There’s a lot to know when it comes to running a household! Between washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning and maintaining appliances, and a thousand other things that need to get done, it’s easy to just rush through things without considering if there’s a better way. I’ve found that a lot of the time there is a better way to do something, and that making even little adjustments to your routine can end up saving you a significant amount of time, effort, and/or money!
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In the spirit of being open to better ways of doing things, today I’ll be sharing 11 common “mistakes” that people make when it comes to household chores, as well as how to fix them. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been guilty of every single mistake on this list at one time or another! Nobody’s perfect, so there’s no reason to feel ashamed. Every mistake is just a learning opportunity, and learning to correct these 11 mistakes will make you feel like a housekeeping pro in no time!
1. You’re Not Loading Utensils Correctly In Your Dishwasher
There are a lot of opinions out there about the best way to load utensils into the utensil caddy in your dishwasher! Spoons and forks aren’t as much of a concern, but you should definitely load your knives into the caddy with the tip facing down. This reduces the chance that you’ll hurt yourself on the blade when it’s time to empty the dishwasher.
The concern with spoons is that if you put a few of them next to each other, they’ll “spoon” each other and won’t actually get cleaned. You can avoid this by putting some of them with the handle up and some of them with the handle down. Or you can just mix up your forks and spoons!
The final thing worth noting about your utensil caddy is distribution is important! You want to make sure you’re evenly distributing your utensils across the caddy, and not loading up a few sections while leaving others empty.
2. You’re Not Replacing Your Dish Sponge
You use your sponge to keep your kitchen clean, but when was the last time you cleaned the sponge itself? Experts recommend cleaning your sponge every 3-4 days in one of two ways. First, you can microwave it for two minutes (but make sure it’s thoroughly soaked in water first!) The second way to clean a sponge is to run it through a full wash and dry cycle in your dishwasher.
And not only should you be keeping your dish sponge clean, but you should replace it regularly as well. You should replace your dish sponges about once a month!
3. You’re Washing Your Garlic Press In The Dishwasher
My garlic press is one of my favorite time-saving kitchen gadgets. Mincing garlic with a knife used to take forever, but I can do it in seconds with my garlic press! The only issue is that all those nooks and crannies in the press can really get gummed up with garlic. And dishwashers aren’t really built to clean out all those tiny garlic bits!
The best way to clean a garlic press is just to hand wash it. Your fingers are your best tools in the kitchen, and you’ll have a much easier time clearing out the garlic bits than your dishwasher will!
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4. You’re Not Cleaning Your Reusable Grocery Bags
Using reusable grocery bags is one of the simplest changes you can make for the environment. And the only thing you need to worry about with your bags is keeping them clean! A lot of cloth bags are actually machine washable, so you can just toss those in with your laundry. The plastic-y vinyl bags can be cleaned by wiping them down inside and out with hydrogen peroxide.
(If you’re interested in learning more surprising things you can do with hydrogen peroxide, check out my eBook Hydrogen Peroxide Magic! And don’t forget, OGT Plus members can download all of my eBooks for free!)
Related: Keeping Your Reusable Shopping Bags Clean
5. You’re Using Too Much Laundry Detergent
It’s easy to fall into a pattern of “overdosing” on store-bought laundry detergent. More detergent must clean your clothes more effectively, right? Not necessarily! You need a bit of extra detergent for a big load, but adding extra detergent to most loads will just make it harder for your washer to rinse all of it out. Eventually, detergent residues will buildup on your clothes and make them increasingly difficult to clean. Next time you measure out laundry detergent, make sure you’re following the instructions on the back of your detergent bottle!
Related: How To Avoid Detergent Overdose
6. You’re Not Changing Your Air Filter
Ignoring the air filter in your HVAC system can eventually defeat the purpose of having one in the first place! The filter acts as a barrier between the air being pumped through your house, and all of the dust and dirt getting suck into the system. But as that dust and dirt builds up on the filter, the filter will start to work less effectively and you’ll be back to square one. Check your HVAC system’s user manual (or look it up online) to find out how often you should be changing your filter.
Related: 10 Important Home Maintenance Tasks You Might Be Neglecting
7. You’re Not Checking Your Smoke Detectors
A smoke alarm could save your life in the event of a fire, but it won’t do you much good if it isn’t working correctly! You should check to make sure your smoke detector is functioning once a month by pushing the “test” button. You should also aim to replace the batteries twice a year, or any time the detector starts to beep intermittently.
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8. You’re Using The Wrong Plunger
There are two types of plungers—one is good for toilets, and the other is better for sinks. Are you using the correct kind? Sink plungers have a rubber cup at the end that is designed to work on flat surfaces like a sink or tub drain. This plunger type doesn’t work well in toilets because it can’t form a good enough seal to create suction.
The other type of plunger has more of a bell shape that’s perfect for toilets. The lower part of the bell forms a tight seal in toilets that allows for proper plunging. But when you buy this type of plunger, the lower part of the bell shape may be pushed up into the upper part, making it appear more like a sink plunger. To tell for sure which type you’re buying, make sure to look into the cup to see if it’s hollow (like a sink plunger) or has a part you can pull out (like a toilet plunger).
9. You Store Your Iron With Water In It
I didn’t know this until recently, but apparently you should empty your iron after each use! Storing your iron with water in it can damage the internal parts and cause harmful mineral buildup. Take an extra couple of seconds to dump out the water before you put your iron away, and use distilled water in it to help avoid internal mineral buildup.
10. You Lift The Lid On Your Slow Cooker
It’s tempting to lift the lid on your slow cooker to check how your food is coming along, but you should resist the urge! Slow cookers use the heat trapped inside the pot to cook your food. Opening the lid causes a significant amount of that heat to escape, meaning your food will take longer to cook if you keep peeking at it!
11. Your Freezer Isn’t Cold Enough
If you have your freezer set to a lower or energy-saving setting, it may not be getting as cold as it should be. Use a fridge/freezer thermometer to determine how cold your freezer is. The optimum temperature for long term freezer storage is 0°F, so adjust your freezer setting according.
Kool article. I really like reading these simple lists in life of this website. I often come here to find useful tips. Thank you for creating such an interesting and useful web like this.
I have a couch not sure of what material (soft) while it is only a few years old the dogs have drooled on it we have spilled drinks & food on it. I have tried my shampooer & also resolve fabric cleaner but they don’t work & take forever drying anyone have suggestions?
You could try this method: http://jillee.co/2G24mks :-) Good luck!
Jamie,
I use regular rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth. I pour the alcohol on the cloth and start rubbing it everywhere. I have also used a scrub brush to fluff up the nap on the furniture. The alcohol dries pretty fast so you don’t have to wait hours for the furniture to dry.
I see someone asked about the plungers and you answered, but I still need a visual. I’m just not getting it. I’ve only ever seen one kind of plunder that I’m aware of.
The one if the photograph has an added piece of plastic on the bottom that goes down into the hole of the toilet a bit. That piece of plastic narrows the output of the plunger, making it more effective for toilets.
The other type of plunger doesn’t have that piece of plastic added, so it is just flat with a wide hole at the bottom :-) You can see the difference here: https://jillee.co/2GaJhTK
Ohhhhhh THANK YOU hahaha
Maybe because I was born and raised on a farm amidst a ton of germs, I don’t worry about germs nearly as much as others. You are never going to eliminate the billions of germs in the world. The only way you build up an immunity to germs is to be exposed to them. That’s probably why I haven’t even had a cold in over 7 years. Kids today are so protected from germs, they are always getting illnesses. As far as sponges – I don’t pay attention to days or weeks. When it gets dirty enough, I just throw… Read more »
I strongly agree with you. There should be cleaning but not OCD or paranoia about germs. They will always be there, period.
I actually don’t use a sponge at all. To be kinder to the environment I use a terri washcloth and I simply throw it in the wash with the other laundry about once/week when it needs to be cleaned. Otherwise boiling water over it here and there. Best part is: no using plastic or adding to the landfill!
Can you tell me what type of freezer thermometer you use and do you have one in your frig too? My frig and standup freezer both have electronic displays but with an in the door ice maker I find sometimes the temp must not be right as ice isn’t being made(too many people opening and closing the doors) and would love to double check…
I have this one: https://amzn.to/2rz2eds
It’s a two-pack that works in the fridge and freezer!
I’ve found that the accordion style plunger works better than the rubber style in both the sink and the toilet. I have dedicated plungers for the bathrooms and one that I keep under the kitchen sink. One good thrust with this style usually does the trick.
Lovem all! Thank you for your mini-day-brightners!!! I never delete!
Sweet!!!
Thank you so much! :-)
I feel grateful reading your article on housekeeping mistakes. Spot on . Thanks. It is soo easy to want to add more washing soap but am sure it is not necessary. Good tips. Thanks, Mary Ann
Thanks Mary Ann!
Why does ANYONE still use kitchen sponges? Use microfiber cloths instead! I don’t know how many I have, but I wash a whole load of them every week. What do I use them for? Dish washing. Dish drying. Dusting. Cleaning spills. Washing tables, counters, even range top. Wrapping sandwiches. I use them as napkins. Bibs. Even for nose blowing if I’m working in the kitchen. (Yes, of course I use laundry sanitizer!) One warning: If you use them for draining fried food, keep those separate from the others and NEVER put them in the dryer, as that is a fire… Read more »
I don’t use Oxyclean in any of my washloads. Over time it destroyed my towels. I think it can be used safely on items like stains on man made threads like carpet.