These are the things that destroy your home and you have no idea!

Whether you’re a homeowner or not, you want to take care of the home you live in. I’m pretty sure you don’t want any damage to occur, especially since it’s not easy to fix, it costs a lot of money, and it takes a lot of your free time. Unfortunately, we can talk about several things that destroy your home, and you have no idea.

While you always make sure the lights are turned off before leaving the house, there are no gadgets left plugged in, and the dishwasher and washing machine aren’t on when you’re not there, that’s not enough. These can indeed cause severe problems that can make your life a little harder, but things don’t end here.

Things that destroy your home are sometimes even more dangerous because you’re not aware of them. If you don’t want your home to suffer any damage, you need to be extra cautious and protect your space as much as you can. With that being said, let’s talk about all the things that destroy your home and that you sometimes don’t even notice!

1. Hardwood floors and humidity

Leaving your rooms with hardwood floors to stay humid is one of the things that destroys your home in the long run. If you want to keep your flooring looking shiny and new all the time, the secret isn’t just cleaning but also the air quality.

Experts discovered that when the humidity hits above 55%, there’s a higher chance for moisture to seep into the wood. Unfortunately, that’s the perfect recipe for swollen floors that warp over time.

And since we’ve said something about cleaning, make sure you don’t use too much water when you mop, because that can lead to a disaster, especially for your hardwood or laminate floors. If you don’t want to change your flooring anytime soon, use a delicate product and as little water as possible.

Did you know about these things that destroy your home?

2. You forget about furniture pads

Did you know that forgetting to use furniture pads on hardwood floors is one of the things that destroys your home?

If you live in a house with hardwood floors, you need those small furniture pads that cover the bottoms of table and chair legs. Every time you sit back in a chair or move a piece of furniture an inch to the left while you don’t use it, you run the risk of leaving scratches on your flooring that won’t go away even with refinishing.

Don’t waste money on repairs that might not promise you results, and better invest in furniture pads that will protect your floor throughout the years. Check these out! They’re budget-friendly, and they’re amazing!

3. Leaving blinds open all day long

Even though having your shades open could give your house a light and airy appearance, if you’re not careful, you could seriously harm your flooring. Harsh UV rays can cause premature fading and discoloration of floors, especially hardwood flooring. Yes, I know what you might be thinking: hardwood flooring can be hard to deal with and protect, but we have to admit it looks pretty cool.

However, experts say you shouldn’t live in complete darkness—instead, you should make sure you’ve closed your blinds before leaving for the day. Not too much sun, but not too much shade either. Keep reading to discover other things that destroy your home!

4. Sweeping instead of vacuuming

Is there anything wrong with using a broom to remove dirt from your hardwood floors? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but yes. It might shorten their life and make you consider some repairs.

You can easily avoid dragging tiny particles and abrasives, such as sand, along the floor’s surface and prevent them from scarping or harming your flooring by vacuuming before mopping or sweeping.

5. Putting mulch against the side of your home

While putting mulch in your garden can help you protect your dear plants and cover up the zones that don’t look too good, too much of it can cause more harm than good.

According to professional gardeners, mulch retains moisture, which can cause rot and easy access for termites. I’m sure you don’t want your house to become a termite victim, so be careful with how much mulch you put against the side of your home.

6. Leaving your gutters full of debris for too long

Did you know that too much debris in your gutters is one of the things that destroy your home over time? If you think that gutter cleaning is a process that can wait for a few more months or even a year, think again.

When you don’t clean your gutters enough, debris will quickly build up and block the water flow. That can result in water damage inside your home. You can protect it by cleaning your gutters at least three times a year. Don’t forget that the accumulation of dirt can eventually cause your gutters to fall or your exterior wood trim to rot over time because it was exposed to moisture for too long.

7. Not trimming your trees

Not trimming your trees is also considered one of the things that destroy your home. The reason why something like this can happen is because the branches can grow too long and too close to your home. If you don’t solve this problem soon enough, it can cause major damage to your siding and roof, especially in the case of a severe storm.

Other than that, the branches are full of moisture, and if they stay too close to your home, they can cause rot. You probably don’t want to deal with a problem like this, so make sure you trim your branches regularly.

8. You remove your downspout extensions

The lengthy gutter section that extends down to the ground is called a downspout extension. While it might not look nice, eliminating it can cause worse issues later on. You’ll see that it isn’t believed to be one of the things that destroy your home for nothing.

If you remove your downspout extensions, you risk letting water pool directly at your foundation, which means an increased risk of water penetration into your basement.

So if you think about doing something reckless, don’t forget that your downspout extensions keep water away from your home’s foundation. Besides jeopardizing the stability of your foundation, removing this item might dampen the timber structure of your home, creating structural problems or drawing bugs.

What do you think about all of these things that destroy your home? Let us know in the comments!

9. You clean your dishwasher with vinegar

Since many people say that you can easily clean lots of things in your kitchen with vinegar, it’s hard to believe that this habit can be one of the things that destroy your home.

However, cleaning experts say that vinegar can indeed do a wonderful job when it comes to making some surfaces sparkle, but when it comes to your dishwasher, you’d better stick to something more common.

Since vinegar is very acidic, it can be harsh on your dishwasher’s rubber components and seals composed of fluorosilicone, polyacrylate, and Buna-N, which could eventually lead to the failure of your appliance.

Keep reading to discover other things that destroy your home!

10. You don’t clean your dishwasher trap

Even dishwashers, which many people consider to be self-cleaning appliances, occasionally need a little TLC from you. Cleaning your dishwasher trap, which is usually found on the lowest section of your machine next to the sprayer, should be a chore you tackle at least once a month.

Moreover, give the soap holder and rubber gasket a thorough cleaning; otherwise, you risk reducing the machine’s longevity, and you might need to purchase a new appliance. We all know dishwashers aren’t cheap, so better take care of them!

11. You use vinegar on your granite counters

We’re almost done with these things that destroy your home, but let’s go back to vinegar for a moment, shall we?

If you want those stunning granite counters to continue looking amazing for many years to come, it’s time to give up on the vinegar-based cleaners. Unfortunately, vinegar can be one of the things that destroy your home, and when it comes to cleaning, you have to be extra cautious.

For instance, the sealant is removed, and the luster of these counters is gradually diminished over time by using any kind of acidic cleanser, such as vinegar. These solutions can even dissolve the stone underneath, which would cost a lot to rebuild. You can play it safe and use a cleaning product that doesn’t contain any acids in it!

If you find this article about things that destroy your home useful and you want to read something else from The American House, here’s a good post for you: 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper