This article comes from Good House Keeping.
7 Cleaning Tips That Are Making Things Worse
We all love a good cleaning hack but don’t be fooled – not everything you read actually works! In fact, you could be doing more harm than good with some tips.
1. Pouring water on carpet stains
It’s easy to panic and douse the area with cold water (or worse still, hot water) – don’t. Over-saturating the stain can damage the carpet fibers and excess moisture can leak through to the rug pad and flooring, where it can get trapped.
Instead, be patient and blot carefully to lift stains. Lightly spritz with a little sparkling or soda water to rinse (followed by more blotting with a clean paper towel or cloth), and then apply a specialized cleaner.
2. Putting salt on a red wine stain
Chucking salt on a stain may look like it’s working, as you see the red suffuse through the salt from the wine.
But, in fact, this isn’t good news for your carpet as it can set the stain. The salt can be quite abrasive and damage the carpet, and it’s difficult to get all the grains out.
The result? The salt that remains becomes a dirt magnet. So, if you’ve doused the carpet with red wine, follow the advice above, calmly!
3. Using vinegar to clean everything
This natural cleaner solves lots of household problems, but it isn’t a cure-all.
Vinegar can etch natural stone, such as marble countertops or tiles, it can damage an iron’s insides, and it’s unlikely to do the trick on certain stubborn stains.
4. Spraying window cleaner on your computer screen
Window cleaners with ammonia or alcohol can strip anti-reflective coatings off computer and TV screens. They can also cause clouding and even get sucked up inside the screen thanks to the very fine thin layers of material found in it.
Instead, use a dedicated LCD or plasma screen cleaner with no alcohol. Spray the cleaner on to a microfibre cloth and then gently buff the screen.
5. Tackling sticky spots with nail polish remover
If you try to lift adhesive residue (from, say, a sticker on your new refrigerator) with this bathroom staple, you could discolor the surface of the appliance (and potentially void its warranty).
Instead, try using baby oil or mineral oil to fight the stickiness.
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