Best Tips and Tricks for Cleaning your Home - Step by Step Guide
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| Best Tips to Clean Home |
Take things room by room, or tackle one small appliance at a time until everything is free of grime, mildew, dust, and whatever else is making it look — and feel — dirty. When all is said and done, your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and every other corner in your home will look just like new.
Grab your rubber gloves, start cleaning home, and you'll see what we're talking about.
Step-by-Step Guide to a Clean House
Use our house cleaning checklist to clean your home efficiently and thoroughly (Moly Maid):
- Before you start going room to room, pause first to put on some great, lively music. That’s better. Now pick up clutter, and as you go, feel free to second-guess your belongings. The less you have, the less you have to put away, clean, and dust: scrutinize books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, furniture, toys the kids have outgrown, old computers you’ve outgrown, old clothes and shoes in the closets…is it time to donate and recycle? Turn off light bulbs and ceiling fans as you go for the upcoming dusting work.
- Speaking of closets, if you have any that you’re afraid to open, face your fears it’s time to minimize and organize.
- Dust (go left to right, top to bottom) with microfiber cloths. This will lower allergens and improve the air quality in your house. Dampened cloths tied to the ends of mops and brooms work great for removing cobwebs. For slatted blinds, use the string to close them one way and dust, then close them the other way and repeat…it’s effective and a lot more efficient than trying to do one slat at a time. Don’t forget to hit the tops of doors, fans, light fixtures, picture frames and yes, each of your knick-knacks (keep them in display cases to reduce dusting work). For the face of framed photos, TV screens, and computer monitors, use glass cleaner on your cotton cloth or microfiber to avoid streaking.
- Vacuum. Make sure your bag/compartment isn’t already full, and use the right settings and attachments. Hit the floors in the whole house, and upholstered furniture. Be amazed at all those missing items (socks, your favorite pen) that you find under your couch cushions.
- Sweep/mop/treat floors (except kitchen). For mopping, start at the farthest corner of the room and move back toward the entrance. Rinse mop after completing each 4 x 4 foot area.
- Furniture freshening. Every now and then, some wooden furniture needs a good waxing.
Declutter the house
According to Top Socialite, no way will a home look clean if things are lying all over the floor and other surfaces. Therefore, make it a routine to pick up stuff such as toys and other miscellaneous things and put them into their rightful places. Spare some few minutes every evening because if you leave them to pile up, the task will overwhelm you. If time is not on your side or you are feeling extremely tired, collect the items and put them in a small bucket or basin. It will be far much better than leaving them lying on the floor or the couch. You will deal with them when you have some spare time. Also, encourage every family member to keep their items in the right places. This will greatly reduce clutter around the home. Cleaning will be quicker because you will not have to deal with clutter as you clean.
Organize yourself
If you begin to clean without a plan, you will waste a lot of time. Before you begin your cleaning, put everything you will be using in a bucket. It will save you the trouble of going for cleaning tools and products every time the need arises. Then, move with your bucket from room to room. If you have a big home, then you can have two buckets. The important thing here is to learn multiple uses of tools and products to avoid filling your bucket with unnecessary items. For instance, you can use a vacuum cleaner on all of your floor surfaces. It will be quicker and you will save the time you would have kept on switching tools to achieve the same results, Top Socialite notes.
Stick to a routine
The biggest secret to a cleaner home is sticking to a routine. Decide on the tasks you will do every day, once a week and once in a while. Stick to that without an excuse of feeling tired or lack of time. Then you will be rewarded by enjoying a spotlessly clean home all year round. However, don’t kill yourself with so many tasks and you still have other things to work on. It won’t harm to ask for help whenever the need arises. You can even engage professional cleaners to assist you with some tasks. Just don’t kill yourself in the name of a clean home.
Clean kitchen after use
This is one place most people go wrong, leaving the kitchen untidy in the name of they will work on it later. Understandably, you want to enjoy the meal you just made. But can’t that wait a little bit longer? There is nothing awful like being welcomed by dirty countertops the next time you get into the kitchen. After the meals, put any remains in the fridge and dispose of any leftovers. Then put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and wipe the countertops. Remember to empty the dishwasher every morning. It will take you less than 10 minutes. A clean kitchen cannot attract household pests and will also provide the environment you need to make healthy meals.
Focus on cleaning
You have decided to clean the bathroom or the bedroom, right? Then why are you still on the phone? If you truly want to speed-clean, then you must focus on the cleaning task at hand. Period. Even TV can bring destructions. Switch it off and limit any other destruction as much as you can. You will soon realize that when you put your focus entirely on the task, it will be pretty easier to finish it and move on to other activities.
Involve family members
You shouldn’t make cleaning your home a sole responsibility if you have other family members living with you. It will not only overwhelm you, but you will have failed other family members who can learn a lot from the tasks especially the children. Assign tasks to family members and you will be shocked by how short cleaning time has turned out to be. Just ensure the kids get the fun and easy tasks so that they can enjoy their work and look forward to other tasks in the future.
Make your bed
When it comes to bedroom neatness, your bed carries the heaviest load. After all, it’s the most visible surface and even in some bedrooms, it occupies the largest space. In that case, make it a point to make your bed every morning. Also, make your bed look and feel cosy. Begin by rotating your beddings weekly. The sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers should be washed on a weekly basis. This is vital because beddings collect dust, skin flakes and also sheds its fibre. A clean bed is a recipe for good quality sleep and all the benefits associated with good sleep. Keep your bed clean and feel like you are on a vacation every night.
Bleach away stains
If most surfaces around your home are invaded by stubborn stains, then it won’t look clean even after a thorough cleaning. Hence, make sure you first deal with stains on surfaces like countertops, sinks and floors. Bleach the stubborn stains and make your house sparkling clean.
KITCHEN CLEANING CHECKLIST
Wipe down countertops and cabinets (start at immediate right of the stove).
Clean face of appliances (refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher).
Wipe down stovetop.
Clean inside of microwave.
Soak stove drip pans and knobs in sink.
Clean inside and around sink.
Sweep and mop floor (go light on cleaning product in the water to avoid build-up).
More kitchen cleaning tips.
BATHROOM CLEANING CHECKLIST
Remove rugs/wastebaskets (if you haven’t already when vacuuming earlier).
Remove everything from tub/shower.
Place bath mat in tub/shower.
Wet tub/shower walls with warm water.
Apply tile and grout cleaner, allow to sit.
Spray/clean everything with all-purpose cleaner except toilet, vanity, shower/tub, mirror.
Fill bucket with ¼ cup all-purpose cleaner and water to prep for floor cleaning.
Stand on bath mat and scrub tub/shower walls and door (use grout brush in-between tiles as needed).
Apply tile and grout cleaner to tub/shower floor and scrub.
Clean shower rack/soap dishes.
Clean shower track.
Rinse off walls of tub/shower and dry with cloth.
Vanity: spray tile and grout cleaner in sink, soap dish.
Spray countertop with all-purpose cleaner.
Scrub sink.
Use grout brush along faucet and drain.
Rinse the sink and your rag.
Wipe the vanity countertop.
Wipe down cabinet fronts.
Clean mirror: spray glass cleaner on soft cloth and buff.
Shine the faucets.
Wash the floor with solution in the bucket and allow to dry.
Replace rugs, bath mat and wastebaskets.
More bathroom cleaning tips.
BEDROOM CLEANING CHECKLIST
If you've already removed clutter, dusted, and vacuumed the house and tidied your closets, your bedrooms will be basically done. To finish up, simply:
Return any furniture (chairs, diaper bins, etc.) that you put up to vacuum earlier.
Make bed.
Straighten.
Special projects: Organize your sock drawer? Fold laundry and put in dresser? Put a mint on your pillow?
More bedroom cleaning tips.
WINDOW CLEANING
Use a streak-free glass cleaner (don’t spray on too much) and wipe with newspapers.
Clean large and hard-to-reach windows with a professional-quality squeegee.
Clean window screens by removing from frame and scrubbing with all-purpose cleaner mixed with warm water. Scrub each screen with a bristle brush, rinse with outdoor hose and insert back into window to dry.
More window cleaning tips.
Contact our sister company, Window Genie, for a professional window cleaning, inside and out!
How to Clean Your House Fast
Everyone hates to clean but everyone loves a clean house. Is there a best way to clean your house fast?
Follow this step-by-step guide, based on years of hard-earned experience, to make the most of your time and clean your house fast:
1. Clean the whole house, not one room at time
Cleaning is much more efficient if you pick one task (dusting, vacuuming, mopping) and do the same task in every room in the house, rather than cleaning the kitchen, the bathrooms and then the bedrooms. Doing it that way prevents you from feeling like you’re in an endless cleaning cycle, starting the same task over and over again.
2. Gather all your cleaning tools in a caddy
Whether it’s a caddy, bucket or tote, having everything you need to clean in one portable place makes it much easier to get the job done. You won’t waste time looking for tools while you clean, and don’t have to worry about gathering them before your next go around.
3. Clear the clutter
Before you even start cleaning, go room to room and pick up the clutter. As you pick up each item – magazines, well-read paperbacks, old sneakers – consider whether you should put it away, toss it or donate it.
4. Dust and vacuum
Before you start dusting, make sure ceiling fans are turned off. Concentrate your dusting on the tops of furniture and the undersides of shelves, on handrails, picture frames, knickknacks and TV screens. For hard-to-reach areas, like blinds and upper shelves, tie a microfiber cloth to the end of a mop or broom. Change the sheets in the bedrooms before you vacuum.
5. Wipe mirrors and glass
Use one damp microfiber cloth, followed by one dry cloth in wiping clean all the mirrors and glass surfaces.
6. Disinfect countertops and surface areas
Go through your house and wipe down the hard surfaces – from countertops, appliances and cabinets to doorknobs, light switches, TV remotes and telephones. You should disinfect some of those surfaces, particularly the ones that might deliver germs to people’s fingers and faces. Make a nontoxic disinfection solution by mixing one-fourth to a half cup of white or apple cider vinegar with a cup of water.
7. Focus on tubs, sinks and toilets
Spray cleaner on the kitchen sink then on bathroom sinks, tubs and toilets. Let it sit for a few minutes so the cleaner has time to dissolve dirt and stains. Then return to the kitchen and start scrubbing. Don’t forget to wipe down the inside of the microwave. Clean toilets last.
While in the kitchen, you also want to make sure your garbage disposal is in tip-top shape. If you aren’t sure the best way to clean a garbage disposal.
8. Sweep, then mop
Sweep the kitchen and bathroom floors. Start mopping from the farthest corner of the room and move backwards towards the doorway (that is, don’t mop yourself into a corner). Rinse the mop every time you complete a 4-by-4-foot area.
9. Keep moving when you vacuum
Don’t worry about getting every nook and cranny when you vacuum. Just keep moving through the house, running the vacuum in every carpeted room in one pass through.
Some tasks don’t need to be done each week. These include waxing the furniture, cleaning the windows, and washing area rugs and bath mats. Inspect these accessories and use your own judgment.
10. Don’t forget to routinely wash your cleaning tools
An often overlooked part of cleaning the house is maintaining your cleaning tools. Using a dirty mop or a vacuum with a full bag is much less effective, and you’ll end up spending more time trying to clean.
11. Make cleaning a group activity
Making cleaning a team effort is one of the best ways to clean a house fast. Schedule a time in advance with your family, and assign tasks to each person. Working together can add some fun to cleaning, and your house will be sparkling in no time.
