6 things you might be cleaning too often

Everything in your home needs a good deep-clean on a regular basis, but are there certain items in your home that you're cleaning too often? If you're feeling like you never get a break from cleaning, you can press pause on at least a few areas in your home.

Furniture slipcovers

Unless you have messy little ones who use your white kitchen chair covers as target practice, you don't need to wash slipcovers weekly. It's best to spot-clean first, and if the stain is bad, throw them into the washer on a rinse-only cycle. Check slipcover tags for specific care instructions.

You can get by with washing your slipcovers — yes, even the couch and pillow covers — about once or twice a year, according to Reviewed.com. Washing them too frequently could result in premature wear on the fabric.

Carpets and upholstered furniture

You may think carpets need a deep-clean every few months, but Bissell recommends cleaning your carpets at least twice a year. If you have an especially high-traffic carpeted area in your home, or pets and children, you may want to deep-clean every quarter of the year.

Upholstered furniture can also be cleaned on a similar schedule. Factors like pets and children may increase the frequency at which you need to deep-clean your upholstered furniture. If you're uncomfortable deep-cleaning your furniture yourself, you can always schedule services for your carpets and furniture around the same time frame.

Ceiling fans

Although dusting your fans weekly with the rest of your cleaning routine is a great way to prevent excess buildup, you don't need to deep-clean your ceiling fan at the same rate. You can clean your ceiling fan with a soapy cloth once a month, Beth McGee, a cleaning expert and author, tells The Washington Post.

Especially in warmer months, when your fan is used more frequently, a weekly dusting is a good way to prevent built-up dust when it comes time for that monthly deep-clean, according to Home Depot.

Home Depot also suggests that box fans should be deep-cleaned at least twice a year, even if they receive regular dusting.

Bedspreads, quilts, comforters

Washing comforters too frequently can lead to premature wear on the material.

If you use a duvet cover on your comforter, then you only need to wash your comforter every three to five years, according to Home Depot. If you don't use a duvet cover, then you should wash your comforter every one or two years.

Using a duvet cover can help keep dirt off the comforter itself and protects against dust mites, according to Home Depot. You can wash your duvet cover weekly with your sheets and pillowcases.

Clothes

It goes without saying that any clothes directly against your body — socks and underwear — should be washed after each use. Clothes that see a lot of sweat or dirt should also be washed after each use.

Your other clothes, like blouses, jeans and sweaters, can last a few more wears before needing to be washed, according to Whirlpool. This will help prolong the life of your clothes and maybe even cut down your water bill a bit.

Dirty dishes

If you pre-rinse your dishes, you not only use a lot of water; the dishwasher won't sense the food enzymes that may still be on them, resulting in a shorter cycle and a less-thorough clean.