Cleaning the house is no easy feat. To make life a little easier for you, here are five items you are probably cleaning more than you need to.
1. Clothes worn once
For particular items of clothing such as gym gear, shirts and tights it is fine to wash clothes after every wear. However, most other items can be worn up to three times advises Carolyn Forte, the director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “Over-washing and over-drying fabrics can cause fading and wear,” she said. Studies have also shown that it is ideal to wash bath towels after three uses.
2. Dinner plates
Instead of spending time rinsing your plates before putting them in the dishwasher, just make sure all the food is scrapped off. “Pre-washing dishes is a waste of time and energy,” said Carolyn. “If you aren't running it right away, let the dishwasher rinse them with a 'rinse only' cycle.”
3. Light Fixtures
It can be tempting to dust your light fixtures every week but Carolyn advises saving your strength from a different household task. She advises that you can get away with cleaning light fixtures once a month.
4. Jackets
In the cooler months jackets are worn every day. However, this necessity only needs to be washed every three months. Jackets don’t usually come into contact with skin cells or natural oils, which allows them to go longer between washes than other clothes.
5. Curtains
Curtains need to be washed if you get any marks on them but if they are in pristine condition, according to Carolyn they only need to be cleaned once a year.
What household chores do you find people usually do more than necessary? Let us know in the comments below.