Cleaning the house should not take too much time. I’m sure each of you will find something more pleasant and interesting to do. However, you should not neglect the maintenance of cleanliness, because the dust in the corners and mountains of dishes in the sink are not justified by the concept of “creative mess”. To make regular cleaning of the apartment faster, take the following tips.
Do the cleaning by the book.
The cardinal rule of housecleaning is to clean from top to bottom. It should always be followed. No matter how carefully you pick up crumbs on the table, they still end up on the floor. Even wet cleaning of different surfaces should be done before you start cleaning the floor.
Another important aspect is figuring out the most efficient route possible. Try to follow it every time so that you don’t miss anything or come back to the missed areas again.
Determine intervals
Many people do their entire apartment cleaning all at once on the same day of the week. But that’s not the most efficient way to go about it. In fact, different areas get dirty at different rates. Try making a cleaning calendar by zone with intervals of different lengths for each. Use a reminder app like DGT GTD or others.
Adjust intervals depending on the time of year and on special occasions (e.g., if you have relatives visiting).
Use the right fabrics
Do not use rags or gauze as dusting cloths. It is better to use special microfiber cloths. They don’t leave fibers behind, don’t roll up or shed, absorb much more water while absorbing less liquid inside the fiber (which means faster rinsing) and dry quickly. They can (and should) be washed. But don’t dry these rags on the radiator.
Wash dishes right away.
Once again, think about buying a dishwasher. If this option doesn’t work for you, make washing in the sink as easy as possible.
Get in the habit of washing dishes right after a meal, without waiting for the sink to fill to the brim.
This advice is simple, but many people neglect it, though it’s the sink, overflowing with dried-up dirty plates, that scares you so much. Immediately after a meal, washing a few plates and glasses will literally take a few minutes.
If you’re used to a long, multi-course dinner accompanied by a leisurely conversation, there’s an extra tip for you: before dinner, fill the sink with warm water and a little detergent and put your used dishes in there right away so they don’t have time to dry out.
Clean the stove last.
In the kitchen, the dirtiest surface is usually the stove. When you start cleaning your kitchen, apply the cleaner to the stove and leave it on for a few minutes. During this time, start wiping down the surface to the right of the stove and move clockwise around the kitchen. You can also move in the opposite direction – it’s not a strict rule. 🙂 The main thing is that this way you can avoid making unnecessary trips to the sink to rinse the rag.
When you last get to the stove again, it won’t take much effort to remove even heavy soiling. Especially if you do not neglect the special stove cleaners: they are more aggressive than conventional detergents and remove the dirt better. At the same time, thanks to the absence of abrasive particles, the stove cleaner does not damage the surface, unlike cleaning products that contain soda. Be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect your skin from exposure to concentrated ingredients.
Keep bathroom fixtures clean
Metal surfaces in the bathroom get dirty extremely quickly, covered in drips and splashes. This can be very frustrating when you consider that it takes a lot of care to remove plaque and rust. So try to prevent plumbing contamination between cleanings. When taking a bath or washing children or pets, wipe down the taps. Remove toothpaste splashes right away while they are still easy to rinse off with water. Rinse your bathtub or shower stall with hot water after washing.
Don’t forget your bathtub screen
A polyester bath curtain also needs to be washed. You probably don’t. Just wash it with any other items for which you use a program with not too hot water. Once or twice a month should be enough. And don’t forget to straighten it out every time after you’ve showered to dry it out and avoid the buildup of plaque and bad odor.
Get rid of unnecessary bottles in the bathroom
Take a critical look at your bathroom shelves. Do you really need that many products? Shower gels, bubble baths, scrubs, shampoos, balms, conditioners, masks, lotions, tonics… When you clean the bathroom, you have to rinse each of them and wipe the surface under them. Keep only the ones you really use regularly. Buy products that combine several functions, such as shower gel + scrub or mask + conditioner. If you use products you use less than once a week, put them in lockers that collect less dust.
Clean up your wardrobe.
An overabundance of belongings requires extra attention: all of them are covered with dust and each has to be given time to clean. So if you have dozens of pretty things on shelves in your apartment, you should definitely reconsider which ones are really important and useful to you.
Keeping things in order is not a one-time event. This “elephant” needs to be eaten in pieces.
Plan a cleaning schedule for your closets, clearing out one of the blocks each week. Let only the essentials remain on the shelves, and give away the rest or send it to the trash without too much regret. Don’t get attached to things and from now on try not to clutter up your home with knickknacks.
Make it easy to choose.
The closets of many women (and today more and more often men) are full of things that are not put on for months. Excessive variety leads only to a loss of time in choosing what to wear every morning. To make it easier to make choices, and with it, clean up, reorganize your closet. Try the following plan of action:
Put away out-of-season clothes for storage.
Choose the clothes you wear regularly and place them so they don’t crumple and are immediately ready in the right set.
Choose a few items that have been waiting a long time to be worn, and find an excuse to wear them in the next six months.
Put the rest in a box and put a date on it. Go back to it in a month and get rid of the things you never needed.
Wash under more gentle conditions
Washing clothes in hot water for an extended period only really makes sense for bedding and towels. Modern detergents are quite effective, and if you do not nanaeshivayut things, you can wash them even in cold water, or at 30-40 degrees. Plus, in cold water, the dye is washed out of the fabrics less. And do not neglect the air conditioner: with it the clothes become softer, easier to iron and collects less static electricity. Just do not go overboard with the amount, so that it does not remain too intrusive smell.
I would advise using less spin (it would be enough to at least reduce the speed). This way, for many things there will be no need for ironing at all – it will be enough just to dry them spread out.
Don’t be afraid to clean the floor.
The floor is probably the biggest object in your home. It’s depressing just from realizing the scale. But actually cleaning the floor is the easiest part. The key is to provide yourself with the right tools (more on that below).
An additional tip: So that the entire apartment floor stays cleaner for longer, try to tidy up the areas with the most dirt (the area by the front door, next to the sink and stove in the kitchen, near the cat tray) more often. For example, wipe the floor by the front door, pick up sawdust, scattered by the cat. It takes a few minutes, and the floor in other areas of the apartment will have to be cleaned less often.
Get a good vacuum cleaner.
For starters, if you have carpets, consider buying a more powerful vacuum cleaner so you don’t waste time and energy on useless moves. Remember, a more powerful vacuum cleaner is about saving your energy, not wasting energy.
A better vacuum is an energy saver, not an energy waster.
Clean the bag more often, because suction power decreases as the bag gets full. And it’s better to use a vacuum cleaner with an aqua filter. Even if you’re not allergic, you shouldn’t cause allergies by regularly breathing in dust.
Don’t skimp on a mop.
Be sure to buy a good mop. Cheap mops are often made of materials that do not collect dirt, leave lint, and wear out after only a few uses.
Washing with a cheap mop is a pain in the ass! You have to go over the same place several times and even pick up dirt from the floor with your hands (yuck!). So don’t get greedy at the counter, it’s not that much money anyway. The shape you choose depends on the geometry of your rooms and your style.
And finally.
In order to make cleaning not only fast but also enjoyable, listen to music or audio books while cleaning. And it’s better to wear headphones right away, so you don’t miss a piece of music when there’s water noise or you go out on the balcony. Dancing to your favorite tracks will make cleaning much more joyful, and the plot of an exciting book will even make you look forward to the next time.
