Work from the top down, if at all possible. You don’t want to vacuum and then get crumbs all over the floor, or dust the bottom of something and knock more dust down when you work your way up onto the previously uncleaned areas. If you don’t have much time, start with the clutter first and work your way to more serious things from there. For the “average” busy person it works better to do a little bit every day so that the work doesn’t pile up, and also have major-cleaning day a few times a month. What style you prefer is up to you (unless you have roommates, of course). Keep a check on areas of the kitchen subject to grease and grime buildup that need regular but less frequent cleaning, such as the tops of cabinets and the kitchen exhaust fan. It can be easy to overlook higher features in the kitchen but grease and grime gather in these areas and attract dust and insects.
You can follow the steps in the cleaning part in order. This way, you’ll have a checklist already written out for you. Make a plan so that you can vacuum, sweep, and mop all rooms at the same time (and so that your hot water doesn’t get cold) so you won’t have to go from one task and then repeat the same thing again.
Make sure the tasks assigned are age-appropriate – i. e. grade school children can pick up their bedroom floors, teenagers can clean the garage or bathroom, etc. It should also be equal – cleaning the toilet is hardly on par with organizing the coffee table; include these areas in your plan, perhaps monthly or every few months.
After that, squirt an acidic toilet cleaner into the inside of the bowl and around the rim. Let it soak for 10 minutes and then scrub it with a toilet brush. When you’re finished, give it a flush. Then, apply bleach spray to the entire toilet bowl, let it sit for 5 minutes, and give it another good scrub. As a final touch, use pumice to give the toilet a good, hard scrub—this should remove any hard water, calcium, or other difficult spots. A magic eraser may be used as well to brighten the area. When you’re done with the bowl, return back to the outside surfaces. Spray them down with a disinfectant spray and wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel.
Use car wax on showers to make it stay cleaner longer (not the floor; you might slip). [1] X Research source For cleaning glass, use a half cup of ammonia and 8 drops of dish soap in a gallon of water to get it all cleansed.
Use car wax on showers to make it stay cleaner longer (not the floor; you might slip). [1] X Research source For cleaning glass, use a half cup of ammonia and 8 drops of dish soap in a gallon of water to get it all cleansed.
If you have some stubborn stains, you may need to use a brush to dig into them and loosen them. A wire-bristled brush (like one you use to clean your shower) is good.
First, wash your glass with a solution of warm or hot water, dish soap with a rag, sponge, or squeegee. Powdered no-scratch cleaner works fantastic for cleaning mirrors, glass, ceramics, and metals because it scrubs off hard water residue without scratching the surface. Then wipe down the surface with a dry, lint-free cloth or lint-free paper towels. If you want to clean glass and be environmentally friendly, clean the glass with vinegar and water, dry with a lint-free cloth, and rub the glass with newspaper. No streaks! Make sure you use some elbow grease – it requires pressure to properly clean glass. Alternatively, spray glass cleaner on a paper towel and clean the glass surface. The glass cleaner acts as a shield to help keep spots and dust easy to remove. When misused, glass “cleaner” will leave streaks. You can also use old newspaper to wipe the glass surface after washing; the glass will be streak free and this is a great way to reuse old newspaper.
Big things like pots and pans are usually best hand-washed because they don’t fit well in the dishwasher. Dishes wear out more quickly when washed by machine than by hand because the dishwasher’s soap is abrasive; heirloom china, delicate wine glasses, and other really fragile things should be carefully hand-washed instead.
Be sure to let your brush, sponge, and dish towel dry between uses to keep them from accumulating germs, too.
For the oven, check if there’s a self-cleaning setting. That could do the brunt of the work for you. If it does, remove the wire racks to soak in soapy water, complete the self-cleaning cycle and wipe out the ashes at the bottom and then wash it down with some cleaner and a wet rag. If it doesn’t have a self-cleaning option, remove the racks to soak in soapy water, spray down the insides of the oven with a cleaning solution, let it sit, and then get to work with a sponge and a scraper. As for the microwave, you can use a bowl of vinegar, lemon and water, dish soap, or window cleaner. Just place it in the microwave, turn the microwave on for a few minutes, and then wipe it down with a rag. All that crusted gunk will come off easily, leaving your microwave looking like new. Cleaning the kitchen sink, just for the record, can be found in the above bathroom section. Sinks are sinks, after all.
For the oven, check if there’s a self-cleaning setting. That could do the brunt of the work for you. If it does, remove the wire racks to soak in soapy water, complete the self-cleaning cycle and wipe out the ashes at the bottom and then wash it down with some cleaner and a wet rag. If it doesn’t have a self-cleaning option, remove the racks to soak in soapy water, spray down the insides of the oven with a cleaning solution, let it sit, and then get to work with a sponge and a scraper. As for the microwave, you can use a bowl of vinegar, lemon and water, dish soap, or window cleaner. Just place it in the microwave, turn the microwave on for a few minutes, and then wipe it down with a rag. All that crusted gunk will come off easily, leaving your microwave looking like new. Cleaning the kitchen sink, just for the record, can be found in the above bathroom section. Sinks are sinks, after all.
Sometimes it’s just easier to take everything back out and then put everything back in, rather than trying to work around everything and see what you can make work. When everything is out, clean the cabinet inside. Wet or dry, or dry then wet then dry; just simply get the dirt out. Put everything inside. Put your bowls with your bowls, your nice glasses with your nice glasses, your baking supplies with your baking supplies – you get the picture. Make sure what you use most is the most accessible, too. If there are unnecessary things, then think where they should be placed. Throw whatever is very much not needed anymore to make things easier. Do not keep trashes but also, do not throw useful things.
As you are cleaning, walk around the house with a garbage bag and a laundry bag. This way you can pick up as you go and won’t have to walk back and forth.
Of course, you may want to wash the sheets and then make your bed. This includes pillowcases and the comforter, too. Jumping into a made bed at night feels great, but jumping into a made, clean bed feels even better.
It’s not a bad idea to go through your closet and figure out what you just want to throw out (random, non-apparel items included). Odds are there are at least a few pieces or things you’re not interested anymore, and they’re just cluttering up your space. But don’t throw them out – they can probably be donated.
Be gentle with certain pieces, like your lampshades and curtains. For these, you can take a blow dryer to them and gently blast away the dust. When you’re done, top off all your hard with a nice, fresh scent, like lemon or lavender.
Vacuuming is the most effective way to clean up all the dust and other loose junk that accumulates on your floor when you have carpet (and it’s practically a daily necessity when you have shedding pets). Alternatively, try using a dry dust mop (the microfiber kind works well) if you have tile/wood floors. You can use a carpet sweeper (non-electric machine you push that has brushes underneath) if you have carpet. Both involve less fuss than getting out the vacuum and will let you go longer between vacuuming sessions, too.
There are a vast number of options for rag mops. Rag mops with real fabric scrub better and last longer than mops with a sponge. [3] X Research source With a good rag mop, one thing is guaranteed: when you use a little elbow grease, your floors will look fantastic. Use hot water and the appropriate cleaner for your floor (again, read the labels).
To kill fleas without using poisons, after each vacuuming, sprinkle borax on your carpets and let it work its way into the carpet backing. You’ll never have fleas in the house if you do this. You can find the Borax in the laundry detergent area of grocery stores, usually on the top shelf.
To dust your furniture, take a damp cloth or dusting mitt and carry it over your surfaces. Go in a continual motion on every surface so you don’t miss any spots, and work in one direction around the room. You may want to use a scented furniture spray like Pledge to help you out.
Some furniture can handle water, and those that can should be used with the soapy solution from step two. Be sure to quickly dry off these surfaces. Next, apply the suggested amount of furniture polish and wipe away according to the directions. This will keep dust from magnetizing to your furniture.
As another general rule, do not mix cleaners. Doing so could be very dangerous. Use them one at a time and follow the directions on the label.
When you’re all done, spray a room spray and sit down and marvel at your work. Did you miss anything? Oil the door hinges? Clean the walls? Replace the light bulbs?
Don’t have a rake or feel like doing the back-breaking work? A leaf blower can be used as a time saving method, too. Trimming/pruning back plants (hedges, rose bushes, etc. ) can help prevent water lines and dirt from getting on the walls of your home.
First, begin the water at the needed temperature and level. Next, pour in the needed amount of laundry detergent where the water is pouring. If you use fabric softener, a great thing to use is the fabric softener balls that you pour your softener into and just throw in at the beginning. (This saves you from having to wait for the rinse cycle. ) If you use one, do this with the detergent. If you put your clothes in first, you risk staining your clothes with the coloring in these liquids.
It also helps to empty the dryer while your clothes are still warm. Not to mention the awesome feeling you get from holding a pile of still warm, extra clean clothes.
Emptying trash bins and taking out the trash Cleaning the kitchen table Changing bedsheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers Cleaning walls Clean the refrigerator
