Five Common Cleaning Myths [VIDEO]

Ever wonder if your cleaning routine is actually making your home healthier, or could some common myths be doing more harm than good?

Five Common Cleaning Myths That Impact Health

Keeping your space clean is often considered one of the easiest ways to support your health and overall well-being.

But here’s the catch: a lot of the cleaning habits we think are helpful can actually do more harm than good, especially when it comes to the air we breathe indoors.

What might seem like a foolproof cleaning solution could be releasing allergens, harmful chemicals, or other pollutants into your home, making the environment less healthy than you’d expect.

It's crucial to bust some of these myths if we want to truly improve cleanliness and protect our health.

 

Myth 1: Air Fresheners Make Your Air Cleaner

• Fact: It’s easy to think that a fresh-smelling room equals clean air, but air fresheners can actually do the opposite. Many of them release volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—the same chemicals that give them those nice scents—which can pollute the air rather than clean it.
• Health Impact: Breathing in these VOCs regularly can irritate your lungs, trigger headaches, and even leave you feeling tired or unwell. Over time, these chemicals can build up in your home, worsening the air quality. Instead of masking odors, it’s much healthier to open a window or try natural ways to freshen up the air.

 

Myth 2: Mopping with Commercial Cleaners Always Improves Air Quality

• Fact: Sure, mopping is great for getting rid of dirt and grime, but it doesn’t always mean you’re improving the air quality. In fact, just by being indoors—breathing, shedding skin—humans release more pollutants into the air than mopping ever will. The detergents you use might clean your floors, but human activity often introduces more VOCs and other pollutants that affect the air.
• Health Impact: Relying too much on commercial cleaners to improve air quality means overlooking the bigger issue: we, as humans, contribute more to indoor pollution than we realize. From the air we exhale to particles our skin sheds, these pollutants have a bigger impact than detergents. So, while cleaning is important, it’s also key to focus on proper ventilation and reducing human-generated pollutants to keep the air healthier.

 

Myth 3: Vacuumed Carpets Are Cleaner Than Hard Floors

• Fact: It’s tempting to think that regularly vacuumed carpets are as clean—or even cleaner—than hard floors. But the truth is, carpets trap way more allergens, dust, and toxins, even if you vacuum them often. Those carpet fibers hang on to things like beta-glucan and other particles that can lead to breathing problems. Hard floors, on the other hand, are much easier to fully clean and don’t hold onto these contaminants as much.
• Health Impact: The allergens and toxins hiding in carpets can make respiratory issues worse and trigger allergies, especially for people who already have conditions like asthma. Regular vacuuming just isn’t enough to get rid of those deeply buried particles, meaning your carpet could be affecting your air quality long-term. If you want to reduce those health risks, it’s a good idea to switch to hard floors or make sure you’re doing a deep carpet cleaning regularly.

 

Myth 4: Cleaning Surfaces Gets Rid of All Bacteria in Shared Spaces

• Fact: Sure, wiping down surfaces can help get rid of visible dirt and some bacteria, but it doesn’t mean the area is totally bacteria-free—especially in places where lots of people come and go. Humans are constantly shedding skin and hair, which brings bacteria right back into the environment. So, even after you’ve cleaned, bacteria can quickly resettle on surfaces and in the air.
• Health Impact: Because bacteria from human skin and hair stick around, shared spaces often stay full of these germs, even if they’ve been cleaned. This can be a bigger problem in places with lots of people, where bacteria can spread around through things like foot traffic or direct contact. To really reduce the risk, it’s important to combine regular surface cleaning with good air filtration and hygiene practices to help keep bacteria levels in check.

 

Myth 5: Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Can Kill All Germs

• Fact: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are great for knocking out a lot of common germs, but they’re not effective against every type. Some tougher pathogens, like Clostridium difficile spores, can survive on surfaces for a long time and resist alcohol-based sanitizers. In these cases, nothing beats good old-fashioned handwashing with soap and water to get rid of them.
• Health Impact: Relying too much on hand sanitizers can create a false sense of safety, especially when it comes to those stronger bacteria and viruses that sanitizers can’t kill. This can lead to infections in places where these pathogens are present. To be fully protected, it’s important to combine hand sanitizer use with regular handwashing, especially when dealing with resilient germs.

 

Takeaway

Understanding the truth behind these common cleaning myths is key to keeping a healthy indoor space.

When we rely on misinformation, it can lead to poor air quality, more allergens floating around, and harmful bacteria sticking around longer than we’d like.

By acknowledging the limits of things like air fresheners, detergents, carpets, surface wipes, and hand sanitizers, we can take smarter steps toward better cleaning.

Improving ventilation, using deeper cleaning methods, and mixing up your hygiene routines can make a big difference in keeping the air clean and the space safer for everyone.

Making informed choices is what really helps create healthier, cleaner environments.

If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation on-site assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!

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