Some well-intentioned homeowners may actually be doing more harm than good when they're completing normal household chores. Realtor.com® recently featured a list of cleaning myths that could actually reduce the value of a home. Here are a few cleaning habits to warn your clients against:
Too much bleach.
Homeowners may be under the assumption that bleach is the best cleaner in the bathroom. “Bleach does not clean anything,” Leslie Reichert, cleaning coach and author of “The Joy of Green Cleaning” told realtor.com®. “It does disinfect, but before you can disinfect a surface, you have to clean it with something that will lift off the dirt.” Wipe clean and then disinfect with a diluted bleach solution, she suggests.
Polish for wood care.
Commercial polishes can make the wood in a home shine, but they can also leave behind a waxy buildup. “Most wood furniture has a finish that seals the wood, and really just needs to be kept clean and free from dust and dirt,” Reichert says. In that case, a damp microfiber cloth is usually best.
Not enough vacuuming.
One myth many homeowners believe is that you can ruin your carpets by vacuuming too much. However, “dust and dirt that gets down into the base of a carpet can do more damage than a vacuum,” Reichert says. However, homeowners should take special care when vacuuming Oriental rugs or handmade carpets, and never leave a vacuum in one spot too long. "The constant beating can heat up the fibers, cause them to melt, and leave a burn mark," Reichert says.
Coffee grounds in the disposal.
Some homeowners have heard that coffee grounds can deodorize a garbage disposal, but they can actually harm it. “The grounds often clog up the drains and pipes,” says Debra Johnson, a home cleaning expert at Merry Maids. Instead, place two to three small peels of lemon, lime, or grapefruit in the garbage disposal and turn it on while rinsing with warm water.
Source: “9 Cleaning Myths That Could Be Wrecking Your House,” realtor.com® (Sept. 19, 2017)
