Your Cell Phone Screen

Here's something that might shock you: a whopping 92% of cell phones carried illness-causing bacteria like strep and E. coli according to a 2023 study.

Your smartphone is definitely germy, but cleaning it multiple times daily is complete overkill. Health experts suggest cleaning your phone at least once a day as a preventative measure, and some recommend using a Lysol wipe every other day or at least twice a week.

That daily microfiber cloth wipe is enough for most situations. Think about it this way - you're not performing surgery with your phone, and constantly scrubbing it with harsh disinfectants can actually wear down the protective coating on your screen over time.

Save yourself the effort and stick to once daily unless you've been somewhere particularly germy.

Your Bed Sheets

If you're washing your sheets every few days thinking you're winning some cleanliness contest, you're actually creating unnecessary work for yourself. A global survey by the International Housekeepers Association in 2022 found that approximately 60% of people worldwide clean their homes on a weekly basis, while 25% do so bi-weekly, and this includes bedding routines.

Towels and bed sheets serve different purposes and thus require different washing frequencies, with sheets needing less frequent attention than towels. The sweet spot for most people is washing sheets every one to two weeks, unless you're dealing with excessive sweating, illness, or pets in bed.

Your sheets aren't accumulating dangerous bacteria at the same rate as other household items. Wash your pajamas every three to four days, recommends the American Cleaning Institute.

Do it more often if you sweat excessively or have a skin condition. Clean pajamas on clean sheets makes way more sense than obsessing over sheet-washing frequency.

Kitchen Towels and Dish Rags

You might think that boiling your kitchen towels or washing them after every single use makes you a cleaning superstar, but you're probably going overboard. Boiling your kitchen towels is a fool-proof way to eliminate lingering bacteria, making it a reliable cleaning method.

However, frequent exposure to high heat can cause the fabric to deteriorate faster, meaning you'll likely need to replace your towels more often. Most dish towels should be washed and dried after each daily use.

By swapping out your dish towels daily you'll keep your kitchen (and your hands) feeling fresh and clean. But here's the thing - if you're using your kitchen towel just to dry clean dishes or wipe down already-clean counters, it doesn't need immediate washing.

A regular wash cycle in the machine should be enough to keep them clean and fresh for most situations. The key is knowing what your towel actually touched.

Bathroom Surfaces

Bathroom cleaning can become an obsessive ritual, especially after the pandemic heightened our awareness of germs everywhere. But scrubbing your bathroom surfaces daily is likely overkill unless you have a large household or specific health concerns.

While some people really benefit from and enjoy a 'spring clean', others might use cleaning as a 'coping mechanism' that can actually lead to increased anxiety and stress. Try to avoid 'excessive cleaning' which can be psychologically unhealthy.

While an extra wipe with some soap and water usually does no harm, it's important to make sure that cleaning habits are in line with your own personal level of risk. Most bathroom surfaces can handle being cleaned 2-3 times per week rather than daily, especially if you're just dealing with normal household use.

Surface cleaners dominated the market, with the largest revenue share of 55.3% in 2024. Surface cleaners are essential for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in homes, particularly in high-touch areas such as kitchen countertops, bathrooms, and living spaces.

Focus your daily efforts on the toilet and sink, but those shower walls don't need daily attention.

Your Dishes

If you're running your dishwasher every single day with just a few plates and cups, you're wasting water, energy, and time. According to a 2023 study by Statista, people across various countries spend an average of 5-7 hours per week on house cleaning.

For example, individuals in the UK average around 6 hours, while those in Australia spend about 5.5 hours per week. That's a lot of time that could be better spent if you optimize your cleaning routines.

Modern dishwashers are designed to handle a full load efficiently, and running half-empty cycles is actually less environmentally friendly than waiting for a full load. Researchers tested both conventional products and "green" cleaning products and detected a total of 530 unique VOCs in the 30 products.

Of these, 193 VOCs were hazardous – identified as having the potential to cause health harms such as respiratory system damage, increased cancer risk and developmental and reproductive impacts. Constantly using cleaning products isn't always better for your health.

Unless you're cooking elaborate meals daily or have a huge family, running the dishwasher every 2-3 days when it's actually full makes much more sense than daily cycles with three coffee mugs and a plate.