Cleaning is one of the necessary evils of life. Most people would probably agree that having a clean environment helps them think clearer as well as breathe easier, but how can someone keep his or her home fairly clean without devoting hours every week to the task? By following a few simple tips, anyone can maintain acceptable living conditions without giving up substantial hours of free time.
Bathrooms and kitchen
Two of the most-used areas of people’s homes tend to be bathrooms and the kitchen. Because these areas tend to get dirtier much quicker than others, it’s important to take a few moments, at least once a week, to wipe down surfaces. This can be done while a person is talking on the phone, before leaving for work, or before going to bed at night.
Start
Start by keeping a container of Clorox or Lysol wipes as well as a bottle of Windex, Glass Plus, or whatever glass cleaner you prefer, conveniently located in your bathroom and kitchen. There are several glass cleaners that come in wipe form, but using them is personal preference. Keeping cleaning supplies in both locations saves time from having to gather them to bring to the area.
Bathroom
To clean toilets, many people prefer to use automatic toilet bowl cleaners that are dropped into the toilet’s tank. Clorox, Lysol, and Scrubbing Bubbles make convenient products that keep the toilet fresh in between regular scrubbings. By utilizing this type of product, the need to scrub a toilet may be reduced to once a week or once every other week.
Using a product with bleach will yield the best results when cleaning a tub or shower. Ajax and Comet powder cleansers are two products that are tough on dirt, but they tend to be hard to rinse away. Soft Scrub, which contains bleach, might be a better alternative because it doesn’t leave a residue.
Wiping the surface
Taking a towel and wiping the surface of a tub or shower down after bathing can help to keep it looking cleaner for a longer time. If you’re someone who finds cleaning a shower stall time consuming, try Scrubbing Bubbles, which makes an automatic shower cleaner that distributes the product 360 degrees. Pushing the button after the last shower of the day covers the entire area of the stall, coating it with a powerful cleaner that doesn’t need to be rinsed.
Kitchen
The most important areas to keep clean in a kitchen are the sink and counters. While many people are under the assumption that a toilet bowl is the dirtiest place in someone’s home, it’s actually the kitchen sink that contains more germs. It’s important to remember to disinfect areas that raw food such as meat or poultry was placed on. Taking disinfecting wipes and wiping down the areas will prevent the spread of salmonella poisoning in addition to keeping the kitchen clean. Using bleach cleaner in the sink will also kill any harmful germs.
Swiffer sweeper cleaning cloths
One of the easiest ways to keep kitchen and bathroom floors clean is to use Swiffer sweeper cleaning cloths. The dry cloths pick up any loose debris, such as hair, food particles, or dirt. The wet cloths remove dried stains or any dirt that has accumulated on the surface of the floor. It’s less time consuming that using a mop and bucket, but the refills can get costly. If price is an issue, then using generic brands might be more cost effective.
Controlling dust
The best way to control dust is to use a quality air purifier. This is essential for people who suffer from dust allergies, but it also helps to cut down on the amount of dust and pollutants in the air in general. While many people use feather dusters to clean, it’s probably one of the worst things to do. A feather duster doesn’t trap the dust, it just moves it around. Using Swiffer dusters or a generic brand duster does a good job of attracting dust and removing it. Using a furniture polish such as Pledge can help to repel dust in between cleanings as well as moisturize wood surfaces.
The topic of cleanliness is subjective and something not all people agree on. Depending on someone’s tolerance level, a proactive role in keeping his or her living conditions clean might be taken by cleaning more often. Assigning every family member with a cleaning job can also help to cut down on time spent cleaning. Having a child vacuum or keep his or her room clean will build responsibility and teach the child that he or she has a vital role in keeping living conditions pleasant in the home.
