Overwashing your jeans can cause the dye to fade quicker, especially when it comes to black or dark denims. Denim is a hardy fabric that can withstand multiple wears, so you don’t have to chuck them in the wash every day.

While the jury is still out on how many times you can wear your jeans before washing (some say 10 wears, some day never), we recommend washing after five wears or up to two weeks maximum. In Singapore’s heat and humidity, they might tend to smell a lot sooner than in a more temperature climate.

Spritz with linen spray to refresh them in-between washes. When washing, make sure to turn them inside out and wash with cold water to prolong the life of your favourite denims. Go here for more jeans tips!

The mirrors in your bathrooms are most subjected to humidity, mostly created by shower steam. As such, the high humidity levels can damage the backing on the mirror and cause wear-and-tear.

And if you go to town on it with a glass cleaner every other day, the moisture might seep into the mirror and destroy it even further. To keep your mirrors clean and free of steaks and toothpaste flecks, simply keep a microfibre cloth on hand to give it a simple wipedown.

When using glass cleaner or harsher products, always spray the cleaner on the cloth, not directly on the mirror!

This one’s a bit trickier, because we live in such a humid climate that not washing your hair for more than a day seems unthinkable. But it’s important to remember that while shampooing daily helps remove oil and dirt from your hair, it also strips your hair of natural oils. Washing too often can dry out your scalp and lead to problems like dandruff.

Unless you have a very oily-prone scalp or fine hair, it’s okay to leave two or three days between each wash.

Your child might need to bath every day but their toys don’t need to be cleaned as often. To keep them clean, simply let them soak in a mixture of water and white vinegar once a month, wipe them down (or squeeze out excess water) before putting them out to dry.

This saves you the hassle of having to disinfect them after every bathtime, so you can actually spend more time with kiddo.

READ MORE: 14 Genius Baby Room Organising Hacks Busy Mums Swear By

We’re talking about pillow inserts here, not the pillowcases they live in. Pillowcases and bedsheets should ideally be sent to the laundry every week, because it’s where dead skin, dustmites and dust accumulates.

However, your pillow inserts themselves require fewer trips to the wash, or they will wear out quickly. Not ideal if you have expensive memory foam or feather down pillows!

What you should do instead, is give them a wash every three to six months, which reduces wear-and-tear.

Singaporeans love wood furniture, because they’re timeless, elegant and give off that Scandi aesthetic that’s super calming. But keeping your wood pieces shiny doesn’t mean buffing them every other day, as doing that can actually damage the finish.

Plus, the oily residue left behind can attract more dust and dirt, making your cleaning counterproductive.

Instead, use a soft microfibre cloth and give your wood furnishings a wipedown when needed, but save the wood cleaners and polishes for your monthly deep cleanings. A traditional feather dusters works too!

While it’s true that rugs and carpets can trap dust and dirt more easily than, say, a hardwood floor, it’s not really wise to be vacuuming or spot cleaning too much. Doing so can wear down the fibres, while some cleaners might end up damaging the material if used too often.

Get your carpets professionally cleaned about once a year, and use a gentle, natural solution like apple cider vinegar to clean up stains and spills as and when necessary. It’s still good to do some light vacuuming once a week, though, to suck up any embedded dirt.

READ MORE: Tried & Tested: 7 Cordless Handstick Cleaners That Swept Us Away

Home cooks swear by cast iron skillets for their ability to retain heat well, while retaining the flavours of foods. But without proper care, these kitchen heroes will lose these prized properties.

Washing them too often can break down the precious “seasoning” (the layer of grease baked into the pan’s surface which prevents it from rusting and makes the pan non-stick).

In fact, you should avoid hard-scrubbing or soaking your cast iron pan too long in dish soap. Simply rinse immediately after cooking, then wash in hot water). You can also scrub it with kosher salt and water, which is gentler on your pan.

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