Last Updated on February 5, 2020
11. Taking long, hot showers
Taking a long shower is the adult definition of house fun – but if your showers are too long and too hot, you might end up with huge water and heating bills, a moist bathroom that will be filled with mildew and your skin will also become drier. So, to spare your wallet and protect your skin, take shorter showers and use warm water instead of scalding water.
12. Closing the curtains during the winter
Keeping your curtains closed during the winter will make you end up with a huge heating bill because your heater will be doing all the work of keeping your house warm. Even in the cold season, the sun shines, and just by allowing the sun to go through your window, your house will get warmer and you will be able to save some money on the heating bill.
13. Running a half-full dishwasher
This should be a house cleaning rule – do not run the dishwasher unless it is completely full. It will waste energy and water, and you will have to load it and unload it many more times. Plus, running a dishwasher is quite polluting, so by only doing so when the machine is completely filled you will be helping the planet and your bank account.
14. Closing vents in unused rooms
If you have rooms in your house where you barely set foot, your tendency will be to shut down the vents in order to save some money on heating or cooling bills. Instead, you should program the thermostat in order to make the air circulate only when you need it, but keep the vents open in every room.
15. Wearing shoes indoor
Wearing your shoes inside the house is quite gross since more than 400,000 types of bacteria can be found in shoes, studies have shown. Whether you have hardwood flooring or carpets and rugs, the bacteria will stick around and it can cause many diseases, including pneumonia and meningitis.
16. Mixing paint with a drill
If you want to remove clumps while stirring paint, you can always use a drill, but you should be aware of the fact that this is going to create air bubbles in the paint, and your end result might look a little spotty. Stirring your paint with a wooden stick can take longer, but at least the end result will look much better.
17. Overdoing the drain cleaner
You shouldn’t be using drain cleaner every single time your sink backs up because it can be harmful to your health, the environment and to your plumbing as well. Drain cleaner is filled with caustic chemicals that can be quite harmful when inhaled, and some brands are so powerful that they can even erode your piping.
18. Applying too much mulch
If you wear mulch around your garden, you probably do so because you think you are protecting your trees and tour plants – but if you use too much, you will end up retaining moisture, and this will eventually result in disease and decay of your trees, since the roots will start growing through the mulch, wrapping around the tree and cutting off the water supply.
19. Leaving the outdoor rugs out for all eternity
If you purchase an outdoor rug, it will be much better than an indoors one when it comes to tolerating the elements. But this doesn’t mean you should leave it outside 24/7. Mildew might start taking over your mat because of the moisture, and the sun rays will make the colors fade. If there is a severe storm coming or if low temperatures are expected, bring them inside in order to preserve them.
20. Overstuffing space under the deck
It is amazing to have space under your porch to stash some things – what is not so amazing is when you start stashing everything underneath. Hoarding stuff under your porch will end up trapping moisture, which might damage the wooden boards and compromise the integrity of the wooden structure, so always make sure to leave space for proper ventilation. In any case, it is always good to have house insurance to cover for some of the damage.
