Lisa O
We all have some bad habits, including those we might not even notice. Certain habits around the house can be harmful to both your home and your health. Here are 15 everyday bad habits that could be causing damage. Spotting and fixing them might help save your home and improve your well-being.
Don’t Forget About Filters
You should regularly check the filters in your home appliances, especially the lint filter in your dryer. A clogged lint filter not only makes your dryer work less efficiently but also poses a fire risk since the lint can catch fire. While you’re at it—don’t forget to check the air and water filters in your fridge, as well as the ones in your dishwasher.
Don’t Wear Shoes Inside the House
Wearing your shoes indoors can track in dirt and grime and spread bacteria around your home. A University of Arizona study found that brand-new shoes worn for just two weeks were loaded with over 400,000 types of bacteria, including E. coli and pneumonia germs. So, ditch the shoes at the door to keep things cleaner.
Don’t Skip Cleaning Your Gutters
Cleaning out gutters might not be the most exciting job, but it’s very important. When gutters get clogged, water can overflow and sneak into the cracks of your home’s foundation. Over time, this can cause major and pricey damage. It’s a lot easier and cheaper to just clean those gutters regularly and avoid bigger issues down the road.
Don’t Use Vinegar on Grout
White vinegar is a household hero, great for cleaning everything from hardwood floors to windows without any harsh chemicals. But don’t use it on the grout in your kitchen or bathroom tiles. The acid in vinegar can mess up the alkaline grout, making it yellow and crumble. This could lead to some surprising and expensive repairs.
Don’t Slam Doors
Slamming a door over and over can push the door frame out of alignment, creating a gap between the frame and the trim. This gap can let in moisture and cold air, making your home chilly and boosting your heating bills. So close doors gently and keep them aligned to stay comfortable and save money.
Don’t Over-Strain Closet Rods
Storage can be tight in many homes, and closets often feel too small. Cramming too many clothes into your closet puts extra weight on the closet rods and the brackets that support them. Over time, this added weight can cause the brackets to pull out of the wall, which might damage your drywall and create a bigger mess.
Don’t Store Things Beneath a Deck or Porch
Using the space under your deck or porch for extra storage might seem like a clever idea, but cramming it fully can block airflow. Proper ventilation is key because, without it, the deck boards can start to warp and get damaged over time. This could lead to major headaches and costly repairs down the road, so keeping the area clear helps keep your deck in good shape.
Don’t Flush Wipes
Pre-moistened “flushable” wipes might seem handy and clean, but the “flushable” part can be tricky. When you flush them, the fabric doesn’t break down like toilet paper. Instead, it can combine with grease and other gunk, leading to nasty clogs in your pipes. This can mean a big, costly repair job with a plumber.
Don’t Use the Oven for Emergency Storage
If you’re scrambling to get your home ready for guests and decide to stash a pile of mail or paperwork in the oven to keep it out of sight, it’s a risky move. If you forget about it and then turn on the oven to cook, you could end up with a serious fire as the paper catches flame. Always remember, the oven should only be used for cooking, not for hiding.
Don’t Keep Using a Kitchen Sponge for Too Long
It might seem like a good idea to keep using an old kitchen sponge to get your money’s worth, but it’s not the best move. The longer you use a sponge, the more germs and bacteria pile up on it. So instead of cleaning your countertop, you might just be spreading germs around. When your sponge starts looking a bit funky—it’s time to toss it and grab a new one.
Don’t Leave Wet Laundry Sitting
It’s tempting to start a load of laundry before heading to work and then forget about it. But when you finally remember to put the damp clothes in the dryer, they might be moldy and smelly. This means you’ll have to wash them again, maybe more than once, to get rid of the stench. To avoid this hassle, try to only do laundry when you can move it to the dryer right after the wash cycle.
Don’t Close Louvre-Style Heating Vents to Cool a Room
If your home uses a forced-air heating system with adjustable vents, you might think closing the vents will help if a room feels too hot. But that’s not a good idea. Closing vents can mess up the pressure balance in your system, which might make the furnace work too hard and could even cause the cooling coil to freeze.
Don’t Paint Over Rusty Railings
If your exterior railings are looking rusty, you might think slapping on some rust-resistant paint will fix them up. While it’ll make them look nice at first, the paint won’t stick for long if the rust isn’t fully scraped off first. Rust keeps the paint from sticking, so it’ll start flaking off pretty quickly. It’s better to deal with the rust properly from the start so you don’t end up repainting all over again.
Don’t Use Bleach Tablets in Toilet Tanks
Bleach tablets can seem like a quick fix to keep the inside of your toilet tank clean and fresh. However, they can actually make the plastic and rubber parts in the tank’s flushing system become brittle over time. This can lead to those parts breaking sooner and needing to be replaced. So, while bleach tablets might clean well—they could end up causing more trouble down the road.
Don’t Hang Clothes on a Doorknob
After you pick up dry cleaning, it might be tempting to hang it on a doorknob before putting it away properly. But this can be a big problem for your door. The weight of the clothes can put stress on the doorknob and hinges and might even pull the door out of alignment, making it hard to open and close smoothly.