You’re a super busy person. You don’t have time to clean your entire house every day or do laundry every day either.
And I know that feeling when you get home and there’s mess EVERYWHERE. Let me help you a bit with some tips and hints that I use to clean the house.
Read on.
1. Change Your Sheets One Day
Since most sheets are made of cotton, linens, polyester, and other similar fabrics, it’s simple to wash them.
The best way to keep your sheets fresh is to wash them once a week in warm water. This will kill germs and remove any dirt that builds up over the course of the week. When washing your sheets in the machine, use enough detergent for the load size you’re doing.
You’ll also want to make sure they’re completely dry before putting them back on your bed.
2. Wipe Down Your Refrigerator (And Get Rid of Anything That’s Old)
The refrigerator is the heart of your kitchen. It’s something you use every day and it should be a place that makes you feel at ease.
If it’s looking a little crowded, take a few minutes to go through everything and wash down the shelves. Get rid of anything that has passed its due date.
If there are items in your fridge that aren’t food, find somewhere else to keep them (like the garage or basement.)
Wipe down the exterior of the appliance with a mild detergent and some warm water, then give it an inside clean as well. Remove all the drawers and bins so you can get underneath them too — check for any food that may have spilled onto the floor.
Keep track of what’s left in your fridge so you don’t forget to use these items before they expire. You can also write down what you need from the grocery store so that next time you go, you won’t buy more than what’s necessary.
3. Wash the Dishes
If you do dishes by hand, it helps to fill the sink with soapy water and let them soak while you’re doing your other chores.
If you use a dishwasher: Remember to place your dishes at an optimal angle.
Whatever method of cleaning dishes you choose, don’t leave dishes in the sink for more than 24 hours—it’s as unsanitary and can attract roaches.
4. Toss Out Jars and Bottles That Are Almost Empty
The first step to keeping a clean house is purging what you don’t need. Go through your cabinet and toss out all those jars and bottles that are almost empty.
Do you really need three bottles of ketchup in your fridge? Get rid of the ones that are left with only one tablespoon. It’ll make more room for things you actually want to use, like candy!
5. Organize Your Closet
Organizing one’s closet can be a daunting task. You may not know where to start, or you may feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. However, once the job is done, you will feel relieved of the stress that the mess in your closet caused and you will have an easier time getting dressed every morning.
In order to organize your closet effectively and make the most of your space, consider these tips:
- Organize by color: This way you will be able to find certain items easily and quickly without having to look through everything you own.
- Organize by season: Only keep out clothes for the current season so that there is more room for other items in your closet.
- Organize by type of clothing: Whether it’s dresses or T-shirts or skirts or pants, organizing similar items together makes sense because it allows quick access to those items when needed.
- Organize by person: If more than one person uses this closet, consider separating things into different sections so everyone can easily find what they need without having to sift through all of their family members’ stuff as well.
6. Sweep the Floors
Sweeping the floors is a basic necessity, as it removes crumbs and dirt that can lead to invaders (pests). So you want to start by sweeping at least once a week. It’s easiest to do this chore on the same day each week.
Start at the farthest point in the room from the door. Remove any large debris first, such as toys or clothes that have been left on the floor.
Next sweep in a single direction. This makes it easier to gather all of the dust and crumbs into one pile, which can then be easily picked up with a dustpan or vacuum cleaner.
A broom works best for this job because it’s not abrasive and won’t scratch your flooring material. The broom bristles should be stiff enough so they don’t bend when swept across a hard surface (such as tile) but soft enough that they don’t leave scuff marks on your wood floors.
If you’re unsure what kind of broom will work best for your floor, ask an employee at your local hardware store for advice about which type would work best for your home!
7. Vacuum the Rugs
You should vacuum your rugs once a week to keep them looking clean. Remember to use the beater bar on your vacuum cleaner so that the dust is pulled out of the rugs properly.
Vacuuming not only keeps your home looking clean but also helps promote health. Dust can build up in carpets and cause problems for those with allergies or asthma, but vacuuming can help remove it from the home environment.
Vacuuming is an important step in keeping a clean house, but remember that it isn’t enough by itself. You should also have a professional carpet cleaning company come out at least once every year to deep clean your carpets, or more often if you have pets or children at home.
8. Wipe Down All Surfaces
Use the appropriate cleaning products. Each surface will call for a different cleaning method, so be sure to use the correct product for each material.
For example, if you’re wiping down a wooden table, don’t use an abrasive sponge or a cleaner with ammonia: it could strip the finish from the wood and create more work for yourself.
If your granite countertops are sealed (which they should be), then you can get by by using just warm water and dish soap to clean them. But if your granite has not been sealed, then steer clear of acidic cleaners like vinegar and lemon juice—they may cause permanent damage.
Leather furniture needs little more than some mild leather cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe it off with; stainless steel may need some polishing agent in order to keep its shine.
Use microfiber cloths instead of rags or paper towels when possible. Microfiber is better at trapping dust and absorbing grease because of its tight weave—plus it’s reusable. Use it on appliances, desks, chairs, etc.
Don’t forget to wipe the inside and outside of your windows. Check out my article on how to use baking soda to clean windows for a non-toxic method of cleaning.
9. Give the Sink a Scrub
First, put on gloves to protect your hands. Put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in your sink and scrub vigorously with warm water for about 45 seconds. Rinse well with hot water.
Next, apply the disinfectant and let sit for about halfway through one of your favorite songs (at least 2 minutes). Wipe off the disinfectant and dry using a clean rug.
10. Clean the Toilet
Cleaning the toilet is a task that you don’t want to put off. You’ll need your favorite toilet cleaning product, a scrub brush, and some paper towels or a rag.
First, put on your cleaning gloves and spray the inside of your toilet with a cleaning product and let it sit for about five minutes. Then, scrub the bowl with your brush until clean.
Flush the toilet to rinse and move on to spraying and wiping down the outside of the bowl including the handle, seat, and tank top.
11. Take Out the Trash, and Put New Trash Bags In Each Can
This step is also a great opportunity to get rid of anything that hasn’t been used in over a year, as well as check if there are any hazardous materials in the trash you want to throw away.
Hazardous materials should never go into your trash can. If you have any hazardous items, such as paint cans or old perfume bottles, contact your local government for information about recycling or proper disposal options.
To find out where you can recycle and donate used items, like clothing, computers, and dishes that are still in good condition, search online for nearby locations.
12. Follow These Tips to Keep a Clean House All Week Long
This is the most important part of keeping your house clean. You can’t just clean once a week and expect to live in a relaxing, healthy, comfortable environment all week long. Rather, you need to clean every day if you want to keep your house in top condition.
You don’t have to do everything every single day. Pick a chore or two and do that for the day.
I know it sounds like a chore, but I promise once you get in the habit of cleaning every day, it’ll become second nature and you won’t even think about it anymore (much like brushing your teeth or taking out the trash).
Conclusion:
Now that you know about the importance of cleaning your house and how to do it efficiently, give it a try! Start by making a list of all the chores you can think of.
Then assign each chore to a day of the week and set aside time to clean one room at a time. Your home will become more organized and you’ll feel more productive, healthy, and happy.
I hope that you found these cleaning tips helpful.
Thanks for reading.
-Baking Soda Guy
Photo by Igor Starkov from Pexels
