Fast House Cleaning Tips

/0 Comments/in /by

Fast House Cleaning Tips

1. Clean the whole house, not one room at time

Cleaning is much more efficient if you pick one task (dusting, vacuuming, mopping) and do the same task in every room in the house, rather than cleaning the kitchen, the bathrooms and then the bedrooms. Doing it that way prevents you from feeling like you’re in an endless cleaning cycle, starting the same task over and over again.

2. Gather all your cleaning tools in a caddy

Whether it’s a caddy, bucket or tote, having everything you need to clean in one portable place makes it much easier to get the job done. You won’t waste time looking for tools while you clean, and don’t have to worry about gathering them before your next go around.

3. Clear the clutter

Before you even start cleaning, go room to room and pick up the clutter. As you pick up each item – magazines, well-read paperbacks, old sneakers – consider whether you should put it away, toss it or donate it.

4. Dust and vacuum

Before you start dusting, make sure ceiling fans are turned off. Concentrate your dusting on the tops of furniture and the undersides of shelves, on handrails, picture frames, knickknacks and TV screens. For hard-to-reach areas, like blinds and upper shelves, tie a microfiber cloth to the end of a mop or broom. Change the sheets in the bedrooms before you vacuum.

5. Wipe mirrors and glass

Use one damp microfiber cloth, followed by one dry cloth in wiping clean all the mirrors and glass surfaces.

6. Disinfect countertops and surface areas

Go through your house and wipe down the hard surfaces – from countertops, appliances and cabinets to doorknobs, light switches, TV remotes and telephones. You should disinfect some of those surfaces, particularly the ones that might deliver germs to people’s fingers and faces. Make a nontoxic disinfection solution by mixing one-fourth to a half cup of white or apple cider vinegar with a cup of water.

7. Focus on tubs, sinks and toilets

Spray cleaner on the kitchen sink then on bathroom sinks, tubs and toilets. Let it sit for a few minutes so the cleaner has time to dissolve dirt and stains. Then return to the kitchen and start scrubbing. Don’t forget to wipe down the inside of the microwave. Clean toilets last.

While in the kitchen, you also want to make sure your garbage disposal is in tip-top shape. If you aren’t sure the best way to clean a garbage disposal.

8. Sweep, then mop

Sweep the kitchen and bathroom floors. Start mopping from the farthest corner of the room and move backwards towards the doorway (that is, don’t mop yourself into a corner). Rinse the mop every time you complete a 4-by-4-foot area.

9. Keep moving when you vacuum

Don’t worry about getting every nook and cranny when you vacuum. Just keep moving through the house, running the vacuum in every carpeted room in one pass through.

Some tasks don’t need to be done each week. These include waxing the furniture, cleaning the windows, and washing area rugs and bath mats. Inspect these accessories and use your own judgment.

10. Don’t forget to routinely wash your cleaning tools

An often overlooked part of cleaning the house is maintaining your cleaning tools. Using a dirty mop or a vacuum with a full bag is much less effective, and you’ll end up spending more time trying to clean.

11. Make cleaning a group activity

Making cleaning a team effort is one of the best ways to clean a house fast. Schedule a time in advance with your family, and assign tasks to each person. Working together can add some fun to cleaning, and your house will be sparkling in no time.

While you’re cleaning make sure to check on home maintenance items, such as a faulty sink that may cause water damage.

Follow this step-by-step guide to make the most of your time and clean your house fast

Spring Cleaning for Seniors: Tips for Decluttering in Style!

/1 Comment/in /by

Springtime means sunshine, outdoor adventures and spring cleaning! When it comes to spring cleaning, the best advice we can give is to start early and go at a pace that works for you and your lifestyle.

In this blog post, we offer additional tips for spring cleaning with meaning while paying special attention to decluttering.

1. Enlist Your Team and Have Your Tools in Place

While decluttering may be a solo project for some, others find that enlisting the help of children (and even grandchildren) makes it easier for them to achieve their decluttering goals; You may even consider bringing in a professional organizer to provide an expert hand in this ambitious endeavor. With a small team, you can now delegate tasks and work through decluttering faster than if you were on your own. You’ll be amazed at how quickly progress can be made when you have others working alongside you.

Additionally, before starting, be sure you have everything you’ll need to get organized. Tools that will come in handy include garbage bags, empty boxes, containers, labels, post-it notes and tape.

2. Have a Game Plan

It’s best to have a strategy before you begin decluttering. What is the timeline for completion? Which room will you start with? If you’re decluttering with friends or family, who will be responsible for what tasks? How will you organize items that you want to keep or do away with? The more you’re able to iron out these details beforehand, the better equipped you’ll be to start organizing with purpose. Plans work best when they are written down, and the satisfaction you’ll get as you check items off your list is priceless!

3. Color Coding Is Your Friend

One of the most popular spring cleaning tips is to use multi-colored sticky notes or stickers to guide your decluttering. Our professional organizing partners typically advise people to sort their items into four categories: Keep, Sell, Donate and Throw Away. Each category should be denoted with its own color.

The key to this tip is that, once an item has been organized into one of the four categories specified, it should stay there. This means an added level of thoughtfulness is required before making a final decision on each item.

4. Start With Hazards and Items You Definitely Don’t Want

As you begin decluttering, there are several items in your home that will immediately stand out as ones you no longer want or have use for. These are the items that will make this project that much easier for you. Damaged golf clubs, old prescription glasses, decades-old documents and electrical cords whose purpose you’ve long-since forgotten — these are prime candidates for the immediate Throw Away pile. Once you’ve gotten those items out of the way, you can move onto more thoughtful organizing of what remains.

Spring cleaning is also the perfect time to re-evaluate your home’s safety. Be extra vigilant for items that can cause someone to fall and throw them away if they are no longer necessary. For items that present a hazard, but are essential to the home, consider ways in which you can make them safer. For example, taping down loose electrical cords so that they remain in place.

5. Have Some Fun With It!

There’s no need to sit in silence while you’re decluttering. Whether playing your favorite tunes, holding a competition to see who can complete their checklist the fastest, ordering delivery from your favorite restaurant or something else, there are countless ways to have fun while decluttering.

Bonus Tip: Take Pictures of Cherished Items That Don’t Make the Cut

Letting go will be easy for most of your possessions, but difficult for others. More than likely, you’ll forget about the items you give away almost immediately. But for the items that you’re sure you’ll miss — knick-knacks, souvenirs and the like — we’ve found that taking pictures helps to ease the difficulty of parting with them. While you may no longer have use for these items, it helps to be able to refer back to pictures of them every now and then.