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Decluttering is the most-skipped home cleaning step which can have foul consequences
When cleaning your house, the process usually starts with tidying things away, followed by vacuuming, mopping and wiping down surfaces – but there’s one stage many forget.
An expert has revealed the most-forgotten interior cleaning step is decluttering, and it can have disastrous consequences if missed.
Home cleaning step that is skipped
Interiors brand�Ruggable has partnered with Will Cotter, cleaning expert from FreshSpace Cleaning, to warn that missing decluttering from your home cleaning routine can lead to bad odor, bacteria, and dust mites growing in your house.
Decluttering involves regularly going through your belongings room by room and removing unnecessary items to make your living space less overcrowded. Some places that often need decluttering include wardrobes, cupboards and drawers.
“Decluttering is a step that many of us tend to skip (including myself sometimes)! Are you keeping things that you think you might use later? Or maybe you bought it for a lot of money and now you cant seem to let go of it,” Cotter said.
“The idea of facing all that clutter can be really daunting and can stop us from taking action and thats probably why decluttering often gets put on the back burner.”
Not decluttering can have consequences
All that clutter can attract dust and dirt that’s difficult to get to. If you don’t clean it regularly, this can lead to bacteria and dust mites growing, which is not good for your health. Clutter gets in the way of a proper cleaning routine, which could result in mold, bad smells, and pests.
One study by researchers from the University of Colorado analyzed the dust found in 1,200 households across the United States and discovered that the average household contained 7,000 different types of bacteria.
Some of the most common types were Staphylococcus�and�Streptococcus,�which are commonly found on the skin, and Bacteroides�and�Faecalibacterium,�which are linked to faeces. Many bacteria are good but others are pathogens, meaning they cause illness.
They also found more than 2,000 different types of fungi in the average household including well-known moulds Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria�and�Fusarium. These spores also have the potential to make you unwell.
How to clean your home properly
It’s important to clean, sanitize and disinfect surfaces around your home, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains.
Cleaning with water and household cleaners that contain soap or detergent�should always be done first to remove germs, dirt and impurities. This also gets rid of most harmful viruses or bacteria.
Some surfaces and objects may then need to be sanitized after they are cleaned to reduce germs to levels that are considered safe by boiling, steaming, or using a weaker bleach solution.
When someone is sick, you should disinfect your home with stronger chemicals like bleach to kill most bacteria, viruses, and fungi on surfaces and objects.
For more cleaning help, here are some DIY cleaning hacks that work, from liquid that whitens sheets to all-purpose stain remover.
