Stop cleaning these 14 things!
If you’re keeping things tidy as often as you can, then there are high chances that you’re cleaning some things you don’t really need to worry about. From household appliances all the way to some clothing items and a couple of body parts, there are some things that you shouldn’t even worry about when it comes to cleaning up your space.
Some of these things might seem like an odd choice, but in all fairness, not everything needs to be cleaned. I think the minute we come to terms with that, we’ll have more time to enjoy our free time and unwind!
Your cast-iron skillet
When you cook, you probably use your cast iron skillet, even if it turns out that plenty of cookware doesn’t need to be cleaned, at least not after a good scrub down with some soap and water. The vast majority of cast-iron cookware comes with nonstick materials or even seasoning oils that build up over time with use.
That’s actually a good thing. What you want is to protect this coating, so harsh scrubbing with soap might not be the trick in most cases. Make sure you check the care instructions for your cookware because, as a general rule, you might get away with a quick wipe-down after each use. If your old cast-iron skillet isn’t doing its thing anymore, here’s a better one, at a fair price!
Your stovetop
On a similar note, even if you are cooking every single day, there’s truly no need to give your stovetop a solid scrub unless you’ve had a serious spill. Your food won’t come into direct contact with it either, so it’s perfectly decent if you gently wipe it down. Of course, unless there’s a huge mess happening.
Your drains
Naturally, if your kitchen or bathroom drain is clogged or has some sort of odor, you might want to grab a drain cleaner and go to town. Otherwise, there’s really no need to clean it on a regular basis. In fact, messing with your drain when it doesn’t need “your help” might backfire and do more harm than good.
Some small appliances
Even if you do use your toaster, microwave, or even your stand mixer on a regular basis, you probably don’t need to worry a lot about keeping them sparkling clean. You can spot clean any kind of stains if you simply forget about the whole “scrubbing” routine. Aren’t we all guilty of this?
Your oven
The most modern ovens we currently have on the market also possess a self-cleaning feature, which works like a charm. Considering this, there’s no real need to get on your hands and knees and scrub every single crevice. Naturally, if something major spills or drips, you might want to carefully clean it when the oven is totally cooled down. Other than that, don’t stress over it.
Your curtains
In all fairness, there’s really no need to constantly wash your curtains. All you have to do is check for any egregious dust, spot treat if you need to, and save any serious cleaning for that yearly session when you’ve got all your chakras in place.
Wood furniture
Even if it’s important to take care of wood furniture, you probably don’t really need all those products meant to add polish and shine that you can find on the market. After all, wood furniture cleaning sprays can easily cause buildup, which could ultimately result in even more dust. Instead, just apply a thin coat of furniture polish once a month. Then, you can wipe it down with a cloth if needed. Other than that, don’t worry about it.
Your toothbrush
We’re fully aware that you use it at least twice a day, and it goes into your mouth—and even the cleanest of mouths still has plenty of germs and bacteria. However, here’s the catch: as long as you are properly storing your toothbrush and there’s a rapid cursory rinse at the end of your brushing, that’s just fine.
Even the American Dental Association mentioned that specialized toothbrush cleaning products don’t work too well. There’s still insufficient clinical evidence to sustain that bacterial growth on toothbrushes might lead to specific adverse oral or even systemic health effects.
However, you’ll still want to store your toothbrush the right way: upright in the open air (not in a medicine cabinet), especially since bacteria grow and thrive in dark, warm, and moist environments.
You should also pay attention to storing it far away from your toilet, especially since you flush before closing the lid, unconsciously spraying plenty of icky bacteria. Also, it’s highly advised to replace your toothbrush every three months, so there’s really no need to clean it.
Raw poultry, meat, and fish
Even if this might come off as a controversial take among many internet commenters, rinsing the raw poultry, fish, and meat before cooking is completely unnecessary. The water you might be using won’t be scalding enough to kill the bacteria.
In fact, it will only spread as it’s sprayed with water in prep areas, including the sink, backsplash, and countertops. Cooking the meat thoroughly will kill the bacteria, so the pre-cook rinse isn’t unnecessary but also potentially dangerous.
Bagged salad
Bagged salad might be labeled as “pre-washed” or “ready to eat,” so if you further clean them, you might just waste your time. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration, washing pre-washed food might turn out to be worse because you are potentially risking cross-contamination from other kitchen surfaces. And I guess you don’t want that.
Eggs
The United States Department of Agriculture was quite explicit when it stated that eggs shouldn’t be washed before storing them. In fact, washing is a routine part of commercial egg processing. The eggs don’t actually need to be washed again.
There are plenty of federal regulations that outline the procedures and cleaners that could be used. Attempting to clean them yourself might actually lead to cross-contamination, especially if you accidentally crack one and all the raw content seeps out onto other surfaces.
Mushrooms
Sauteed mushrooms are quite a versatile addition to plenty of menu items, but you can definitely save yourself a bit of time and skip a wash. In fact, we can guarantee they might taste better, too. The thing with mushrooms is that when they get wet, it’s almost impossible to let them fully dry.
This means they might lose that amazing crispy texture. Besides, if you wash them before cooking and store them in the fridge, they will go bad faster, turning mushy and slimy even before you are able to fully enjoy them.
Pasta
All types of pasta are loaded with natural starches that you want to keep. These starches help cook water cling to your noodles, which perfectly coats the pasta and offers the best possible taste. So if you want, just skip the unnecessary scrub and enjoy a tasty, delicious bowl of pasta.
Jackets
Here’s another controversial take: laundering your jeans isn’t totally necessary, as it turns out. This, of course, unless they are stained or have a certain odor. Naturally, your own comfort level is what actually matters, so if you are the type of person who would rather wear and wash, sure, go for it. But if you keep re-wearing the same pair without actually washing it, there’s honestly no issue with that.
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking out: 17 Efficient Toothpaste Hacks to Clean Something Other Than Your Teeth
