When you're living in a house, it's easy to get overwhelmed with the number of things that need to be done. In order to keep your property clean and tidy, there are many different ways you can do this- from hiring a professional or renting machines to doing everything yourself. The following four tips will help you out if you're feeling overwhelmed or just want a quick refresher!
The Right Tools
Before you start cleaning make sure you have everything you need. Things like brooms, vacuum cleaners, and cleaning fluids are really important, but there are other tools that can make cleaning easier. Some of the tools can be cumbersome, like certain old vacuums, while others are nice and wall mounted, easy to store in a garage or behind a door. The same goes for cleaning chemicals - some are nice, others are nasty.
Bleach, soap, and water are always a good cleaning combination, but you might need to add other chemicals to deal with tougher messes. Windows can be cleaned with vinegar or ammonia (or any other window cleaning fluid). Just mix it with water in a spray bottle and go to town!
Organizing the Cleaning Process
One of the best ways to clean is to develop cleaning routines that you can do regularly. Make cleaning fun by rewarding yourself for cleaning certain parts of your property (such as cleaning the bathroom after brushing your teeth).
If you're dealing with a lot of hard-to-clean spots like grout, consider hiring an expert cleaning service to come in and take care of it for you.
Start From the Top
Dusting off cobwebs and the walls should be the starting point of a general clean-up. Any dirt will fall down so the last thing should be to sweep the floor. It's also a good idea to clean the ceiling and the fans - you might be surprised at how much dirt accumulates up there!
While cleaning the floor - don't forget you need to do both a dry and a wet clean. A dry clean can be done with a broom or a dustpan, while the wet clean should be with a cleaning fluid and a mop. Make sure you get all the corners and edges!
Cleaning Furniture
Polishing furniture helps remove dust, fingerprints, and other blemishes. You can buy polishing kits from most home improvement stores, or make your own with a few household items. Vinegar and olive oil are great for this; just mix them in a spray bottle and apply them to furniture. Wipe off with a soft cloth. If there are any scratches from animals or kids, you can use a toothpick to apply a tiny amount of petroleum jelly.
Cleaning is a chore for many, and that is probably why most view it as something boring and hard. Though when you have in mind these four tips it doesn’t seem that difficult at all and can be done very quickly and easily. Dusting, brushing, mopping, vacuuming, etc, are all simple actions, but together they make any home clean.
