7 bad habits that are making your house dirtier

Believe it or not, there are things you or household members are probably doing that are sabotaging your cleaning efforts. By breaking these habits, you can help your home stay cleaner, even if you're cleaning the same amount or less often.

Wearing outside shoes in the house

"Taking just a few seconds to remove your shoes each time you come in from the outside will save you hours of vacuuming," wrote Mary Marlowe Leverette, cleaning expert at The Spruce, in her article "The Dirty Dozen."

"Not to mention the bacteria and germs that will stay out of living areas."

This simple step ensures you're not tracking outdoor grime indoors. Don't be afraid to ask guests to remove their shoes before entering, either — chances are, they'd ask the same of you when you visit their home.

Not closing the toilet lid before you flush

That lid isn't there just to keep you from dropping your toothbrush in the toilet: Research has found that that flushing the toilet with the lid up can spread contaminated aerosol particles as far as 1.5 meters, effectively undoing any disinfecting or sanitizing you've done in your bathroom. To keep surfaces clean of the things you can't see, close the lid before you flush.

Cleaning with dirty tools

"A dirty mop or sponge simply pushes around soil and bacteria," Leverette wrote in "Cleaning Made Easy."

"Take the time to thoroughly clean tools after every use by emptying completely or washing in hot water and adding a disinfectant. Periodically replace with new tools."

Additionally, grimy appliances, like washing machines, dishwashers and vacuums, won't clean as effectively. Keep all tools clean and in good condition to make sure you're getting the most out of your cleaning efforts.

Neglecting kitchen towels

Few cleaning items are as helpful or used as often as your trusty kitchen rag. Just make sure you're cleaning that rag enough. The data shows kitchen towels are easily contaminated. Even if you're only using them to dry clean hands, you're probably not tossing them in the wash enough and spreading bacteria and other filth to your clean hands and other surfaces. Try to wash these towels more often, especially if you're using them to clean up after cooking with meat or fish.

Skimming the instructions

Few things are more frustrating than when a cleaning spray or tool doesn't work as expected — but sometimes, you can't blame the tool.

"Maybe you didn't read the directions," Leverette wrote. "Bottom line: Spend 30 seconds reading the directions to avoid 30 minutes of extra scrubbing."

Many of these instructions are necessary to use a product to its full potential, too, particularly if you're sanitizing or disinfecting, so be sure to read directions carefully and follow them exactly.

Trusting everything you see online

Viral cleaning videos may be entertaining, but they may not all give you the cleaning results you're hoping for, and some may even lead to declines in the quality of your possessions. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you see something that would really help you out, test it carefully before going all-in.

Letting cleaning jobs pile up

"Most of us will find reasons to avoid a mess for as long as possible," Leverette wrote. "But if you and your family do a bit of cleaning each day ... then cleaning the entire house will not be so overwhelming."