You’re just moving dirt around
Maker also advises cleaning in a zigzag or “S” shape instead of a circle to avoid simply spreading bacteria around a surface. “When you clean in a circular pattern, you’re just taking all that dirt and putting it right back where it came from,” Maker says. “With the ‘S’ pattern, spray the surface, start at the top left-hand corner and sweep your way all the way to the top right. Loop or zigzag back and work your way down from top to bottom.” This way, she says, you’re not redepositing anything anywhere, but instead, you’re sweeping the dirt downward toward you.
You’re not letting products sit
Another reason germs get left behind is that you’re not letting your cleaning product soak in long enough to work its magic. Maker calls this “dwell time—it’s an opportunity for the product to sit and break down whatever dirt, grease, bacteria and grime that it’s meant to clean,” she says. “The problem is when people clean, they often just apply the product and wipe immediately, and that’s the wrong way to do it.” To save yourself time while making sure your product is truly cleaning up all sickness-causing germs, spray the dirtiest surfaces first and allow them to sit while you clean the less dirty areas first; then, go back and wipe down after the product has sat for a bit. Find out the times you shouldn’t use antibacterial wipes to clean.