The smell of the delicious pineapple glazed ham fills the house. Don’t forget to grab the biscuits out of the oven before they burn. The table is covered with warm delightful dishes of food you have been preparing all day. The table is set with your very best dishware and china. Everything is ready. Then you walk back into the kitchen and it hits you. Oh look at this mess! As wonderful as everything looks and smells, you realize it will not be as wonderful cleaning up the mess. Ideally a cleaning service would come in and take care of that for you, but in case that is not an option we want to give you a few tips to help you out.
Here are a few steps to help keep things in order as you go:
– Keep the refrigerator cleaned out as you go
– Keep the sink filled with warm soapy water
– Clean up each station as you go
– Try to cook cleanly
– Keep a dish towel on you at all times
– Use any wait/down time to clean up anything you haven’t got to yet
– Clear out the clutter
– Run the dishwasher as often as needed
No one wants to spend their holiday evening cleaning up. Try to keep up with the mess as you cook. Then you will be able to sit down and enjoy the yummy baked apple pie with your loved ones!
We have all said it at least once in our lives. “This year I resolve to get my house organized and clean.” It sounds really good when we say it too. Problem is actually following through with the statement. We know that we really do have great intentions but typically they start out strong only to fizzle as time goes on. Maybe it’s because we don’t actually set a plan up to use and follow up with. Well we want to help with that. We have put together a plan of action for you to follow so you can keep up with it. We know life gets crazy at times, but we simplified this plan as best as we could to help keep your home clean and organized.
This plan that we developed will help you distinguish between daily, weekly and monthly cleaning necessities as well as set organization goals. And the best part is if you happen to veer off course, its pretty simple to hop back on track. We recommend writing it out, maybe on a dry erase board. Truth is your less likely to forget about it, if it’s placed in a highly visible location. Here is a list of how we broke it down for you:
Daily:
There are a few things that should really be done on a daily basis. These things are simple and can be done throughout the day. They are: make the bed, put all dirty clothes into the hamper, wipe down sinks and counters in bathroom, open mail then toss/organize as needed, wipe down sinks and counters in kitchen, wash all dirty dishes, spot vacuum or sweep high traffic areas (if needed), and pick up any toys/clutter around the house.
Weekly:
Typically weekly chores have an assigned day to complete them. Assigning them to a certain day helps create a routine and in turn your more likely to keep up with them. Things to complete weekly are: laundry, changing bed linens, scrub stove top, clean kitchen appliances, disinfect counter tops, doorknobs and handles in kitchen and bathrooms, wipe down all mirrors throughout house, wash/clean any throw rugs, deep clean shower walls and tub in the bathroom, scrub toilets in bathrooms, dust all furniture throughout the house, vacuum all carpeting, sweep and mop all floors, sort through any paperwork that has accumulated during the week (file what needs to be and trash the rest).
Monthly:
Monthly cleaning is when you really have to get down and dirty. No it’s not fun but at least it’s only once a month. The things that need cleaning monthly are: clean the refrigerator inside and out, clean all ceiling fans, wash all floorboards, vacuum all furniture, wipe down walls as needed, dust all air vents, clean windows throughout the house, clean office areas (keyboards, monitors, etc), organize any family rooms or kids toys, and organize your paperwork that you have filed already (keep whats needed, trash what is not).
Organization Goals:
If you have an area or more that you want to get really cleaned up and organized, set up a realistic goal to achieve with it. Pick a day of the week and a time limit to work on it. For example maybe every Thursday for 2 hours you clean up the attic. Keeping it realistic is important. Life happens but it will happen much smoother if you are clean and organized.
On a daily basis your home sees a constant flow of traffic, whether it is from your family, pets, or simply objects accumulating dust. When it comes to cleaning most people clean the obvious: floors, countertops, dusty TV’s, and bathrooms. What homeowners forget about is the little objects we use the most, but never think to clean.
First, there are light switches, which are used constantly, all day, and each time you walk into a room. Not many people think to clean light switches, because we are always cleaning a surface or object, not a fixture that is flush against the wall. Light switches don’t ever look dirty or dusty but think of all the times your hands were not clean and you’ve flipped that switch. Bacteria builds up on the switch plates from numerous people carrying all types of germs, which can easily make you ill. Another item similar to this is the remote control, which is also overlooked when cleaning. So, a great way to keep these objects clean and you healthy is to disinfect them every few weeks. You can simply spray disinfectant on the light switches or wipe it down with an anti-bacterial cloth.
Wondering where those foul odors are coming from? If it’s not the trash then what is it? Kitchen drains can build up past meals, grease, and oils. They have a tendency to capture the smell of old food particles and more, long after you are done cleaning. This is what causes unpleasant aromas to linger in your clean kitchen. Lucky for you getting rid of foul drain odors is easy to take care of. For those who have a garbage disposal, putting leftover foods down the drain is a great way to cut down on trash, but this also results in your drain smelling like your garbage. The solution for this is to cut up a lemon and drop it down the drain. Turn the disposal on and grind up those lemons for that fresh citrusy smell. However, for those who do not have a garbage disposal you are still in luck. Pouring hot water mixed with baking soda can fix the foul kitchen drain odors as well.
Another object people forget to clean are keyboards. The build up of bacteria can tend to have as much as the average toilet seat. The reason why this average occurs is because toilet seats are frequently cleaned, whereas keyboards can go years without a simple anti-bacterial swipe. So, highly consider cleaning your keyboard every once in a while. If you want to go to extremes consider using an air canister or vacuum to get rid of all the dusts and crumbs that may have fell in-between the keys.
Don’t just clean the obvious surfaces and objects anymore. Clean these forgotten items with these quick tips to help make your home a healthier and safer place to live!
If your cat, dog, or any animal you have pees on your carpets, removing the urine stain must be done immediately because not only will it stink, but it will most certainly leave a stain! Cat urine is the worst—its smell is very potent, and if you neglect to clean it up, the smell will linger for a while!
Removing a pet stain in your carpet works the best if you clean it up immediately! This way there will be less time for the urine to sink into the carpet causing permanent stains or damage to your carpet.
Immediately after noticing the stain and urine you should attempt to remove as much liquid and solids as possible with paper towels. Also, try not to spread the stain; you should work carefully from the edge to the center. You should take note that it is vital to not use any cleaner that has ammonia in it because most animals have a very strong sense of smell. Why is this important? Your pets may smell the ammonia (it smells like urine) and this could cause it to pee in the same vicinity all over again!
If you have a stain that has been soaking in your carpet for a few hours, these ones can be, and often are, incredibly hard to clean. However, white vinegar can be used to clean stains that have been lingering Also, carpets that have stain resistant finishes will give you more time to blot up the stain before it completely soaks into the carpet. However, don’t “over-wet” your carpet with water when you clean, use club soda (if you have it) for cleaning up the mess as quickly as possible (if it has been sitting.)
Most of the time, a marble floor needs very little maintenance. However, neglecting it will tarnish the way it looks even though neglecting it does not usually affect how long it lasts. Therefore, if you take care of your marble floor and perform habitual maintenance, any other type of flooring you may buy in the future will not compare to the radiance and timeless beauty of your well-maintained marble floor.
1—You should perform standard maintenance with a natural detergent in water
When it comes time to gathering your cleaning equipment it should include a mop or a floor polishing/scrubbing machine. If you want to use a machine, the pads should be of the synthetic type and never metal fibers, as splinters may disconnect and cause rust marks to show up on the surface of the marble floor.
2—A good approach to preserving marble floors is to make the use of a program similar to that of taking care of regular tile floors
When it comes to stripping, a conventional stripper is ideal. Any pads you use for stripping should be placid scrubbing pads. The black pad generally utilized for stripping may scratch marble surfaces.
Although not required, a sealer may be applied to protect the grout. The surface may then be finished with an acrylic polymer metal-linked polish. If your cleaning equipment includes a team of easily-applied products, you will save time, and when the floor finish is buffed/burnished, the maximum beauty of the marble floor will be there to enjoy.
3—For daily maintenance, a neutral type of cleaner should be used on the finish or the marble itself.
A polished marble floor can be gorgeous and long lasting, but only with suitable care and maintenance procedures.
Not only is dusting essential for you to have a clean home, but eradicating the dust produced from pet dander, pollen, and other substances can actually help to reduce the possibilities that you or a member of your family will have allergies. So, as you dust, remember this tip—left to right—top to bottom—no backtracking!
Dusting Tips
You can make the use of used fabric softener sheets for dusting as opposed to using the more expensive cloths. Remember to look up at the ceiling, in the corners and overhead light fixtures, and skylights for those irritating cobwebs that may sporadically come falling down when you have guests over! Also, don’t forget to dust you ceiling fans—lots of dust regularly accumulates on them!
On Fighting Hidden Dirt…
When it comes to dusting baseboards, you can put on old socks, spray a bit of cleaning fluid on them, and then slide your feet along the baseboard (sticking your toes into corners to get the hard-to-reach dust!) Besides cleaning, this method is also good for getting some exercise!
Pleated Shades, Miniblinds, and Louvered Doors…
To eradicate dust, wipe a new paintbrush over the slats vertically, then horizontally. After you are done, clean your brush.
Skylights…
Realistically, most of the time you cannot get your vacuum to reach these areas, so you can use a mop, broom handle, or a fishing pole and cover it with an old shirt to clean them.
Air vents…
Fuzzy dust and cobwebs stick to heating and air conditioning vents. Make sure that you vacuum carefully to suck up any dust.
Dishwasher…
Yup, the inside of your dishwasher gathers dirt, dust, and gook! To remedy this you can pour a cup (more or less) of household vinegar into the bottom and run the cycle to clean.
Finally, make sure to remember this vital tip before you start!
–Work left to right—top to bottom—no backtracking!-
Most of us feel an urge to deep clean our houses when spring rolls around. In fact, the “Spring Cleaning” custom is basically engraved into the minds of many of those who own a home.
But consider this spring cleaners…why use most of your time cleaning when the weather finally turns nice? Why not clean now, when you’re stuck inside all winter anyway?
Snow and rock salt is tracked indoors by your family every day, the heater is always running, and because your windows are closed—all that dust sits inside your home!
Having a thoroughly cleaned home can do wonders for your psyche, and doing your cleaning in the winter is a good change of pace for many people—mainly if you follow a set cleaning schedule every week. There are a number of ways to keep you home cleaned, but here are two ideas/tips to help get you started on your “winter cleaning.”
Check Your Furnace, Make Sure It Is Clean!
Make sure that you change your furnace filter every month. This action aids in making your home more energy efficient, and keeps your air much cleaner. Also, don’t forget to make sure your furnace is in good condition. If it is covered in soot and dust—or if there are dust bunnies moving around below it, make sure to clean it out immediately!
Be Wary Of Dust That Occupies Your Home
Due to the warm and dry air that circulates throughout your home during the winter, your home may get very dusty. To remedy this, you should dust surfaces from top to bottom to help manage the amount of dust circulating inside your home. Also, don’t neglect dusting your ceiling fan blades and the tops of window moldings (both of which are usually disregarded and can gather dust quickly) Lastly, if you clean your home’s air ducts, you will not only decrease the amount of dust, germs, and allergens circulating throughout your home, but it may also help your furnace in operating more efficiently.
