There are a lot of things you need to know when it comes to housekeeping (and hiring housekeeping services can be a great idea).Between doing laundry, washing dishes, maintaining and cleaning appliances and other things that need to be done, it is easy to rush through things without considering whether there is a better way of doing it.
You can make adjustments to save a lot of money, effort and time. In the spirit of being open-minded about alternative ways of doing your household chores, we will explain some of the most common mistakes to avoid and how to correct them with our housekeeping tips.
- Not loading the dishwasher correctly
When it comes to loading the dishwasher, there are a lot of ideas and opinions out there that can confuse you. For example, it does not make much difference for forks and spoons, but you should load the knives into the caddy and ensure the blade is pointing down to ensure it doesn’t hurt anyone when they go to empty the dishwasher. Professional housekeeping services providers even advise handwashing knives because a dishwasher can damage them over time.
- Not replacing your sponges often
You use your sponge to clean your kitchen, but a lot of people forget to replace or clean the sponge itself. It is recommended to clean your sponge at least after two days, if not daily. You should first soak it with clean water and microwave it for around two minutes. You should then put it in the dishwasher and run it through a dry cycle or a full wash. This will ensure that you keep your dish sponge clean. You should also replace it every few weeks.
- Washing your garlic press in your dishwasher
A garlic press has a lot of nooks and crannies that can be difficult to clean, especially because a dishwasher does not adequately clean the tiny holes. You should, therefore, clean your garlic press by handwashing it. This way, you will be able to use your fingers and a small brush to dislodge the tricky bits of garlic and get it clean.
- Not cleaning reusable grocery bags
You can protect the environment by reusing your grocery bags. The only thing you need to worry about is cleaning them properly. A lot of cloth bags are machine washable. You can just toss them in with the rest of your laundry. If you have plastic or vinyl reusable bags then you can clean them by wiping them down inside and out using hydrogen peroxide.
- Using too much laundry detergent
It is easy to fall into the pattern of overdosing on store-bought detergent, but using more detergent than recommended does not make the work better. You should add a little bit more detergent when washing large loads but, in most cases, this can make it harder for your washer to rinse the extra detergent.
You can easily avoid all the above mistakes and make things easier and more professional by outsourcing housekeeping services to a professional.
Written by Guest Lifestyle Contributor Annie Huang
