For many of us, keeping a clean household is a never-ending task. With the combination of kids, and pets, we are constantly running around with a spray bottle and a sponge. But, have you ever stopped to think if your one spray bottle is working on all the different surfaces in your home?

If you are like me, you use dish soap to clean almost everything. It’s handy and reliable, but is it really the best cleaner for the job? Well, you would be surprised at what the experts warn you should never clean with basic dish soap. If you have these surfaces in your home, start changing how you keep them clean.

Leather

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Leather is a luxury material that most people spend a lot of money on. If you own a fancy new leather product, you will want to take great care of that item.

That is why you want to invest in a quality leather cleaner. The harsh chemicals in dish soap will cause the leather to dry and crack. Instead, use the leather cleaner on your favorite furniture, handbags, shoes, and wallets to maintain their natural oils and keep their shine.

Wood Furniture

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Nothing can ruin a lovely piece of wood furniture faster than a stain, or a glass ring. If a spill occurs, in a pinch, you may grab the dish soap for a quick clean up. Experts warn that this may be bad news for the sack of your furniture.

Dish soap can be abrasive and damage the protective stain on the wood, leaving it discolored. Your local department or hardware store carries a variety of wood cleaners that are delicate enough to protect but strong enough to keep it perfectly clean.

Cast Iron Cookware

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Some of the best chefs and home cooks swear by the magic of cast iron cooking. Cast iron pots and pans cook food evenly, are simple to care for, and are almost impossible to ruin—unless, of course, you wash them with dish soap.

The appeal of cast iron is that it develops a special seasoning that coats the pan. The more you use it, the better the coating becomes. Using dish soap can strip the seasoning, ruining that nice coating. Instead, opt for some simple warm water and a sponge to keep your cast iron going strong.

Coffee Makers

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Using dish soap on a coffee maker is not uncommon, and you won’t damage the appliance, but it does become a pain to clean. The dish soap bubbles up, gets into the nooks and crannies, and needs countless rinses to remove all of the soap residues from the pot.

Fortunately, there is a hack for this very situation. Experts share their opinion, stating you should use a vinegar solution to clean the inside of your coffee maker. This will save time and water. Plus, it will help remove the stains that build up on the glass coffee pot.

Granite and Stone Countertops

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Granite and Stone Countertops can turn an average-looking kitchen into a spectacular one. If you have invested in quality granite or stone tops, you want those countertops to sparkle. The best way to accomplish this is to buy specialized granite and stone cleaners from your local hardware store.

Dish soap might help remove stuck-on food and light stains, but it won’t help it shine. The oily chemicals in dish soap will leave streaks and a greasy residue after it is wiped down.

Matte-Painted Walls

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No matter how hard we try, our walls can become very dirty. They collect dirt, dust, hand prints, and food splashes. And, for those with kids, the possibilities are endless. So, you might be asking yourself, how do I get rid of these stains? Do I paint over them?

The answer is you can clean your walls with hot water and diluted soap, just not dish soap. Matte-painted walls don’t do well after being ecxposed to dish soap. It can either leave behind a streaky residue or ruin the finish altogether. Instead, remove unwanted stains or scuffs with a damp microfiber cloth on flat painted surfaces.

Your Face

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Dish soap is designed to cut through food and grease stuck on pans and plates. However, the chemicals in the solution are harsh and not designed for human skin. If exposed for too long, they dry it out. That is why many people wear rubber gloves when doing the dishes or immediately apply lotion when finished.

The skin on your face is among the most sensitive parts of your body. The last thing you want to put on your face is soap that could damage it. Department store aisles are dedicated to facial products. For your skin’s health, use those instead of dish soap in your sink.

Hardwood Floors

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Hardwood Floors have become incredibly popular due to their good looks and ease of cleaning. But, just like with any specialty product, they need special cleaning products, or else they could be damaged. That being said, dish soap is a no-go for cleaning hardwood floors.

Like cleaning your wooden furniture, dish soap can strip your floors of their protective coating. It can also create scratches and change the floor’s coloring. To avoid these mishaps, sweep or vacuum and then mop with a mild wood cleaner.

Silk Sheets

Silk sheets can be extremely difficult to clean. If you notice a small stain on your sheets and don’t want to take them to the cleaner, you will need to do a spot-clean. But, before you do, leave the dish soap in the kitchen.

Silk is a combination of two fabrics, fibroin and sericin. These delicate fibers can break apart when exposed to the chemicals in dish soap. Check your detergent to see if it works on such products. If you are unsure, take the sheets to your local dry cleaner. These professionals will take great care of your expensive sheets.

Dishwasher

You might think that cleaning your dishwasher with dish soap is a no-brainer. After all, both items have dish in the name, so there should be no problem combining the two. While this sounds like it would make sense, putting dish soap in your dishwasher is a really bad idea.

Why? Well, have you ever filled up your sink with water and a few drops of dish soap? The result is a sink filled with suds and bubbles. Now imagine if you did that with more soap, and more water. The next thing you know, you have a kitchen flooded with soapy bubbles that will take forever to clean.

Source: TheKitchen.