Keeping your house clean and speck-free is beneficial for your health and mind. Moreover, a clean home helps protect your family and pets from harmful microorganisms and makes it look inviting for your guests. However, house cleaning is a hassle. Whether you are doing a pre-Diwali cleaning or performing your half-yearly cleaning regime, we all wish to clean efficiently as fast as possible. After all, home cleaning can be a tedious task.
Have you been vacuuming and mopping regularly, but your house still seems like a dusty war zone? Then, you are probably not cleaning it right. We usually clean our house once a month, sometimes even less than that. Therefore when we finally start cleaning, it seems like an endless job. But, of course, we are all very busy with our lives, and home cleaning takes a backseat sometimes. However, with the right kind of cleaning supplies and a little bit of planning, you can minimize your cleaning time significantly.
In this article, we bring you some expert cleaning tips to make the most of your time and cut down on your cleaning by half. Let’s dive in.
1) Clear the clutters in your room.
Before you start home cleaning, pick up the trash and declutter each room. Be it old magazines, worn-out sneakers, or torn stockings – first figure out what to do with them. It’s always a good idea to donate slightly old clothes and shoes that do not fit you anymore. Toss away torn or worn-out shoes, accessories, and clothes.
2) Have a Cleaning Routine
It is vital to have a system in place to ensure optimum cleaning. Now, you might wonder why this is such a big deal? Without a plan, you waste a lot of time scurrying here and there to clean and re-clean. This haphazard cleaning is of no good.
Working one room and starting and finishing at the same spot every time eliminates any room for confusion. Follow this every time you clean and you’ll be much more efficient, because with pattern, comes speed.
3) Arrange your cleaning supplies
Keep all tools and cleaning equipment ready at your arms’ reach. That way, you don’t need to rush towards the cabinet every time you need something. In addition, experts recommend wearing an apron during house cleaning.
Also, it’s a hassle to carry around large bottles of cleaning sprays. Hence pour them into small, reusable spray bottles that are easy to carry. Place all your supplies in an easily portable place like a caddy, a bucket, or a tote for organized storage. Grab this stock next time you start cleaning!
4) Clean the whole house at once instead of one room per day
Experts say that it is always a good idea to pick one cleaning task (mopping, sweeping or dusting), and perform it in all the rooms instead of deep cleaning your kitchens or bedrooms. Otherwise, you might feel you are on an endless cleaning cycle, and you have to repeat the same procedures every time. This is time-consuming and inconvenient at the same time.
5) Clean Top to Bottom, Left to Right
You have just wiped your coffee table clean and have proceeded to clean the ceiling fan. In an instant, dust and cobwebs decorate your coffee table once more. Annoying, right? That’s why it’s important to start cleaning from the top and work your way down. This helps to eliminate redundant work.
Similarly, cleaning in a single direction, left to right, ensures that you cover the entire area instead of hopping from here to there. Also, cleaning first the bottom shelves and then moving upwards will only double up your work. When you start dusting the above sections, the dust will begin accumulating to the lower areas you have already cleaned. Doing this from top to bottom ensures that you are only doing this once.
6) Wipe mirrors and glasses
You can always use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down glasses and then follow up with a dry cloth. When wiping with a cloth, always rub in the horizontal direction. Rubbing in circular motions can leave streaks. NEVER use paper towels and newspapers as they tend to leave residue behind.
7) Pay special attention to your kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of any home. Therefore, it is imperative to keep your kitchen clean and spotless. Here are some tips to help you:
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Dishwasher- Dishwashers can develop build-ups due to exceeding food and grime. Make sure to clean any remnant food pieces after every dishwashing cycle. Check the bottom rack daily for leftover food pieces and remove them with paper towels. This helps prevent odours.
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Wine glasses and tumblers- Many times, wine glasses and tumblers develop a film of build-ups due to the minerals present in hard water. This renders a cloudy appearance to your glassware. Soak them in white vinegar for five minutes and then rinse with water. Dry with a microfiber cloth.
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Coffee maker- Remove build-ups on your coffee maker by adding in a mixture of half vinegar and half water. Let this solution brew halfway, then stop it for 30 minutes before completing it. Rinse by brewing a pot of clean water afterward.
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Microwave- If your microwave looks like a warzone, boil a water bowl in the microwave. The vapours will soften the curry stains, and it will be easier to wipe them off later.
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Kitchen cabinets, shelves, and worktop- Prepare a solution of 2 drops of the dishwasher in water and store it in a spray bottle. Regular cooking can make kitchen cabinets and worktops slightly grimy. Spray this magic solution and wipe it well. For tougher stains, use baking soda in a water solution.
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Stainless steel sinks- Smudges and watermarks make stainless steel sinks- look unappealing. Combat this by pouring some mineral oil on a cloth and wipe them down once a week. The oil helps repel the water, and you have less cleaning to do next time!
8) Use lemon cleaners
Are you tired of the ugly rust stains on your patios and porches? Combat them with lemon, a common kitchen ingredient. Lemon contains citric acid, which will help dissolve the rust. Cut lemons in half and squeeze them over the stain. Soak for 10 minutes. For older stains, you can scrub with a stiff bristle brush. Rinse off this juice and gunk with clean water.
9) Vacuum correctly
Experts suggest that we should cover the entire length of the room in one straight row during home cleaning, then move over and start again at the front of the room. It is essential to keep moving. Vacuum your living room at least once a week. Also, make sure the cord does not obstruct you.
10) Clean regularly
Want to cut down on your house cleaning time? Then clean regularly! After deep cleaning your house, clean at regular intervals like once every week. This will help maintain the beauty of your living space and save you a lot of time. Maintain your house by cleaning it regularly.
11) Disinfect countertops and surface areas
Your kitchen countertops, mobiles and appliances- basically everything you are touching all the time needs thorough disinfection, especially during these trying times.
12) Don’t forget to wash your cleaning tools
Many people often overlook this, but it is equally important to maintain your cleaning tools well. For example, using a dirty mop or grimy brush is less effective, and you will spend more time cleaning.
CONCLUSION:
Regularly cleaning and maintaining your space is part of good housekeeping. Especially during this COVID situation, where we are all stuck at home, it’s vital to clean and disinfect surface areas used every day. Follow the tips mentioned above for fast and optimum home cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is cleaning once a month enough?
It’s not. It is advisable to clean your house once every week thoroughly.
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Is there a recipe for natural DIY disinfectant?
Mix some apple cider vinegar in water, and voila! Your DIY natural disinfectant is ready.
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Is it essential to clean systematically?
It is essential to develop a cleaning method/pattern. This helps save time and effort.