I’m sure I’m not alone in secretly wishing I could get my home as spotless as a professional cleaning crew would. With kids and a pet, there’s always something or someone to clean up after. And it’s easy to allow certain areas to get neglected.
Luckily, cleaning experts love to share their tips online so that we can attempt to make our own wishes come true. Advice like this teaches us how to save time and give our homes a thorough cleaning without missing any spots.
We’ve gathered a few lesser-known tricks to share from cleaning pros who do their jobs well. Read on to find out how to make your house shine.
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Clean Top to Bottom
To help avoid dust bunny fallout, start at the top of the room so that what you shake out hits the floor. Then attack the furniture and floors. If you want, you can apply this to the whole house. Start cleaning on the upper level and work your way down.
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Invest in Odd Tools
Namely a squeegee, toothbrush, and cloth diapers. Squeegees can be used to clean the shower, as well as for clearing off countertops or stairs. Cloth diapers make wonderful dusters/buffers, and a toothbrush can get into tiny nooks and crannies.
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Hit Stains Immediately
It’s recommended to treat laundry right away to prevent stains from setting in. The longer you wait, the more stubborn they become.
For surfaces like marble, wipe them on the spot with a soft cloth or cleaning solution specially made for it. Avoid using lemon or vinegar on marble.
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Wear Indoor Shoes Indoors
That means leaving what you wear outside at the front door and changing into something like slippers, socks, or flip-flops to wear around the house. It will keep dirt and bacteria you picked up outdoors from spreading throughout the house.
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Vacuum Inwards for a Double Dose
Expert Emma Anderson suggests vacuuming into a room and then doubling back until you move out. This gives you the chance to hit the areas of the floor that see the most traffic twice. Vacuum in, vacuum out.
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Thump and Vacuum Drapes
Giving your drapes or curtains a whack with a towel will help release dirt and dust onto the floor, making it easier to vacuum up.
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Keep the Lights On
It’s easier to catch dirty spots when the space is well-lit. Take advantage of natural sunlight by opening blinds or curtains, and turn your lights on if a space is dim so you can see what you’re cleaning.
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Clean in a Path
Envision your space as being divided up into a grid or slice to make sure you cover each part of it. Move on to the next area of the path.
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Tackle the Biggest Mess First
If there’s one point in the room (or house) that’s a total cyclone, go after it first. You won’t have to work around it and the rest of the room will be a breeze.
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Clean Your Dishwasher
Use a wad of paper towels to clean out any excess water in the bottom. Pour 2-3 cups of distilled white vinegar into it and run a cycle to keep it sanitized.
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Speed Up Laundry Time
Toss a dry towel into a damp load to help it dry faster.
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Keep Shaving Cream on Hand
Use it to remove carpet stains, clean stainless steel appliances, or shine up mirrors. It can also help to clear small spots of crud off your oven.
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Play Music
All the experts agree that cranking up some sounds helps to energize them and pass the time. Turn up your tunes, audiobook, or podcast!
Round out your cleaning routine with these simple tricks and get the job done quickly. Be sure to keep a cleaning caddy on hand to organize all your supplies.
What do you think of these cleaning tips? Which of these have you never tried but want to? Do you have an expert cleaning tip to share?
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