If you’re cleaning like this, experts say you’re doing it wrong: Here are some tips for dishes, garbage, recycling, etc.

Unless you’re a real neat freak with a passion for keeping your abode spick and span, you probably find doing housework a drag. What makes it even worse is if you find yourself putting in more sweat and effort, toiling away for longer than you should’ve, because you’re doing it wrong.

Fortunately, the team at The New York Times Wirecutter with expert knowledge in home cleaning have come up with a series of tips that can take some of the chore out of your chores.

Tips to take some of the work out of your house cleaning

Typically, much of the floor space in American homes is covered with carpeting that are great at keeping dirt and crumbs out of sight. But if you want to make sure that you get a deep clean and suck all of the grim out, Wirecutter recommends not relying on a stick vacuum alone. It should just be a sidekick to a reliable upright or canister vacuum.

When washing up dishes by hand, these cleaning experts advise to “stop squirting dish soap directly onto your sponge.” You’re wasting soap and money. You only need about a teaspoon of dish detergent in a sink filled with water in order to “get your dishes squeaky clean.”

As for the dishwasher, Wirecutter has found that liquid detergents are no match for powder ones.

Speaking of dishwashers, the team at the outlet says that you shouldn’t be afraid to put your wine glasses in there for a solid cleaning. Furthermore, they will probably have a better chance of surviving the cleaning process than in your slippery hands they note.

Just be sure to turn them upside down and make sure they won’t fall over or bang or scrape against other objects inside. If you have silicon hot pads or grips, you can use these to keep them steady in the dishwasher.

This writer is a personal fan of ‘flour sack towels’ when it comes to cleaning up dust, spills and surfaces in general. However, can’t disagree with the recommendation of Andrea Barnes, one of Wirecutter’s cleaning experts, for her go-to household rag, cloth baby diapers, as they are also always on hand too.

The outlet’s cleaning team says that you should “ditch your Swiffer.” Not only do they find them “wasteful and expensive” but the handle is flimsy and “doesn’t let you scrub with any vigor on sticky messes and dried-on food.” Basically, they just can’t do the job of “a good ol’ wet mop.”

Another potential money saver is ignoring the dry-cleaning label and just washing that garment in the washing machine or sink. Warning though, this isn’t applicable to all apparel that is marked as dry-cleaning only.

A couple final notes from the Wirecutter experts, don’t put lemons in the garbage disposal to clean it or freshen up the odor, use ice instead. That’s because the fruit could jam up the machinery.

That’s the same reason you should think twice about sending shredded paper to the recycling facility. Best to call ahead to see if it is accepted. If not, there may be local alternatives for those who feel moral qualms about sending it to the local dump.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.