\u201cThese breed bacteria very quickly, so my first thought is don\u2019t use one,\u201d says Danielle Heinrichs with Clear Space in Boulder, Colorado. \u201cI would say that 90 percent of my organizing clients are using a sponge that I would never wash a dish with and definitely not wipe a counter with.\u201d How you store sponges and the like contributes to potential issues. \u201cIt\u2019s important to have anything you use to wash dishes sitting on a draining dish on the edge of the sink,\u201d she adds, \u201cso it has a chance to completely dry.\u201d\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nToilet brush\n\n\n\n
How often to replace it: Every 6 to 12 months\n\n\n\n \u201cToilet brushes do a dirty job, and then we put them back in a holder to fester,\u201d says Heinrichs. \u201cDiscoloration, worn-out bristles, or a smell will be your indicators. If you clean your toilet bowl with some bleach, it will help extend the life of the brush.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace it: Every 7 to 15 years, depending on wear\n\n\n\n Heinrichs stresses that better-constructed couches will last longer. \u201cSofter wood and metal frames will sag much earlier,\u201d she explains. \u201cOnce a frame goes, there is not much that can be done to change the sag. Flipping and fluffing cushions on the couch will extend its life.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace it: Every 10 to 15 years, with proper maintenance\n\n\n\n \u201cIt may be time to change your duvet insert when you find yourself adding layers for warmth because it no longer gets the job done,\u201d says Anne Gopman, founder and owner of Organized by Anne. \u201cOver time a change in texture and filling distribution may also become an issue which let you know it\u2019s time to move on.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace them: Every 2 years\n\n\n\n As adults, we spend about a quarter of our day in bed, which means our bedding and pillows feel the impact of our body weight frequently, explains Gopman. \u201cWashing your bedding weekly and pillows quarterly will help maintain the quality, but these items have a short life,\u201d she says. \u201cSigns your bedding is ready to move on are discoloration, fraying of any seams or fabric, and a change in texture from thinning out to a roughness against your skin.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace it: Every 3 months\n\n\n\n Shower liners, and curtains, are a tricky subject, according to Gopman. Depending on their quality and how you maintain them, they can have very different life spans. \u201cLiners, if maintained, can last up to three months,\u201d she says. \u201cShower curtains, on the other hand, can last until you feel you are ready for a new look.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace them: Every 5 to 10 years\n\n\n\n Gopman says decorative bed pillows tend to last longer than throw pillows for the couch, which see more abuse. Plus, she adds, synthetic pillows begin to see a breakdown within the two- to three-year mark.\n\n\n\n How often to replace it: Every 18 to 24 months\n\n\n\n \u201cA bath mat is one of the most used items in the bathroom, so we recommend washing your bath mat every one to two weeks,\u201d says professional organizer Shannon Krause, owner of Tidy Nest. \u201cDepending on how many people are using that bathroom, you\u2019ll probably see enough wear (discoloration, fabric snags) to replace it in about 18 to 24 months. If you have a bath mat with rubber backing, you\u2019ll want to replace that as soon as it starts to shed or crack. No one wants a slippery bath mat.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace them: Depends on their condition\n\n\n\n \u201cCurtains can tie a room together, so keeping them clean and in line with your home\u2019s aesthetic is important,\u201d says Krause. Her team suggests replacing curtains when you\u2019re tired of the design (hey, it happens) or when they are visibly beyond repair. \u201cIf there are holes (from a cat climbing up them) or the edges are frayed or the fabric is faded, it\u2019s time to let them go,\u201d she says.\n\n\n\n How often to replace them: Every 1 to 2 years\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a little gross to think about, but your skin sheds a lot in a year, and all of that dead skin lands right on your pillow. \u201cYou may see some yellow staining on your pillow due to oil and sweat, which can breed bacteria,\u201d says Krause. \u201cIf you\u2019re having trouble breathing or you\u2019re embarrassed to see your stained pillow undressed, it\u2019s time to toss it.\u201d\n\n\n\n How often to replace it: Every 10 years\n\n\n\n According to the National Fire Protection Association, the risk of dying in a home fire is reduced by half when the home has working smoke alarms. They recommend checking the date on the back of your smoke alarm to ensure you replace it in a timely manner. Additionally, test smoke alarms once a month to make sure they\u2019re in working order.\n\n\n\n How often to replace them: Every 2 years\n\n\n\n \u201cBath towels are one of those items that take up prime real estate in the linen closet or bathroom, so if your towels have lost their absorbency, [are] faded, torn, not fresh smelling, or you have incomplete sets, I would encourage replacements,\u201d says Tanisha Porter, owner of Natural Born Organizers.\n\n\n\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kelly Bryant Kitchen sponge How often to replace it: When it\u2019s discolored, stinky, or slimy \u201cThese breed bacteria very quickly, so my first thought is don\u2019t use one,\u201d says Danielle Heinrichs with Clear Space in Boulder, Colorado. \u201cI would say that 90 percent of my organizing clients are using a sponge that I would never wash\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15126,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,43,46,6,31,32],"class_list":{"0":"post-15114","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-clean-hack","9":"tag-cleaning-house","10":"tag-life-hacks","11":"tag-life-style","12":"tag-tips","13":"tag-tricks"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Colorful-Pop-Tutorial-YouTube-Thumbnail-2.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inovatestory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Couch\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Duvet insert\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Sheets\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Shower curtain liner\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Throw pillows\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Bath mat\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Curtains\n\n\n\n
Item to replace: Bed pillows\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nItem to replace: Smoke detector\n\n\n\n
Item to replace: Bath towels\n\n\n\n