Stop Over-Cleaning: 10 Household Items That Actually Need Less (Or No) Attention

Television and Computer Screens

While you may like to clean television and computer screens once a week or more, this can quickly lead to damage, especially if using cleaning products.

“Screens do not need to be cleaned as frequently as people usually think,” Erik Liang, founder of Crystal Clean, a residential and commercial cleaning company, says. “And using glass cleaner on modern screens will result in dissolving the anti-glare coating.”

He recommends using only a dry microfiber cloth to clean screens and a little water for tough-to-remove spots.

Wooden cutting boards

Wooden cutting boards are a functional and beautiful kitchen tool, but should not be washed after every use. Frequent washing can cause wood fibers to swell and contract, leading to warped or cracked surfaces. To avoid this, skip a full wash after cutting things like bread and opt to brush crumbs away instead. Also, never wash cutting boards in the dishwasher or leave them soaking in the sink. Instead, hand wash with soap and water, then stand to fully dry before storing.

Electrical outlets

Cleaning electrical outlets every time you dust or wipe down kitchen counters is unnecessary and potentially dangerous due to the risk of electric shock. “People tend to spray cleaner directly onto the faceplate, forgetting that there is a live socket right behind it,” Liang says. To clean safely, turn off the breaker and spray cleaning solution onto a rag, then wipe down the outlet. This can be done once a year unless heavily soiled.

Artwork and paintings

Attempting to clean fine art and paintings yourself can quickly lead to damage. Using the wrong solvent or cleaner can remove paint layers, leave stains or cause cracking, rendering a painting worthless. It’s best to leave artwork cleaning to skilled professionals with the experience, tools and solvents to safely restore artwork to its original condition. To maintain artwork at home, dry dust once a month.

Smoke detectors

Most manufacturers recommend cleaning smoke detectors once or twice a year to keep units dust free and operating properly. Anything more than that is too much and could damage sensors and lead to early failure. “Surprisingly, smoke detectors are cleaned incorrectly all the time,” Liang says. “They are sprayed with a cleaning detergent and the sensor ends up destroyed.” Instead, he recommends vacuuming vent holes and dusting the outer shell with a dry microfiber cloth.

Countertop appliance base

Small appliances like coffee makers or blenders do not need to be cleaned daily or after every use. Using a really damp rag or lots of cleaner on these bases, especially this frequently, can damage motors or slowly corrode electrical parts. Liang suggests cleaning appliance bases after several uses, not every day, unless there’s a spill. Use a lightly dampened cloth with multipurpose spray.

Antiques with original finishes

The value of an antique is often tied, in part, to the presence of its original finish or patina. Antique wood furniture and bronze or brass antiques are especially prized when their finishes are kept intact. For this reason, you should never clean these, but instead gently dust them to maintain their aged condition. “We never clean antiques because there’s a real risk of ruining the piece,” Ilya Ornatov, founder of NW Maids, a home cleaning service, says. “Dry dusting is the most we’ll do on these.”

Wood furniture

If you’re cleaning and polishing wood furniture every week, consider cutting back to once a month. While it’s recommended to dust weekly, applying polish that often, especially products that contain silicone, can lead to a gummy build-up that actually attracts more dust. “Just use a microfiber cloth with a little bit of water,” Ornatov says. “And don’t polish it every week.” Furniture cleaners can dry out wood furniture, so apply these once a month as well.

Self-cleaning Ovens

Self-cleaning oven settings are a convenient way to remove baked on grease, but shouldn’t be used more than a few times a year. Ovens reach temperatures of 800 to 1000 degrees during self-cleaning mode, which can actually cause damage. “A lot of people use the self-cleaning cycle on an oven way too much, even once a month,” Ornatov says. “It’s damaging to the oven’s components and the seal on the door if you do it this much.”

Houseplants

Dust houseplant leaves once a month, but avoid cleaning them or polishing the leaves. “Using sprays that make the leaves shine can clog the pores of the plant,” Ornatov says. Don’t use mayonnaise, olive oil or milk to shine leaves either. While the leaves might look better in the short term, dust sticks to the shiny film, which lowers the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and increases the need to dust the leaves.

About the Experts

• Ilya Ornatov is founder of NW Maids, a full-service house cleaning business in the Seattle metro area.
• Erik Liang is founder and managing director of Crystal Clean, a residential and commercial cleaning company in Sydney, Australia.

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