After the buzz of celebrating the New Year fades, most find themselves left with the incredibly boring task of cleaning their homes. It even requires double the effort if you have kids who like to show their artsy side by drawing on the walls or messing up the order of the house to go on their little imaginary adventures. Even if you are the only person living in the house, you may not have the time to thoroughly clean it every day, thus promising that you will do it later. Of course, that time never comes, and you end up with an extremely messy house that refuses to stay clean no matter how hard you try.
Since we do not have all the time in the world to clean our houses, we have compiled a list of the easiest cleaning tips you can employ without any undue effort.
Stop “Zone” cleaning
Zone cleaning involves cleaning room by room, which takes strenuous effort. You might get so focused on cleaning one room that you forget you have three other ones left. Sure, you will feel accomplished after you finish the first part of the house, but you will also end up drained and unable to continue. The answer to this problem is “task” cleaning. The professional home cleaners at Royal Cleaning advise that you focus more on individual tasks, such as mopping all the floors around your home instead of cleaning one room all at once. This method will save you tons of time and prevent you from getting overwhelmed. It can sound counterintuitive if you are meticulous, but it will give you better results, especially if you have a big house.
Use a low-cost cleaner for your upholstery
If you are sick of paying hundreds of dollars every year on specific cleaning products that do not even work, then you should look for cheap alternatives. A great hack for cleaning your upholstery without burning a hole in your pocket is to use shaving cream to remove any stains. It may sound crazy, but it is actually quite effective. Just make sure to steer away from the gel ones, as they can leave further stains. Spread the shaving cream, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then, you can blot it until the upholstery is completely dry and voila! Goodbye, stains!
Clean your bathroom thoroughly
Your bathroom is the perfect hangout spot for bacteria and germs because it offers a moist environment where they can thrive. Always make sure to mop the floors with a multi surface disinfectant cleaner to kill all those pesky microorganisms. In case your sink and tub are looking yellow and in need of a good scrub, save yourself the hours of vigorous scrubbing, and use a DIY natural solution. You only need a grapefruit and some salt; cut the grapefruit, cover it with salt, and start scrubbing. The acidic nature of the grapefruit will remove any stains while the salt will offer enough friction to thoroughly clean such surfaces.
Beware of dirty sponges
Do you know what is worse than doing the dishes? Using a dirty sponge. You are not doing your plates much good if you are cleaning them using a dirty sponge since millions of germs and bacteria will consider your plates their new home. Do not soak the sponge in cleaning products and hope for the best. The solution is much simpler than that. You only need to soak it and put it in your microwave for 90 seconds. Because germs hate the heat, this method disinfects your sponge without wasting any products.
Use baking soda when vacuuming
Baking soda makes for a miraculous cleaning product. To get clean carpets, sprinkle some baking soda a few hours before you start vacuuming. It will stick to any tiny particles and absorb any lingering odors. The same can be done for your mattress. Follow the same steps to get a clean mattress that will make you sleep like a baby without worrying about any gross odors.
Say no to dirty coffee makers
If you are anything like us, chances are that you consider your morning coffee a sacred ritual. However, did you know that your coffee maker can be full of bacteria? To eliminate any bacteria, fill it with water and some vinegar to fully clean it. Then, run it again with only water to get rid of the smell of vinegar.
Cleaning your home does not have to be exhausting. Once you find your groove, you will find that you are cleaning your home much more effectively than ever before. Just make sure that you follow the above tips to get a shiny, spotless home where you can kick back and relax.