House Cleaning Tips for a Spiff and Spiff Home
Cleaning a home can seem overwhelming for parents, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few simple tips, keeping your house clean can be easier than ever!
We’ve asked cleaning professionals for their favorite house cleaning hacks. Here are some of their top tips for a spick and span home: 1. Make a Schedule.
1. Start from the Top
Cleaning your house may seem like a daunting task, but there are some tricks that make it easier. Designate tasks to family members, purge clutter and clean room by room to ensure that your home is spick and span.
Start by dusting the highest areas of your home. This includes ceiling fans, picture frames and knickknacks. Use a damp microfiber cloth, followed by a dry one to wipe mirrors and glass.
Next, focus on furniture and hard surfaces. Wipe down wood furniture with furniture cleaner and polish ($8, The Home Depot). You can also wipe off baseboards with dryer sheets to keep them dust free. Next, vacuum the floors and mop any dirty spots. This helps the cleaners to penetrate into cracks and crevices and makes your floor shine.
2. Use a Microfiber Mop
A good microfiber mop will allow you to clean your floors quickly and thoroughly. The swivel head makes it easy to reach corners, under furniture and over fans and vents. You can use it with wet or dry cleaning pads and replace them as needed.
If you’re using a wet pad, be sure to soak it before starting and wring out any excess liquid before applying it to the floor. Some people prefer to move the pad in a sweeping motion, while others find that a figure-8 mopping method is more effective.
When it comes to dry cleaning, the fine fibers of your mop will grab crumbs, hair and dust that can be difficult for standard cleaning materials to pick up. Then, you can go back and wet-clean those areas much more efficiently.
3. Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter is one of the biggest challenges to cleaning a house. If you don’t have a system in place to keep things organized, it’s easy for clutter to build up and become overwhelming.
To combat this, start with a decluttering goal that is attainable for your current situation and stick to it. If you’re able to, take one room or area at a time, advises professional organizer Kathy Jenkins. Set small, achievable deadlines to tackle these areas, and cross items off your list as you complete them.
It’s also a good idea to invest in some organizational tools, such as bins/baskets and containers, so that everything has its own home. This will help you avoid clutter in the future and easily put things away when you’re done using them.
4. Vacuum Before Wiping
The proper cleaning sequence makes all the difference. Knowing whether to dust or vacuum first can shave time off a cleaning spree.
When you’re doing a quick clean, use a furniture slide ($7, Target) under large pieces to make it easier to move them around and vacuum underneath. Or, break out a crevice or nozzle attachment (usually long and slim) to get in tight corners that can collect pet hair, dirt and dust.
Once you’ve vacuumed, wipe down surfaces throughout your home including light switches and door handles, which tend to hold germs. You can also wipe down countertops and clean sinks, tubs and toilets. Afterwards, clean your refrigerator and oven inside and out. This helps keep your food fresher for longer and also reduces odors in your home.
5. Make a Schedule
Cleaning your house can be overwhelming and feel never-ending, but a regular cleaning schedule can help. Create a schedule that works for your lifestyle and needs. For instance, if you have a busy schedule and don’t have time to clean the entire house every day, consider scheduling cleaning sessions for different areas of your home on different days.
This is a great way to keep your home looking and feeling clean and organized! Start by completing a walk-through of your home and listing all the cleaning tasks that need to be done. Once you have your list, break the tasks down and prioritize them. Consider assigning low-effort chores daily and medium-effort tasks weekly. Then set a schedule and stick to it! You’ll be amazed at how much faster and cleaner your home will be. Read more
