Need to find the best way to clean something? Start here for help.

Not every cleaning product is suitable for every surface in your home. That’s true whether you’re using homemade cleaners or store-bought ones.

Using the wrong cleaning product can cause damage. Sometimes, what looks like a smart cleaning hack gets the surface clean but causes damage over time, and you won’t know until it’s too late.

Then you’re stuck with a ruined floor or surface that is expensive to fix. Or, worse yet, you’ve got to replace the whole thing. So, don’t fall for quick fixes. The methods below aren’t crazy enough to go viral but they work without destroying your stuff.