Nearly everybody hates to clean. On the other hand, nearly everybody also loves living in a clean house. The question is whether or not there’s a way to clean your house without taking forever to do it. Here are nine clever solutions to help you to do the job faster and easier.
We all know that you need to dust and vacuum first. That picks up a lot of the dust and dirt quickly and makes it faster and easier to finish the job. But what are the next steps? The easy ones that get things done just like the pros?
If you’re wondering what the experts say, take a look below and follow this easy step-by-step guide to make the most of your time by cleaning your home quickly and easily.
Clean and Disinfect your Keyboard
If you use the keyboard on your computer daily, you’ll be amazed at the number of germs that can accumulate on it. The great thing is that disinfecting your keyboard can be done fast and easily in only a few seconds!
First, turn off the computer or unplug the keyboard so there’s no power running through it. Dip a toothbrush into a glass filled half with water and half with white vinegar and tap it to leave it slightly moist. Scrub over and between the keys to remove anything that shouldn’t be there (cookie crumbs?) and to eliminate all the germs. Remember to go over any other areas where your hands normally touch.
Next, take a slightly dampened clean cloth and go over everything to get rid of any vinegar residue and use another dry cloth if necessary to dry everything. Plug the keyboard back in or turn the power back on and you’re all set.
Eliminate Upholstery Stains with Shaving Cream
Here’s a quick and easy way to eliminate upholstery stains. Rub a small amount of shaving cream (not gel) into the stain. Let it dry for about 30 minutes and then blot the residue until it’s dry. Don’t use shaving cream gel or you may change the color of the upholstery. When in doubt, try a small amount on an inconspicuous area at the bottom of the furniture first to make sure.
Use Kool-Aid to Clean your Toilet
If you find you need to clean your toilet but are out of bleach, why not check out your kitchen cabinet for a package of Kool-Aid. Yes, your favorite drink mix from childhood can help clean your toilet almost as well.
Sprinkle a package of Kool-Aid powder into your toilet bowl and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. Then, brush down the sides and flush and you’ll find the bowl comes out clean as new again. Why? It’s the citric acid and the abrasive nature of the powder that helps break down and dissolve stains. There’s an added plus too. The citrus Kool-Aid will make your toilet smell much better than most of today’s harsh chemical cleaning products.
Clean Shower Doors with Salt & Lemon
It can be easier than you think to clean your shower doors. Here’s a natural way that doesn’t involve caustic cleaning products and will leave them gleaming and grunge free.
Take a lemon and cut it in half. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of salt on the counter or in a dish and dip one of the halves in to pick up the salt. Next, use the lemon half to rub away the soap scum and mineral buildup in seconds.
It’s the combination of the abrasiveness of the salt along with the citric acid in the lemon that eats away all the scum and mineral deposits. By the way, a grapefruit will work fine too, but you may wind up with a problem with it being a bit larger to handle than you’d like.
Use Vinegar to Clean your Shower Head
Cleaning your shower head isn’t as difficult as you might have thought. Fill up a small sandwich bag with white vinegar and use a rubber band or a couple of bread ties to attach it to your shower head. Leave the bag wrapped around the shower head overnight. The next morning, remove the bag and the caked-on deposits will brush right off in seconds.
Microwave Your Sponges
You probably use a sponge or two to clean almost everything from dishes and utensils to countertops. Unfortunately, just rinsing them in cold water doesn’t eliminate the millions of bacteria that remain.
After rinsing, squeeze most of the water out of the sponge and place it in your microwave and run it for about 90 seconds using full power. According to the experts, this simple process will eliminate up to about 99 percent of the bacteria on the sponge.
Remove Tarnish with Toothpaste
Can’t find the silver cleaner? Don’t worry, you can probably spare a little dab or two of toothpaste to do the trick! Simply push out a small amount of toothpaste onto a clean cloth and rub away. You’ll find the toothpaste works great to make your silverware gleam like new again.
All you need to do is rinse any left-over residue down the sink and let the pieces air dry. A soft toothbrush will also work if you need to get into any ornate crevices that you can’t reach with the rag.
Use Newspaper to Wipe Mirrors and Windows
You’ll find it’s a lot easier to use newspaper to clean your glass surfaces than paper towels, and you won’t leave the surface covered with lint from the paper. Just use your usual spray bottle of window cleaner and spray the glass as usual. Then use the newspaper instead of paper towels to leave a streak-free shine on the glass.
Clean Window Screens with Dishwashing Detergent
Need to clean your window screens and aren’t sure the best way to do it? Remove the screens and set them outside near your watering hose. Fill a bucket about half full of water and add a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Give the solution a few extra squirts to mix the solution well.
Lay each screen over a flat surface, dip a brush into the bucket, and scrub each side until it’s free of all the built-up grime. Be careful not to press too hard or you may pull the screen out from where it’s held in place by the rubber spline. When finished, use a hose and rinse any of the remaining detergent away and let the screen air dry before replacing it.
Please let us know if these ideas have been helpful to you. If you have any thoughts or suggestions about any other home cleaning subjects you’d like us to cover, be sure to write us. And, if you live in the Chicago metro area and are interested in learning more about our home cleaning services and how we can help you maintain a safe and healthy living environment, give us a call. Our number is 708-599-7000. Or, you can contact us online for a free house or office cleaning consultation.
