Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Favorite Cleaning Tips

So here I am, cleaning houses all the time. Along the way, through both book research and hands on research, I have come up with a few cleaning tips that stick in my head as both simple and effective.
  • Use a door mat both inside and outside all entries!
    • This makes a huge difference. The mats help collect the dirt and dust off people's shoes as they come in your home. Especially if you have wood floors, this simple tip can be a lifesaver. Little harmless pebbles stuck in shoes and then compressed between the shoe and your soft wood floor can and will leave unwanted nicks and scratches throughout your home.
  • Go even further and ban shoes from your home!
    • So very simple and yet most homes I clean do not have this rule. Everywhere you walk, your shoes pick up all sorts of dirt and grime. Oil from parking lots, food from restaurants and unmentionable crud in public restrooms. So if you want to keep your sparkling clean floors sparkling long after your maid service cleans your home; make sure to ban shoes! This even does wonders for light colored carpets.
  • Disinfect your sponges!
    • So simple to do. When you run your dishwasher, simply throw your sponge in too! This keeps that mildew odor from permeating your kitchen and keeps your sponge sanitary as well. Don't use your dishwasher? One of my clients also suggested simply microwaving a wet sponge to kill all bacteria. Or you can even just let your sponge soak in a bowl of bleach water (not that I personally care for bleach, but it does work well) By sanitizing your sponge, you are also going to save money by not having to replace the sponge every few weeks.
      • You can even just switch to washcloths and wash them in your laundry after each use. I really like hand knitted washcloths myself.
  • If you bought it more than 3 months ago and it is still in the bag from the store; you don't need it!
    • Clutter can make even the cleanest of houses feel dirty. This problem is one I even personally feel plagued by. If you have things that have been sitting untouched for more than 3 months after purchase, I would recommend gifting or freecycling them. Or if you happen to be in my area (Frederick, MD) our local freecycle group can be found here.
    • Clutter slows down our maids when cleaning. For more bang for your buck, try and lighten up on the clutter and you will be surprised the time that can be saved.
  • Declutter before birthday parties and holidays.
    • If clutter plagues you, have a declutter session before all children's birthdays or holidays before the big day. Children are constantly receiving more and more toys and junk which can quickly become overwhelming.
  • Baskets work wonders for those tidy-up sessions!
    • I love using baskets to help tidy. Keep one on the stairs and save yourself steps. As you clean one floor, you just toss everything in the basket so you only take one trip upstairs to put things away.
    • For those little things that just don't have a home, a basket on your desk or by the phone can be a little catch-all to keep them all together.
  • For quick baseboard dustings, use a natural fiber attachement on your vacuum.
    • I read this in a book and use it all the time now. We find it to be a big time-saver to pass over baseboards, especially the really dusty ones.
    • When we are doing an initial clean, this is just the first step. After the major grime is removed we then follow up with a wet cloth to get the rest of the dirt off.
  • In houses with kids, use semi-gloss or satin finished paint for the walls.
    • Flat paint is very difficult to remove dirt from. Semi-gloss and satin make cleaning up dirty fingerprints or splashes from accidents a snap.
    • If you hate the sheen, at least use satin in the kid's play room and where they eat.
  • Keep kids eating in the kitchen or dining room. Only water allowed outside these areas.
    • This does wonders for people with pests such as ants or other unmentionables. If there are no food sources, the pests will stay where the food is and the infestation will be easier to tackle.
    • This also is a lifesaver for light carpets. Children WILL spill their juice or other drinks so keep the spills all in one area.
    • Under no circumstances should there be food in the bedrooms. This goes for children and adults. It is simply not necessary. And it has been proven that people who only eat at the table eat less anyway, so this can even help your waste-line!
  • To prevent mildew in your shower or bath, squeegee after use. Also make sure to run your fan for at least an half hour afterwards.
    • Even better yet, using a towel to dry out your shower is more effective (yes I know, this takes time and most aren't likely to do this)
    • Mildew thrives on moisture, therefore if you get rid of the excess moisture you inhibit the growth of mildew.
I am positive I have more tips to share but these are ones that just come to mind at the moment. Feel free to leave your favorite tips as a comment.
And as always; if you are looking for House Cleaning Services in Frederick make sure to click the hyperlink to go to my main web page.