4 Simple Cleaning Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier
Whether you're a persistent neat freak who wants things clean and tidy at all times or you are the type who dashes around like a crazy person when you find out guests are on the way, cleaning the house is one of those mundane tasks you can't escape. If you want to shake up your routine check out these four sneaky cleaning hacks that can change everything.
1. Start with the floors every time you clean.
When someone enters your home the floors take up most of their visual perception. If your floors are dirty or littered with toys the rest of the house will seem dirty or cluttered too. This is extremely helpful to know if you're in a cleaning frenzy when an unexpected guest is about to arrive. Hit the floors first, just in case you don’t have time to do much else afterwards. This will give you a big return on investment of your cleaning time.
2. Keep a spray bottle of dish soap and water on hand.
Most stubborn dirt spots on many surfaces can be resolved, dissolved, and wiped away after a quick soak in soapy water. Fill an empty spray bottle with water and add a good squirt of dish soap. Shake well and keep this on hand for quick cleanups. Keep one in your kitchen and one in your downstairs, common bathroom. Believe it or not, this can save a lot of time; no wasted time wondering what cleaner to grab for the crud on the kitchen countertops only to then waste even more time grabbing a different cleaner for your bathroom sink top.
In addition, you’re likely to keep things much cleaner in between houseguests if you have a spray bottle like this handy - it’ so easy to just grab the spray bottle and spot clean. Many people avoid cleaning because they think it will take up more time than they have. Make it simple to keep things clean and that will reduce or eliminate the need for major cleaning.
3. Make use of dryer sheets.
You probably have dryer sheets in the laundry room, but they are also great to keep in your cleaning supply cabinet. Dryer sheets can be used to:
- Clean and shine faucet fixtures, sinks, and shower doors
- Wipe dust off your baseboards and trim
- Scrub away stubborn toilet stains
- Clean the glass windows on your oven, microwave, toaster oven
4. Prepare a squirt bottle of liquid laundry detergent and water.
Stains and spots on your carpet, sofa, or throw pillows are pretty easy to remove with diluted laundry detergent. Put a capful of liquid laundry detergent into an empty dish soap bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Simply squirt some on a cleaning rag to scrub away stubborn stains.
The most important thing is to set yourself up for success. Make it easy for you to grab a few cleaning items and do some quick clean-up. If you have a 2-story house it’s worth it to create more than one of these cleaning items so you have them readily available no matter where in the house you are. It’s also a great idea to keep a cotton terry cloth and glass cleaner in every bathroom; it’ll make it simple for you to quickly clean dirty mirrors whenever you notice them.
These tips should make it easier for you to keep up on some household cleaning, even when you aren’t expecting guests. And then, when you do expect some visitors the amount of time you’ll need to devote to cleaning or straightening up will be greatly reduced.
