I am not the perfect house keeper, far from it. My house gets dirty, it gets messy, and that's just what I've had to adjust to in my life as a working mama. There aren't enough hours in the day and my energy levels just aren't what they used to be! I'd much rather be playing with my son, spending time with the hubby, or working on a fun project than cleaning. So I've got a few tips and tricks that I've come up with or come across over the years to make cleaning a little easier so I thought I'd share them in hopes of helping someone elses chores go a little faster or easier!
1. Laundry Basket Clean up
This is by far my favorite tip for cleaning up a messy house. Whether its before bed at night, before someone comes over or just when you feel like nothing is in its place! Take an empty laundry basket (sometimes this in itself is a difficult task in my house--I HATE laundry and it often sits (clean) in baskets for a few days before I force myself to put it away) and pick a room to start in. For me that's usually the living room as stuff tends to accumulate there the most. Walk around the room and anything that does not belong in that room, gets put in the basket. Walk to the next room and anything in the basket that belongs in there should be put away and anything in that room that does not belong, goes in the basket. Repeat this until you get through all of the rooms in your home and the basket ends up empty. If I do this on a daily or every other day basis, it only takes me about 10-15 minutes. If I let it pile up and do it once a week, it takes closer to 20 -30 by the time I get everything put away. Either way, it's still faster to do this than make 15 trips up and down the stairs to each room every time my hands get full with just a couple misplaced items.
2. Use your vacuum to dust!
If you have pets this tip is especially useful. Pet hair seems to accumulate and if I use a rag and pledge spray, or a Swiffer duster, I get the dust picked up, but the cat hair seems to fly into the air then come down and land on whatever surface I've just dusted...talk about annoying! So I have found that one of the attachments that came with my vacuum is PERFECT for dusting to pick up the dust AND the endless cat hair! I usually use the Swiffer on a weekly basis or when the dust and hair isn't too bad, but when everything really needs a good cleaning, I pull out the vacuum.
3. Vacuum LAST!
While I'm on the subject of vacuuming, make sure when you are cleaning that you save the vacuuming for the end. There's nothing worse than vacuuming first, then dusting and letting all of that dust (and pet hair) fall on your clean floors! So save yourself double work and frustration and just tidy up first, dust, then vacuum!
4. Use vinegar to clean the microwave
Put a cup of vinegar in the microwave and turn it on for a few minutes-long enough to get the vinegar boiling and releasing steam. This will break up the stuck on food. After a few minutes, take out the cup and wipe down the inside of the microwave-it'll be super easy to remove the gunk! I can't stand the smell of vinegar, so I add a few drops of essential oils (lemon or orange are my favorites for cleaning) to the vinegar before I put it in there and it'll make the house smell citrus fresh!
5. Sink Disposal Cleaning
Let's face it, sink disposals are gross. There is constantly food being put down them (in my house it's usually the gross leftovers that somehow got hidden in the back of the fridge for a month...) and they aren't easy to clean. Solution: put lemon peels down the sink, add some ice, and run the disposal! I use lemons in cooking or sometimes just to make some lemon water, but instead of tossing the leftovers in the trash can, I always put them down the drain and let the disposal do the rest. Lemons have natural disinfectant properties to them, so not only will they help to clean the disposal, they will leave a fresh scent and the ice will help sharpen the blades! If you really want a good clean, pour in some baking soda, then add vinegar and let the bubbles do the cleaning before you put in the lemons and ice.
2. Use your vacuum to dust!
If you have pets this tip is especially useful. Pet hair seems to accumulate and if I use a rag and pledge spray, or a Swiffer duster, I get the dust picked up, but the cat hair seems to fly into the air then come down and land on whatever surface I've just dusted...talk about annoying! So I have found that one of the attachments that came with my vacuum is PERFECT for dusting to pick up the dust AND the endless cat hair! I usually use the Swiffer on a weekly basis or when the dust and hair isn't too bad, but when everything really needs a good cleaning, I pull out the vacuum.
3. Vacuum LAST!
While I'm on the subject of vacuuming, make sure when you are cleaning that you save the vacuuming for the end. There's nothing worse than vacuuming first, then dusting and letting all of that dust (and pet hair) fall on your clean floors! So save yourself double work and frustration and just tidy up first, dust, then vacuum!
4. Use vinegar to clean the microwave
Put a cup of vinegar in the microwave and turn it on for a few minutes-long enough to get the vinegar boiling and releasing steam. This will break up the stuck on food. After a few minutes, take out the cup and wipe down the inside of the microwave-it'll be super easy to remove the gunk! I can't stand the smell of vinegar, so I add a few drops of essential oils (lemon or orange are my favorites for cleaning) to the vinegar before I put it in there and it'll make the house smell citrus fresh!
5. Sink Disposal Cleaning
Let's face it, sink disposals are gross. There is constantly food being put down them (in my house it's usually the gross leftovers that somehow got hidden in the back of the fridge for a month...) and they aren't easy to clean. Solution: put lemon peels down the sink, add some ice, and run the disposal! I use lemons in cooking or sometimes just to make some lemon water, but instead of tossing the leftovers in the trash can, I always put them down the drain and let the disposal do the rest. Lemons have natural disinfectant properties to them, so not only will they help to clean the disposal, they will leave a fresh scent and the ice will help sharpen the blades! If you really want a good clean, pour in some baking soda, then add vinegar and let the bubbles do the cleaning before you put in the lemons and ice.
What cleaning tips do you have?? I'd LOVE to hear them and learn some more tricks!! :)
-A
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