6 things you might be cleaning too often

Plus, if you’re feeling like you never get a break from cleaning, here’s your sign that you can press pause on at least a few areas in your home.

Unless you have messy little ones who use your pristine, white kitchen chair covers as target practice for their SpaghettiOs, you don’t need to be washing your slipcovers every week. It’s best to spot-clean them first, and if the stain is bad, you can always throw them into the washer on a rinse-only cycle. Be sure to always check your 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.

2. Carpets and upholstered furniture

While you may think that your carpets are due for a deep-clean every few months, Bissell recommends that you clean 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 to carpets. 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.

Although dusting your fans every week 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.

4. Bedspreads, quilts and comforters

Just like slipcovers, washing your 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.

Covering your comforter with 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.

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.

If you pre-rinse your dishes, your dishwasher won’t sense the food enzymes that may still be on your dishes, which results in a shorter cleaning cycle and a less-thorough clean on your dishes.

Not to mention that pre-rinsing dishes uses lots of water. This tip may be the best of them all. If we’re being honest with ourselves, no one really likes doing the dishes anyway.

(Southern Living is the ultimate insiders’ guide to Southern culture, recipes, travel and events. Packed with recipes, decorating tips, entertaining ideas, and travel guides, Southern Living delivers the best of the South right to you. Online at www.southernliving.com.)

(For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.)