There are some common mistakes made by the majority of professional cleaners. While anyone can go into the house cleaning business, not all of them do the right job.

Every business is prone to making mistakes, and the cleaning business is not excluded. It is okay to make mistakes since you learn from them and determine to do better.

However, Clean House Melbourne is of the opinion that their customers should get value for what they pay for. While we are not the best, we pride ourselves to deliver the best and avoid prevalent mistakes that can devalues our services.

If your cleaner is making some of these prevalent mistakes, try to avoid them:

1. It is clean if its Looks and Smell are better

You may be judging cleanliness this way. Your environment may be clean to your sense. But, there could still be some amount of pollen, pollutants, germs, viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing pathogens living on the said clean surfaces. With sanitizing, most of these are removed. And generally, it only requires the use of a disinfectant.

2. Poor Cleaning of your Cleaning Equipment

You must make sure your cleaning equipment is clean before using it to perform the cleaning job. Sadly, most companies fail to keep their equipment in good shape before use. Rinsing your mop may require larger surfaces. Using smaller surfaces may not be the best for your mop.

Your cleaning team must know the importance of doing this. And there is a need to establish and apply accountability so they can be motivated to get it done themselves.

3. The Use of Wrong Cleaning Products

Of course there are different types of floor in most businesses. However, the type of floor doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know the actual composition of your floor so you can determine the perfect cleaning method for it and the right cleaners to use.

In most cases, you can apply a neutral cleaner. And you should use that if you are not certain about the material type of your floor. For marble floors, a rayon mop, hot water, as well as diluted floor cleaner should be used. Using a microfiber dust cloth is also helpful in some cases. If your cleaner is using wrong cleaning products, it is not good for your properties as well as your health.

4. Aggressively and Frequent Cleaning of Surfaces

Let us consider the grout that may be present in a bathroom, for instance. It turns dingy and grimy in the long run, so the usual visual appeal is not more visible. You can get the job done by scrubbing using a grout scrub. But this shouldn’t be what you repeat daily or even weekly. It is a task you occasionally do, like monthly, based on the foot traffic to that specific bathroom. Since the entire floor will be scrubbed, that is also helpful in cleaning the grout, thus reducing the need to clean it individually.  Many cleaners don’t understand but approach some cleanings in a wrong way.

5. Washing Windows using Circular Motions

Window cleaning can be tricky; if not properly done, the glass will not look clean. When you work for your hand in circles, the chance of leaving many soap residues as well as traces on the surface is wide. Instead, clean from the top of the glass to the bottom, making a straight stroke.

Finish the job using a squeegee. Cleaning a window on a hot, sunny day is another mistake most cleaners make because the detergent residues quickly dry, and you should know there will be streaks visible on the glass. We have an article on the how often you should cleaning your office window on our blog.

6. Using Dishwashing Liquid to clean Cast Iron Pans

There is a small difference between cooking with cast iron and with other types of pots and pans. A layer of grease is developed on a cast iron skillet you used over time, and this will make the food not stick into the pan. Using soap to clean this layer will reduce the skillets life.

To get rid of the previous meals’ smell but still hold on to the non-stick layer, simply clean the surface by wiping the pot using a paper towel and a paste of baking salt with water. If food is stuck on the pan, you can scrub it off gently using sea salt. Another major mistake when cleaning the cast iron skillet is when you use vinegar. Even though vinegar is included in many do-it-yourself cleaning ingredients, it is not perfect for pans and pots made from cast iron or aluminum. There is a reaction between these metals and can get them damaged.

7. Dusting using Dry Cloth

A lot of cleaners use a dry cloth to dust because they want to avoid leaving a residue of detergent on their furniture. However, if you are using a dry cloth to dust, you are only pushing the dust around. The use of damp cloth is the best method to wipe dust and dirt, and then use a clean towel to polish the surface.

8. Scrubbing Spills on Carpets and Upholstery

This is not the first time of repeating these on our blog or in person. When speaking with our customers, don’t scrub spills and stains on your carpet, rugs, and upholstery. This only further pushes the dirt into the material’s fibers and makes it more difficult and, in some cases, impossible to remove. Gently blot with a sponge and squeeze it when handling stain to prevent depositing the contaminant back onto the fabric upholstery or carpet.

9. Mixing Bleach And Ammonia

A lot of people believe that they will get a better and faster result when they combine two strong cleaners. Sometimes, this might work, but mixing ammonia and bleach (or products that contains the two) will form very toxic gases. This vapor can be dangerous and lethal. Prevent accidents by reading the labels of your cleaning products, and do not mix them if you are not sure of the result. Another option is to make use of only green cleaning products that are certified or make your cleaners.

10. The Use of Vinegar on Marble or Granite Floor

Vinegar is a very popular cleaner and is usually added as a recipe in several do-it-yourself cleaning materials, especially for multi-purpose cleaners as well as floor cleaners. However, even though vinegar is eco-friendly and safe for your health, it still contains an acid. When you use it on marble and granite floors, the acid will eat through the stone.

11. Not Emptying the Vacuum

Have you ever noticed a foul smell coming from your vacuum while using? No, the smell is from something you’d not have imagined, your vacuum. If any odors are coming from your vacuum or are not picking up debris like it used to do, the problem is a simple one, your vacuum needs to be emptied. When there is no more space in the vacuum bag or canister, there will be no airflow, thereby blocking the vacuum from working as it is supposed to.

When there is a restriction of airflow, the dirt and debris will not be removed and it greatly affects the vacuum’s performance. So, check to be sure that the vacuum is empty before you start vacuuming and always empty it after two or three cleanings. Also, make sure you clean the vacuum more often.

12. The use of Cleaning Products on Electronics

I promised to talk about this later. Cleaners and electronics are two sides of the coin. So make sure you do not spray anything onto your electronics. You can just spray a microfiber cloth and use it to clean the electronics gently. If there is a need to disinfect, make use of DIY screen cleaner, and apply the instructions.

13. Not Reading Directions

We’ve been performing cleaning for several years and we think we are aware of how cleaning products work. However, you will get to know that you are using the product far from the directions given on it when you read it.

The cleaning products we use are the results of a lot of time, money, and research. The product developer in the process discovered the best way to use the product, and they place the directions on the product’s bottle for our use. Some cleaners require some time to work, some are active on certain surfaces, some will cause harm to certain surfaces, and so on.

So, to use cleaning products (and money) well, and not damage anything in your household, your cleaner should read the directions before using any product. This only takes a few minutes.

14. Using Stain Removal for Clothes to treat the Carpet

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using stain removal products specially made for clothes and linens to clean carpets and upholstery. You may ask what the difference is. It’s simple, these specific types of stain removers are designed to act fast and then be washed out afterward. The bad thing here is the fact that it will be left on rugs, carpets, or upholstery till the next general cleaning as the fibred can get deteriorated by the active ingredients, reducing the lifespan of your furnishings.

Conclusion

If because you don’t have much time for cleaning due to your busy life and you hire cleaner who is now making popular housekeeping mistakes, this might be the best time to contact another cleaning company.

Your nearest Clean House Melbourne will gladly lend you a hand so that you can spend the little time you have relaxing while they do your cleaning. Contact is today!