5 bad cleaning habits you need to stop doing now

We all like to think we're doing the best job we can when cleaning our homes.

But over time bad habits develop, and some of them might be things you don't even know are doing more harm than good.

Do you ever read the instructions on your cleaning products? Do you dust your house in the right order? These are just a couple of things you might not do, which are causing problems in the long run.

We've pulled together some habits a lot of people are guilty of that are actually sabotaging your cleaning routine and explain how to stop doing them.

Here are five bad habits you may have that you need to stop now:

You're using too much cleaning product

When using a cleaning product, if a little bit works well, it's easy to think that using a lot will be even better — or just work faster, right? Well, that's not exactly how it works.

Using too much of a cleaning product, especially laundry detergent, can do more harm than good, because if the excess isn't rinsed away properly, the residue can actually trap dirt and soil.

Instead, read the instructions and use the recommended amount, or even a little less. It'll stop you wasting money by running out of products too quickly or extra water on rinsing excess product off.

Not reading the instructions properly

Reading instructions is not only important for making sure you're not wasting product, but so it works and does the job to clean what you need.

READ MORE: Cult fav cleaning product finally launches in Australia

Have you ever tried to clean something like soap scum and been disappointed by the results? It might not be the cleaner, but not using it right, that led to the dodgy results. Most cleaners don't work instantly and need some time so the ingredients can break down the stain or soil and lift it so it can be wiped, or rinsed away.

You're definitely better off taking the time to read the instructions to get the full effect of your cleaning products.

Allowing paper clutter to build up

With so many of us opting for online bills, banking and making as much of our lives digital, it's still surprising to see how much paper clutter actually accumulates.

It might be notes from school, magazines, flyers in the mail or newspapers and over time it just builds up. Don't let that happen because it'll just make your home look messy and give you another job to tackle in your cleaning routine.

READ MORE: Decluttering guru Peter Walsh shares his top tips for getting your kitchen organised

Designate a place near your front door where you can leave all your mail and paper clutter, but once a week sort through it all. Toss what you don't need, file away what you do and complete things that need to be done like paying bills or sorting out notes for school.

Keeping a small bin nearby will make the task seem like less of a challenge, and it will hopefully motivate you to keep on top of it.

Hoarding uneaten leftovers in the fridge

We all like to think we're doing something great by hanging onto leftovers and saving bits of food to "eat later", but if you're not the kind of person that actually does eat it, why do you do it?

READ MORE: The gross place in the kitchen you're not cleaning

If you're not going to eat it, the food will get shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten about. We've all discovered a mouldy container of who knows what at least once, and doing this often means you're making cleaning out the fridge way more of a job than it needs to be.

The same goes for doing a big shop and not using what you have. Instead make sure you're storing what needs to be used before it goes bad in a space where you will see it.

You need to start dusting first

It might seem like a good idea to tackle the big jobs first, like vacuuming and then doing smaller, quicker things like dusting — wrong. You should be cleaning from top to bottom, which means dusting first so any dust that lands on the floor can be vacuumed. You'll end up with a much better result overall by doing it this way.

READ MORE: The dusting mistake that could ruin your furniture

And remember, if what you're using to dust — ideally a damp microfibre cloth — is completely covered and you're not finished, you need to grab another one. If your cloth is full of dust, by continuing to use it you'll only push the dust around and not actually trap it.