5 Amazing Cleaning Tips You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
Juggling home and work obligations can be stressful for anyone. It can be all too easy to let the care of your home fall by the wayside when life gets busy. Don’t let the cleanliness of your home get out of hand, if you can’t summon up the time or motivation to clean yourself, there are plenty of house cleaning services available.
Having a clean and tidy space can not only help you combat germs and viruses but it’s a great way to ease anxiety symptoms. You may not even realize that mess causes stress but you will be amazed at how getting rid of the clutter can help your mind to focus and become less anxious. But where should you even begin?
The frequency of your cleaning depends on the state of your house, but if you’re ready to get to work and get your house into tip-top shape, then use these five amazing tips to help you get to a place of satisfying clean quicker. It’s even easier than you’d expect to get the clean home you’ve always wished for.
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1. Get Some Castile Soap
It may seem hard to believe that one bottle of soap can really make a difference in how you clean your home, but you’ll be surprised at how versatile castile soap truly is. This vegetable oil-based soap can be used to clean just about anything with a few drops mixed with water. Using relatively little soap means one bottle can last a long time!
Whether you need to clean a dirty oven with no fumes or heat, or you just need a way to get the grime off your shoes, castile soap is up to the job. This powerful soap can replace dish soap, laundry detergent, shaving cream, hand soap, and even toothpaste if need be. When you combine castile soap with vinegar and baking soda you can clean any tough stain.
The great news is that because of the natural base of the soap, it is safe for skin and doesn’t require protective equipment. Cleaning toilets and washing fruit with the same solution sounds nuts, but castile soap is up to the task. Available in many scents castile soap is the powerhouse cleaner you need to get your home cleaner faster.
2. Use Household Materials
Don’t make excuses for why you aren’t cleaning, especially not that you don’t have the correct equipment. There are many things you probably have on hand in your home that can help you clean without even going to the store.
Did you know you can use dryer sheets to clean your baseboards? Just use them to remove the dust that has accumulated on them. The antistatic quality that helps your laundry can also help repel dust from resettling, meaning that they will stay cleaner longer, giving you the opportunity to sit back and do something besides cleaning.
If your garbage disposal has an unpleasant odor coming from it, consider using citrus fruit. Turn on your faucet and with the water and garbage disposal running add halves of the fruit to the drain. The citric acid in the fruit will help clean out any gunk and the scent will help it smell fresh longer.
Your home is probably packed with things that can help you clean your home already, there’s no need to go out and buy special supplies! When you use what you have you can get to work fast and end up with a home that is sparkly clean.
3. Freshen Up Your Microwave
Cleaning out microwaves can be a gross endeavor. With stinky food particles, splashes, and splatters, getting a microwave back to a pristine condition can feel like a huge undertaking. Luckily there is a hack that is easy to follow that will do all the heavy lifting.
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of white vinegar and place it in the microwave. Set the microwave for five to ten minutes, depending on the power of your appliance. (Lower wattages will need more time.) While it’s running, wipe down the front with a damp cloth. When you hear that telltale signal that the time is up, carefully remove the bowl. Careful, the bowl is going to be hot!
Then take a sponge and wipe down the inside of the microwave. The vinegar steam will have loosened all the gunk making it easy to wipe it clean. Vinegar is also an odor neutralizer, which may seem surprising due to the heavy odor it possesses, but your microwave isn’t going to smell like fish anymore!
For a secondary hack, you can also use your microwave to clean your sponge! Rinse out your sponge until the water runs clear. Soak up about a ¼ to ½ cup of water with the sponge and stick it in your microwave. Zap it on high for one to two minutes for a sponge that is free of 99% of germs. Getting a clean microwave and sponge couldn’t be easier!
4. Declutter
Perhaps your issue isn’t so much that you’re house is dirty. Maybe you’re just drowning in clutter and the mess is starting to bother you. It can be difficult, especially in smaller homes to find a place for everything.
Start with that unsightly stack of papers. Do you really need all of those? Sort through and immediately recycle what you don’t need. Scan in any paper or form that would be nice to look back at but you don’t truly need the original. This is perfect to keep children’s artwork without having to keep every drawing of a princess they’ve ever created.
For the important papers that you need to keep, create a filing system that works for you, and put them away where they can stay safe. Once you’ve got the papers put away you can focus on other areas of your home. Go room by room and decide what is no longer useful or practical.
Some people like to use Marie Kondo’s method of seeing if an item sparks joy. That can be extremely helpful, or you can simply just try to get rid of things that you don’t need. Do you really use all 8 spatulas? When was the last time you used that ice cream maker? Is that dress from 6 years ago going to fit you again and is it even still in style?
If an item isn’t needed by you but there’s still life in it, go ahead and donate it to the charity of your choice. Some may even come and pick the items up for free! When you can remove excess from your home it will be easier to keep what you have clean and organized.
5. Think Up
Remember not to forgo your vertical space as you’re finding storage solutions. Using your walls instead of your floor space can help your house feel neater and less cramped. There is often a lot of wasted space that can be used to help your home have more storage options. For instance, consider whether an over the door shoe rack would help you forgo that pile of shoes.
Many cabinets could benefit by having shelves or stacking drawers added. When everything has a specific place to be put away, it is much easier to keep clutter and mess under control. Clear up your floor space with shelving and even ceiling hooks!
Keeping clutter at bay doesn’t need to be complicated and you don’t have to cut your wardrobe down, you simply need to figure out the best ways to store items neatly and in a way, you will be able to maintain. Buying cute storage containers is only the first step, you also have to be willing to hang your necklaces on the wall hooks every night.
A Final Thought
Getting a magazine level of clean for your home doesn’t need to be the goal. But setting up a regular routine may help your home stay looking nicer for longer. Run the dishwasher every night after dinner, for instance, can become second nature but also will prevent you from not having the spoon you need for your cereal.
When you get your home free from dust and dirt it’s going to be worthy of a celebration. Sit back and enjoy your clean home and know that you have the power to get it looking great again.
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