smell a bit better for the time being. If you want something to truly be clean, you have to do the dirty work.

While gleaming floors and furniture are coveted, you should, in fact, polish them sparingly. In fact, most wooden furniture sold on the market today doesn’t need to be polished at all. Applying too much polish and/or wax will lead to build up and actually make your furniture appear more dull. If you notice dust or other debris, regular water on a cloth will do the trick.

On the other hand, here are 14 things you should never clean with water.

Garbage disposals are one of the greatest inventions possibly ever known to mankind. They grind up all your discarded foods in tiny pieces, so you don’t have to fish them out of the sink, in addition to making the dishwashing process ten times faster. They’re also better for the earth since they reduce food waste and prevent pipes from clogging. Your garbage disposal does so much for you, so make sure you’re taking care of it. From time to time you may notice a funky smell coming for your disposal, but lemon peels aren’t the answer. They actually clog your disposal and don’t do anything for the odour. To properly clean it and unclog your drain, mix half a cup of baking soda with one cup of white vinegar and pour it down the sink followed by boiling water.

Vinegar is such a fabulous cleaner that it’s easy to go vinegar crazy (all natural and inexpensive!). With so many different uses around the house, this trusted item – in its white vinegar as well as its apple cider vinegar versions – deserves a special place in your pantry. Unfortunately, this staple kitchen product shouldn’t be used to clean everything you own. While vinegar does a great job on walls, bathrooms, dishes and as a fabric softener, it should never be used to clean hardwood, marble, stone finishes, or wax floorings, as the vinegar may actually cause dulling.

Here are 11 things you should never clean with baking soda.

Hairspray, like newspaper being used to clean mirrors, has been used as stain remover for many, many years. Unfortunately, also like newspaper, the formula to hairspray has changed over time – and while alcohol-free versions are better for your hair – it’s not as good at removing stains as it once was. So next time you spill red wine all over your white dress, reach for an actual stain remover, or opt for a homemade version using vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.

Learn 20 clever uses for ammonia.

Doing your laundry is a tad more complicated than just pressing a button on the washer machine. Many find it frustrating trying to decode which colour is washed for how long and in what temperature, which is probably why most people wash everything on cold (and it’s also a money-saver). Most pieces can be washed in cold water – especially dark and bright colours or delicate fabrics – as the colder temperature works wonders in removing stains and ensuring clothes don’t shrink. But some things, like whites, should be washed on hot, and man-made fibres, knits and jeans should be washed on warm.

Find out other hints that make doing the laundry less of a hassle.

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Source: RD.com