It is very easy to get caught in a web of cleaning responsibilities at home after just a week of neglecting this duty, for whatever reason. And it is also easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done when you look around. Don’t fret, there are many ways to make cleaning your home easier than it seems.
The first thing you need to do is to decide what your style of cleaning is. Aha, let me rephrase that so that it is easier to digest: the first thing you need to do is decide how you want to do your cleaning: all at once time or one by one? I have to admit that I do one room at a time. If this works for you, you can jump to the second part of this article. If you want to do the cleaning “all at once,” read on.
How to clean the rooms in your house in one go.
What do we need? Your cleaning caddy and supplies – get them ready. It would be time-consuming to start cleaning when you do not have everything as it would require you to go back and forth to get one item as you need it, and before you know it, you already lost interest in the activity. Do not get into that trap. What does your caddy have?
- Microfiber cloths. We mean cleaning towels or dry cloths – whatever you already have. However, we suggest you have microfiber cloths because they will make cleaning easier for you by not leaving wipe action traces, small annoying particles, etc. They make your cleaning spotless without much effort.
- Rubber gloves.
- Sponges.
- Brush. The old toothbrush is a good one.
- Cleaning spray.
- Duster.
- Garbage bags.
- Brush scrub.
- Mini Dustpan.
- All-purpose cleaner.
- Glass cleaner.
- Furniture cleaner spray.
You might not need all that is in your cleaning caddy, but you do not want to need one thing it is not there.
- Have your caddy handy. Consider this your best friend when you clean. It has everything you need and that saves you a lot of time.
- Declutter starting from the harder one first and on to the easier rooms. Either your kitchen is the busier room, or your kids’ room – you decide, but the idea of working on the busier room first is so that the job becomes lighter as you go along. We hope decluttering does not take much time, as you know where things have to go.
- Dust all. There is a reason for dusting first before vacuuming as you might get a funny feeling while dusting (after vacuuming ) that you are dirtying the floor again from the dust.
- Remove and replace all the trash bags. It would be easier to have them done all at once so you don’t miss any room that might have a bag full of trash. Do you replace the kitchen trash bags every night? If you do, then the rest is no feat at all.
- Clean the mirrors and glass windows. Do you do this every weekend? If that is the case, then this part can easily be skipped for now, or doing this now does not have to be a super chore.
- Disinfect countertops, surface areas, and tables.
- Clean screens: TV and computer screens. While you are here, as this part is a bit easier, you are providing yourself little breaks between harder tasks of decluttering, vacuuming, and mopping. Enjoy the breather.
- Vacuum the floors. This might be the hardest and probably the less-interesting part of cleaning, but think that this activity is the one that burns calories. It can be a mindset, but indeed, it is true that vacuuming floors can get you a bit in shape.
- Clean tubs, sinks, and toilets. We put this almost last as this can also give you a feeling that you are done when you do this first when not yet. But we are getting close.
- Mop. This provides the final touch to the already vacuumed floor. When you are done with this, you would see how easily you have done it all. Take a deep breath and enjoy the sight of your newly refreshed rooms and household.
Don’t forget to routinely wash your cleaning cloths or tools as you go, so that you do not carry the dirt from the first room to the other. Then do a final cleaning of all of them, so that they are ready for use the next time you clean.
Oh, one last, use an air freshener spray to give your house that feel-good smell! Or burn that mineral oil for a few minutes.
Do you feel like a cleaning expert? You are! Celebrate!
Iced tea, anyone?
Tips on how to maintain clean rooms in your house all the time.
I have a friend whose huge house has three floors. As I admired the space of the house and thought of the joy of freedom of movement, I was not able to hide my wonder and I asked her “how do you clean this?” Her response was quick, “one room at a time. Kitchen, dining, and sala every day, while the rest of the rooms are done twice a week; no general cleaning.” I learned something that day, and I used the same idea since then.
If you are not fond of general tiring, err cleaning, this system will work with you. Below are tips for you to achieve the habit and maintain clean rooms in your house all the time. They also reduce cleaning time in general and free you from what seems to be an endless cleaning cycle.
- Have the cleaning supplies and tools in a cleaning caddy handy all the time. As previously mentioned in this article, the cleaning caddy is your best friend when it comes to house cleaning. It makes things easier for you if the caddy has all that you would need.
- Declutter daily. This habit is a big time-saver as you avoid clutter piling up.
- Mind the spills and mess throughout the day. Remember the restaurants that have “clean as you go” on their walls? That works perfectly at home. You avoid a horde of cleaning items and areas and it keeps your sanity as well.
- Mind kitchen spots and stubborn stains daily. Water is another best friend when it comes to keeping your kitchen clean and ridding of tough stains. The wet cloth will do the job very easily. However, keep in mind to wash the cloth every time you are done and hang it to dry for the next use. Leaving a damp cloth on the countertop invites bacteria that you do not like to have.
- Towel-dry dishes and put them away (unless you have a dishwasher).
- A small amount of white vinegar and baking soda can do wonders to tougher areas in the kitchen and toilet. Baking soda can also keep your brushes and combs clean by occasionally leaving them for about half an hour in a small basin then washing them off with clean water and let dry.
- Take 10 minutes a day to make your bed and tidy up. This is one habit that keeps the bedroom clean all the time.
Below are the steps to clean a room one at a time:
- Have your cleaning caddy handy.
- Decide which room to work on first. The busiest one first.
- Declutter.
- Dust using either a duster or a microfiber cloth in one hand with the right cleaning agent on the other, i.e. glass cleaner for mirrors and glass walls, and furniture cleaner for wooden furniture and surfaces, etc.
- Remove and replace the trash bag.
- Vacuum the floor.
- Clean tubs, sinks, and toilets.
- Mop floors.
Cleaning rooms one at a time has its benefits. When you are done with one or two, and you need to attend to something else, it is easier to return to the next room later on. It also gives you the satisfaction that you are not half-done with cleaning! Finally, you do not have to feel obligated to work on all the rooms in one day.
Remember my friend? I like her final phrase “no general cleaning.”
If at any time, you feel like cleaning is something you do not want to do, “give it to the experts,” as the saying goes.
Contact St Louis Cleaning Team for any and all cleaning services you require. We will be right at your doorstep, with a smile.
