Stop Doing These 23 Things That Are Ruining Your Home

Maintaining a house is a lot of work, and believe it or not, many of your habits and so-called "cleaning hacks" can be damaging to your home! Keep reading to find out what you've been doing wrong all this time!

1. Seldom Clean Your Dishwasher Drain

Turning on the self-cleaning cycle is not enough. To make sure your dishwater is always in peak condition, you should also clean the filter at the bottom regularly.

2. Hammer A Nail Without Using A Stud Finder

You can't just hammer a nail wherever you like on your wall. To prevent it from penetrating a vulnerable area, you can use a stud finder to make sure the nail hits a stud and beds itself inside the wall.

3. Leave Towels In Your Bathroom

Towels in your bathroom might be handy, but you shouldn't leave them there all the time, because they're likely to become contaminated with bacteria in moist environments.

4. Make Your Bed Right After You Wake Up

If you make your bed right after you wake up, all your sweat and dead skin cells might be trapped underneath your quilt. Expose it to the air for a while for better hygiene.

5. Walk Around Wet After Showering

Do you often step out of your shower or bath while you're still wet? Well, you should make sure your body is dry next time because the water will lead your hardwood floors to warp and buckle over time.

6. Pour Bleach Down The Toilet

Bleach can add a new shine to your toilet, but it may also damage the rubber and plastic pipes inside the bowl. Think twice before you pour it down the toilet next time.

7. Leave Loose Branches Untrimmed

You may not have paid much attention to the loose branches around your house. It's better to trim them in case they break on windy days and damage your property.

8. Put Your Grill Too Close To Your House

Backyard barbecues are a great way for family and friends to socialize together, but be careful not to put your grill next to your home. The flare-ups are likely to cause a house fire.

9. Never Clean Your Fireplace Or Chimney

A dirty fireplace or chimney is dangerous because it will dramatically reduce the air quality in your house. The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual cleaning and inspection - no matter how often you use it.

10. Store Eggs In Your Fridge

Experts believe that keeping eggs in your fridge is more likely to cause the growth of bacteria on the shells. It's better to instead store them at room temperature.

11. Install Mulch Too Close To Your Home

Mulch-based landscaping is indeed pretty and environmentally friendly, but it's also combustible. As a result, it's suggested that you keep it at least 3 feet away from your house.

12. Spray Cleaners Directly On A Surface

Surprising, spraying cleaners directly on your countertop can make it hard to get rid of stains. A better way is to spray the solution on a microfiber cloth and then use it to wipe the dirty areas.

13. Put Bleach Tablets Into Your Toilet Tank

Though putting bleach tablets can keep your toilet tank clean, this popular trick does have its downside. It can easily erode the plastic or rubber parts of your flushing system.

14. Remove Your Downspout

Don't remove the downspout just because it doesn't look that appealing. Without it, the foundations of your house might become flooded.

15. Leave Curtains Open All The Time

Don't forget to close the curtains when you go on a holiday because too much sunlight can damage your furniture.

16. Flush "Flushable" Wipes

Even flushable wipes are likely to be stuck in your toilet. You'd better not flush them in case they cause even more expensive problems down the line.

17. Rarely Clean Out Your Gutters

Gutters need to be cleaned regularly, otherwise the downspouts may get clogged with leaves and your house may suffer from water damage.

18. Pour Coffee Or Tea Down The Toilet

The tannins in coffee and tea can easily leave a stain on porcelain surfaces. If you don't want an unsightly toilet, you'd better pour your leftover coffee or tea right into a compost bin.

19. Wash Your Cutting Boards With Dish Soap

Cutting boards can collect bacteria over time, but don't use your regular dish soap to clean them. It can't penetrate the boards as well as everyone thinks. You can switch it to hydrogen peroxide for a better result.

20. Clean Hardwood Floors With Bleach

You can use bleach to clean porcelain surfaces but not hardwood floors. It's strong enough to strip off the polyurethane coating.

21. Pour Pasta Water Down Your Sink

The starch in pasta water can potentially cause sewer blockages. You should dispose of the liquid elsewhere.

22. Leave Shoes On When You Come Home

Leaving your shoes on at home can easily spread dirt and germs around your house. Plus, it may also make your allergies worse if you have any.

23. Keep Leftovers In Your Fridge For Too Long

You don't want to waste food, but don't hold on to your leftovers for too long or they'll become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.