15 Home Maintenance Myths You Need To Know

There are at least 15 home maintenance myths you need to know. Hopefully, you’ll feel wiser after learning a few of these.

Turn off your AC when you’re not home to save energy

The truth is that you’re not saving much. This is one of the home maintenance myths our parents taught us when we were younger, thinking to make us a little more responsible.

Cut your grass shorter to mow less

It depends on the size of your lawn, but a lot of people don’t like this chore. Among the many home maintenance myths, this is one that can damage your lawn if you cut it too short.

More insulation is always better

As one of the more acceptable home maintenance myths, this one sounds good to a lot of people. Of course, if you use too much insulation it starts to become less effective with each added layer.

You only need to clean your gutters in the Fall

Gutters get clogged year-round depending on where you’re at. The cleaner your gutters are, the less likely they’ll be to attract vermin or damage the interior of your home.

If your carpet feels dry then it is

That’s the funny thing about carpets, they can feel dry while still being wet in the underlay. If you don’t dry your carpet fully then mold can start growing in the subflooring.

You should always check your smoke alarm with the test button

All you’re doing when you push the button is testing to see if the sound works. If you want to test it, place a burned-out match under the device to see what happens.

You don’t need to worry about maintenance with an exhaust fan

Of all the home maintenance myths out there this is one of the more dangerous ones. Dust, mildew, and even mold can gather in the fan unless you clean the cover and mechanical parts every six to twelve months.

Furnace filters don’t need to be changed that often

Well, they don’t need changing every month, but if you can’t see light through your filter then it’s time to switch it out. It does depend on what type of environment you live in, but some areas only require three months or so for replacement.

You can add chemicals to your pool any time of day

This is rather simple. Add chemicals when the sun goes down if you want them to be more effective, otherwise the UV rays can reduce the effect.

You can let your dishwasher clean itself

It looks like your dishwasher cleans itself, doesn’t it? The truth is that you need to remove any debris that might gather so that it can keep draining properly.

All asbestos in your home has to be removed

This substance was banned in 1978, but there are still several older homes that have it. If your home does have asbestos that’s still in good condition you can leave it alone and rest easy.

A guest bedroom only needs a light turn once a month

If you have a guest bedroom in your home that doesn’t get used that often it’s tempting to leave it alone, right? But the truth is that dust settles and can become an issue if you don’t clean things properly every so often, perhaps weekly.

A lemon wedge in your disposal can keep it clean

If you really want your disposal clean then toss some baking soda and vinegar down the hole. A lemon wedge won’t do much but give a spritz of citrus and then start to rot.

Spraying odor-neutralizers works permanently

That’s kind of funny, really, since the odors always come back. They do work for a little while, but they’re not cure-alls for bad odors.

You can’t break a stone countertop

The material a countertop is made out of determines its durability, usually. From hot pans to accidental drops to flaws in the stone and accidents that just happen, stone can be damaged and even break.