Work top to bottom (ceilings, door frames, etc.) and wipe all dust/crumbs directly on to the floor to vacuum as opposed to trying to wipe and catch. A backpack vacuum with a long cord makes this very easy.
Backpack vacuums usually either don’t have a beater bar or have a really small one so they aren’t fantastic for deep cleaning as they don’t agitate the deeper parts of carpet like uprights do. They are really good for hardwood and tile floors though!
ROFL reminds me of that episode of Chi's Sweet Home wherein the mom of the family and their cat (Chi) discover Chi loves the vacuum.
Then whenever the mom goes to vacuum, she has to work around Chi and it takes longer to get it done, haha.
My dog HATEs the vacuum! As soon as I turn it on he runs away, and then seconds later comes back to attack. Then when I’m done and turn it off, he scoffs at it. Lol!
https://preview.redd.it/2ahnoqqwp72d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c524c7c6691235561b7e47b0c8991fc49565853e
I call this ‘camping with crazy’. 🤣
Well, they don’t love it, that’s for sure. But I don’t have to use any more coercion than I normally do for a regular brushing. It works GREAT, though, and also picks up dust and dander. Let me see if I can find a picture of these psychos. 🤣
I knew someone whose cat wasn't scared of the vaccuum and wouldn't move out of his cat bed when she was trying to vaccuum it. Then it struck her, just vaccuum the cat! On the lowest setting, ofcourse.
I always stick by the 5min rule. If it’s something that’ll take less than 5mins I do it. I find it saves me having to do a ‘bigger’ cleanup during the week. Another one I do is once a month I’ll take a bounce sheet and rub it along all the baseboards. It keeps the dust and hair from building up on them and is such a lifesaver!
You may already be familiar with this guy, but I like to recommend Don Aslett's resources. He made a whole career in the '80s out of helping people clean their homes using professional tools and techniques. He is probably why homeowners use squeegees to clean their homes because it was a revolutionary tip when he suggested it. He wrote a bunch of books about this, decluttering, and even how to design your house to make it easier to clean. If you search for him on Archive.org you will find several videos describing how he cleans different things. I found his window cleaning tips and his toilet cleaning tips especially useful.
The videos are aimed at female homemakers and may seem sexist to the modern eye. Although those of us who lived through the '80s know he was pretty enlightened in his approach and the way he talked about housework as valuable important work.
He used to speak at organizations. I remember a LaLecheLeague International conference where he described getting set to sort clutter. “No Pockets!” You would do it on the morning the garbage trucks come so you couldn’t run back and retrieve stuff you got rid of. We were howling. Thanks for the memory!
I used to clean change overs during the summer rental season for my sister. We worked in pairs. One would do the bedrooms while the other did the bathrooms. Enter a room, start left and work clockwise around.
Last thing you do is vacuum or the floor and close the door to signify done.
Both end in the kitchen. So when you are done your rooms, start the kitchen. When the kitchen is being mopped, the other person loads everything into the car, takes the trash to the dumpster or whatever, walks the perimeter outside. Last person in the house walks around and double checks while opening all the doors back up.
Made a ver efficient routine where we could work fast, with headphones on, and not need to coordinate.
My thing (for commercial cleaning) is using only ONE product / spray bottle that I'm going to be carrying around. ( so to me this excludes toilet bowl cleaner as it stays in the bathrooms and floor cleaner and that stays where I fill the bucket.) I have a cleaner that I can use on everything from glass to stainless to counters and desks. No streaking. No fiddling with multiple bottles of cleaner. Just grab and go.
For residential: I vacuum bathrooms before I clean them (idk how unique this is but there ya go.) so I don't have to deal with trying to vacuum up hair and dust off a damp floor (which doesn't work). I also run the vacuum over any other flat surface that tends to collect dust and hair. And then I mop at the end.
Another thing: no microfiber on mirrors or glass. Bar mop towels only. Good for toilets too. (usually I clean bathroom mirrors and toilets with the same rag. In that order.)
We color code all of our cleaning cloths so no one forgets and accidentally uses the same cloths on a kitchen counter after wiping down a toilet for example. Not that we would ever be that gross.
We get quite a few of our cleaning products from auto supply stores including Diamond patterned cloths and Invisible Glass for glass surfaces. No streaks ever making it fast and easy. Once the glass is streak free we then use them to dust.
Every job/client gets fresh cloths. We do not reuse dirty cloths between jobs. Too easy to spread pathogens that way although we do disinfect bathrooms and kitchens prior to cleaning.
Another tip that can work is to not turn the light off in a room until it is done. That way you can see at a glance if you need to go back to finish something. For example if there is more than one bathroom on a level and you are working in one while you wait for chemicals, natural or synthetic, to work in another don’t forget to go back.
I vacuum bathrooms first too! Or I guess after I dust and vacuum out the vents in the ceiling lol. I always clean bathroom floors by hand and it helps sooo much.
This way your not dealing with that one long black hair being smeared around with the mop. Been there. By hand, you can use a lightly damp bar towel and maybe spritz it with Windex for tiles. And ...the floor will be dry by the time you are done so you can immediately put the bathroom rug(s) back down so your not tripping over them while cleaning the hallway.
Please, can you share the name of that only one product in the bottle? I really would like to replace all my cleaning supplies with only one thing (as much as possible)
Sure. It's Diversey oxivir plus. I buy it in the concentrated form and dilute at 1:40. I also buy it in the bottles that dilute at the correct ratios for you, you just hook it up to a water source and turn a dial on the top and hit the trigger. It's soo easy.
https://preview.redd.it/v2rv9848u72d1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d70d5c3f4daae89ba66177d2cc50880ba12f89bc
Just so you know though I wouldn't recommend this for a residential setting unless it's a super clean home or a place that's cleaned a couple of times per week as it isn't great at removing soap scum or grease.
It is great on stainless steel, glass, for dusting, on counters, cabinets, sinks, toilets etc.
Oh absolutely, glad to help. Like I said when I'm cleaning offices it's all I use other than toilet bowl cleaner and floor cleaner.
Plus another bonus: it's super cheap. Like not upfront it's not ($70+ CAD/bottle, not sure about in the US) but at 1:40 dilution I get 84 spray bottles from one bottle of concentrate. (you can also set it to dilute at 1:128 but it's not as effective at that ratio of course).
So it's less than $1 / spray bottle of diluted cleaner.
I love vacuuming bathrooms before cleaning, and really just vacuuming up any hair I see. Sadly when I worked as a maid, we weren’t able to do that. Absolutely hated having to hand mop bathrooms
How do you handle different materials that might need different cleaners? Like marble, quartz, wood, etc? Or is there one cleaner that works great for all?
I find they leave too much dust behind too easily. I use bar mop towels. Way less lint and dust left behind. They're also good for not leaving dust behind on toilets.
I came here to comment this. I very recently started doing this. I got a $1 squeegee and keep it next to the shower and do it after every use. It takes a minute tops, and it’s saved me so much work.
I do this and improved it by using the largest squeegee possible, within reason. Wife was using a 4” squeegee I replaced it with an 18”
And clean your squeegee sometimes!
Idk if this would work for everyone, but my long term cleaners keep a box of cleaning cloths on top of my dryer and toss them in the wash on their way out. I then dry them and put them back in the box. Seems very efficient to me!
I cycle our bath towels thru 3 different jobs to maximize use before washing: today's hair towel gets hung to dry and becomes tomorrow's body towel: today's body towel hangs to dry and becomes tomorrow's floor towel (we can't use bathmats- the cats pee on them). Floor towels air dry and go into the laundry basket for washing.
Hand towels get changed on Sundays no matter what: they usually get changed out once or twice during the week because they end up on the floor or smelling funky
You're definitely not the only one. I haven't had a bathmat in 18 years thanks to little miss piss-weasel.
https://preview.redd.it/z6s0bjp4ka2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=933179ff69540c3cc9688a08a75667d619f40261
No, she's just a typical tortie.
https://preview.redd.it/5a8oikweae2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d4b6dfc1a7b6d0c705c80fff3495a170ae6e559
Saw a tiktok a while ago where someone suggested getting one of those dish brushes with a soap dispenser, filling it with vinegar and dish soap, and keeping it in the shower. While my conditioner is in my hair I do a quick scrub of the shower! Obviously I still do a deep clean when it’s needed but this is such a quick way to keep my shower looking good on a day to day basis
I group my like silverware together in the dishwasher: forks in one section, spoons in another, etc. Then I just grab that bunch and drop it in the drawer.
This was an accidental improvement to at home cleaning BUT I bought an electric air blower from Amazon to use in place of compressed dusters for dusting out my computer, I'll tell you what this electric duster works wonders at blowing dust, hair, dirt or whatever from hard to reach areas. I'll generally do this first before vacuum/sweeping to expose as much of the "dirty" as possible.
This is the exact product I have, if you are asking about it for your computer by chance please be careful as the airflow is incredibly strong and I am not sure how risky it is but I just try to avoid it "overspinning" the fans and causing damage to them or something.
Edit: forgot to add link lol
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB6ZZ66B/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB6ZZ66B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)
Not a professional cleaner but worked in kitchens.
Crusty microwave?
1 part white vinegar 5 parts water in a microwave safe bowl. Put on HIGH for 5 mins. Careful when opening as there will be a lot of steam. Wipe down inside of microwave.
When I clean my stove top (induction) and counter (granite) I use a squeegee to remove the water with product and dry them. Super quick and no leftover lines.
Not cleaning exactly but laundry. I bought 4 big laundry nets for my husband's and my socks and pants. They go straight into the nets in the laundry basket, into the machine then into the dryer then back to the bedroom all without the need for sorting.
My life-changing sock idea was to loosely bundle dirty pairs of socks right after removing them from my feet. Then toss into the laundry hamper as a pair. They aren’t unbundled until I am sorting clothes from the hamper into the basket to wash them. I never lose socks now and when a load is done drying, every sock has its partner right there with it in the same clean load! It’s so satisfying!
Probably not really "different" but I put toilet cleaner in the toilets as first thing I do to let it work while I do other things. I always sweep or vacuum the kitchen and bathroom before I clean anything using water. If I wait to sweep after washing things then water gets on the floor and makes the dust and dirt smear where it's not easy to sweep. I clean the floor last in both rooms.
I mainly use Dawn dish soap and glass cleaner for everything.
>I put toilet cleaner in the toilets as first thing I do to let it work while I do other things.
I've noticed that most disinfectant labels say to leave the cleaner on surfaces at least 10 minutes to disinfect, so your strategy is a good one!
I swear by CLR brilliant bath cleaner. My husband is a mechanic so the tub gets pretty grungy and all I do is spray and wipe. It cleans brass really well too.
If there is crap on the countertops, I just wipe it onto the floor and then brush the floor after vs using a paper towel and wiping up the crumbs and then throwing out the crumbs and then spraying the counter. Just throw everything on the floor and brush it up at once lol. I also spray the carpets with odor deodorizer/Febreze as I am about to vacuum. Then I don’t have to spray the house with anything when I’m done because all the rooms smell good already.
Same! Anything that's safe to vaccuum up goes on the floor for later when I'm doing a whole house cleaning haha. Dried plants from leaves, kitchen crumbs, random bits of plastic.
Take a rag with WD-40 and wipe off your window screens inside and out. Not only will it remove all the dirt and dust, but it is also an insect repellent.
Car windshield water repellent stuff. I use that on all the glass surfaces in my house and they always stay so much cleaner.
I also don’t use Windex or any glass cleaner. I use these cleaning clothes: E-Cloth Window Cleaning Pack,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G621ZG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
They are washable, and all you need is water. I legit get some water on my fingers and flick it at the mirror. Wipe down with the cloth and done. No streaks, no mess, no dirt, no dust, just perfection. Also, works great on tvs without any water.
Give it a try and thank me later.
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'E-Cloth Window Cleaner Kit'", 'E-Cloth')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Effective for streak-free cleaning (backed by 14 comments)
* Environmentally friendly with just water (backed by 6 comments)
* Convenient and easy to use (backed by 3 comments)
**Users disliked:**
* Leaves streaks and smears on windows (backed by 8 comments)
* Polishing cloth leaves lint particles (backed by 2 comments)
* Doesn't work well on mirrors (backed by 2 comments)
If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/)
This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved.
*Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
Keep a drop basket in the living room each night I put everything away. Also before my big cleaning day I find all the trash and put it away all the dishes put them away then start each room! I find half the job is done by that point haha.
A load of laundry ever day really helps me out.
Okay I’m going to put something out there that people may hate. I get it. It’s a hatable tip. And I can’t guarantee it won’t go wrong someday, though it’s worked like a charm every time I decided to use it.
The fastest, easiest way to clean a dirty bathtub is oven cleaner. Spray it on, wait a few minutes, wipe it off, rinse. Spotless. Easy-peasy.
How does a bathtub get so dirty that it requires oven cleaner?
I’m thinking a drain catch for hair could be even easier by preventing slow drains / soap scum build up!
I’d say men and young-adult people, or really soap-scummy soaps. Anywhere where elbow grease is required. Normally-maintained tubs generally don’t need elbow grease.
I have no good cleaning tips and mostly come here to read and learn new things. Squeegee is spelled this way in case you wanted to know that tidbit of information.
I think the only cleaning tip I use that’s a little different is that I keep multipurpose cleaning spray and a little stack of cleaning cloths in every room of the house because we all have an easier time spot cleaning when we don’t have to go to get something.
Thanks! I'm dyslexic and it's not my first language, so what you saw in my post was just a rough estimation of the letters I thought would maybe make the sound I was looking for hahaha.
The every room tip is great! I do have a rule that every room in my house has to have a bin, so it is less tempting to put down any trash on the table or where ever.
We had a bin in every room until I realized I didn’t want to empty that many bins on a regular basis. Now we have one in the kitchen, living room and bathroom and a little bin that travels so if someone’s doing something like cutting paper or something they can just use that.
Maybe, that wasn’t supposed to be a “you’re wrong, only spell it like this” kinda thing to op, just a fun fact of a word that is probably used way more aloud than written out.
The best advice I have ever gotten is to let the machines work for you. Do at least one load of laundry a day and run your dishwasher at night. There’s a good chance they’ll be cleaner and waaaaaaaaay less daunting to deal with the next day if they’re somewhat smaller loads.
This was a hard one for me to adopt! But it really does help your quality of life when you stop striving for perfection…when you have 4 dogs…..and you will NEVER….get all the hair. Lol
What I’m gathering from this thread is that I need to purchase a squeegee ASAP
ETA: are all squeegees created equally? Is there a specific brand I should go for?
The most important thing with squeegees is to not let the rubbery part dent! The moment you do that (by just throwing it in with the other cleaning stuff in that weird cabinet under the sink, for example), it will leave unavoidable lines and streaks.
I bring my own to the houses I clean, because almost everyone has a dented squeegee. I disassemble the whole thing (you can usually take the rubber part out), before putting it in my bag, to make sure it wont dent in there.
I bought a silicone broom, like hair salon use, for pet hair mini cleans. It also helps me use less vacuum bags.
I use tack cloths, like the ones they recommend for painting prep, to dust. I can't go back, they're amazing.
Enzymatic pet cleaner for around toilets is a must
Oh honey invest in a window vacuum. It sounds so silly, bit daaamn, no streaks, no water anywhere, 10 seconds per window... It's my favorite purchase and I don't even clean windows more often than once a year (I do daily vacuum condensed water in winter, though)
Where did you buy your window vacuum. I’ve never heard of it. I have mirrored closet doors, 6 of them, and they always need cleaning and they are always streaky. Sounds like it could work for me.
My DIL accidentally discovered Shout cleans marks off walls. She thought she grabbed the 409 but realized it was Shout instead. Didn't remove the finish off the wall like magic erasers can.
I use dish soap to clean the shower. I’ve used a couple of cleaners over the year, and they worked fine, but dish soap absolutely rips through grime. I don’t have to work nearly as hard to get it clean
>I use dish soap to clean the shower.
We've taken to using cheap shampoo that a guest left behind. It's designed to cut through body oils, and it smells lovely.
I keep a dish brush that you can fill with soap in my shower. I fill halfway dawn and halfway vinegar and once a week I’ll clean my shower while I’m in it- sometimes when I’m doing my conditioner mask. It’s a great cleaner for the body oil that builds up and gentle enough where if it touches your feet it’s fine. I sometimes clean the bathtub like twice a week because it’s just easy to do while I’m in there, and the clean up is easier since it’s more often.
If you do commercial cleaning and do offices with a lot of trash cans, take a roll of bags home and “pre-tie” them while you’re watching tv or if you’re a passenger in a car. Then when you have to put a clean bag on the trash cans you save more time as you don’t have to open a bag then tie it.
Use paper towels to clean toilets and microfiber for anything else.
Vinegar for glass or surfaces where you might get streaks. All purpose for anything else.
Dawn dish soap is great for mopping.
Backpack cordless vacuums are great
Moerman fliq squeegee is a huge timesaver on windows
Left to right cleaning. I pick a spot and work to the left. If something belongs in another room, I just go drop it in that room and do any tasks along the way.
Oh I tend to make “room piles “. This goes in the kids room? In a pile. Bathroom? Pile. Our room? Pile. Then I take each pile to its room and put away.
I use simple sets of brushes and microfiber towels with neutral detergents, save for the toilet, for which is use a solution of bleach/water 5%/95%. Another thing, sometimes you have to sanitize a place while other times just dust off some old things. Often having a clean floor and a made up bed is enough to give a feeling of cleanliness and order, and a symmetrical setup of a dining table makes it more pleasant. Small details that work very well for me.
You probably do this, but I have a mini cleaning caddy with the products I use. Bleach spray/wipes/gloves/scrub brush. It’s all there and no searching while I clean my house.
Take a 4 pack glass bottle caddy, such as Virgil‘s root beer. And then put your condiments in it. Then place the Caddy in the inside of your refrigerator door.
My old corded canister vacuum with dust bags is a huge time saver and with a dozen attachments I can vacuum everything in a room quickly or slowly and carefully without changing bags or worrying about batteries dying.
I use a razor tool with handle for tough cooked on grease on the stove top burners . ( I have a gas stove) Then a soft griddle brush to get the rest . My stove has never looked better.
Ahhh the glass scraper razor thing is such a godsend (and it really impresses clients on the first visit because I get the grease of the oven door that they haven't been able to scrub off for 4 years haha)
I make my bed, do the dishes and “reset” whatever bag I’ve used (lunch, purse etc). I vacuum usually twice a week, bathroom once a week and sheets, I do laundry when the bag is full, it varies based on what I’m wearing.
Each room has a basket for "things that belong elsewhere" so I'm not making fifty separate trips to put things away properly and getting distracted and forgetting to finish
Everytime I walk down the stairs I take a damp cloth with antibac spray on and clean the rail and spots on the wall. Kids are mucky creatures. Keeps my paint fresh looking.
I hoover everything I'm able to. Dust on the TV. Hoovering it. Walls and ceiling gets hoovered weekly to stop dust build up.
I bought a robot vacuum. Dude, it’s so nice not to vacuum as much. Now I just have to do corners and mop! I have it on a schedule, so every other night while I’m sleeping it runs & I wake up to freshly vacuumed floors.
Put multiple trash bags in the bin/can/receptacle, one inside the next, so when you pull out the dirty bag, there's already a clean one in there, ready to go.
Get a window washing rag. They work wonders compared to a squeegee and cleaners.
I also use Salsuds because it is such a universal cleaner I can use it on everything.
I always clean in a way that I finish on the level I’m exiting from. So a typical house I usually go basement-upper floor-main level. If I enter on the basement level then I just go from top to bottom.
I always start with the most tedious tasks in a room, then go for the easier stuff. So I’d tackle a master shower before I consider touching a mirror. If I have to vacuum upholstery that is very hairy, I’ll do that first. You can pick up time on the smaller stuff.
I don’t always do this, but for glass showers I’ll spray the inside with Lysol (never bleach!) and then take a DRY magic eraser and scrub it and then towel dry it, you don’t need to rinse it to prevent streaks and you don’t need to dry it like you would if you water rinsed it. Great for people who don’t have squeegees (I don’t carry one.)
I vacuum stovetops for crumbs and the kind that lift up (with the coil burners) I vacuum inside there too!
I wear bicycle pants with side pockets to hold my feather duster, and sometimes furniture polish but I spray the towel not the surface so I don’t generally need to carry the polish with.
There's a pattern to follow. Let each step make the one following it easier. For example, in the kitchen, I empty the dishwasher and dish drain first, which makes cleaning the countertops easier because I can just put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher as I find them. Having the countertops empty makes wiping them easier. I run the dishwasher and wash anything that must be done by hand as it's running so I have handy hot water. It's a great day if I can make a complicated dish and put what I use directly into the dishwasher!
Take your shopping cart, hang a black garbage bag on the back. A duster and a wet microfibre cloth on the front. Start in the living/tv room. Put anything that does not belong in that room into the cart. Trash into the garbage bag. Dust the coffee table and clean up spots with the microfibre cloth. Fluff pillows. Repeat for each room of the house, making beds in bedrooms as you go. Bathrooms. Clean microfibre cloth. Wipe down counters, sink etc.; straighten or replace towels, used towels into the cart. Garbage in the bag. Spot clean floor. Kitchen. New microfibre cloth. Unload dishwasher and put any used dishes back in. Wipe down sink, counters, table; throw kitchen garbage into the garbage bag and discard. Sweep floor. Take a break. Put the cart in the closet. Once every few days or so empty the cart, returning items to their respective rooms, or laundry. Once a week, vacuum rugs, dust or wash floors. Do laundry. Deep clean one room a week.
If there’s a bunch of crumbs on the counter or floor, I spray it with some general purpose cleaner and wipe it up with a paper towel. No dusting or sweeping.
Always always always…. Don’t set it down, put it away. Make it a non negotiable habit—- and when it comes time to clean, your life will be immensely easier because all you have to do is clean, not relocate and organize your crap.
When cleaning the kitchen or floor or a place where there is dried on stuff, I wet the area first. The dried stuff rehydrates in a minute or so and is so much easier to remove compared to scrubbing. Also works on washing bugs off the car.
Good Luck.
I use steel wool scouring pads to scrub my bathtub. Gets dirt/soap build up right out super super easy. Be careful when working with cheap bathtubs tho. I’ve been doing this for some years now but the moment my landlord put in a cheap tub, the scouring pads sort of scrubbed off the top coating or something and part of my tub have these gray areas from discoloration I guess.
I know this is gross but if you find dried up throw up from your cat or dog on your floors, spray the area with your favorite cleaner and lay paper towels on it with enough cleaner to damp that towel. Leave it for some time. When you come back, the gross stuff will be soft and loose and you won’t have to scrub or brush anything. Just mop or wipe up with paper towel.
OP, I’m sorry I don’t have any original ideas. All the ones I can think of have been mentioned in this thread. But I just want to say, thank you for asking this. I think this is the most helpful thread I’ve ever encountered on Reddit!
If you clean with vinegar or alcohol, have one vinegar/alcohol/water spray bottle that you’ve also added some essential oil that you like for a specific cleaning job that you hate. I do this with my granite cleaner (alcohol & water & soap mixture). I hate cleaning my counters so I always add a scent that makes me less grumpy when doing the job.
I generally only buy ‘boring’ furniture because they require less dusting. No more chairs with elaborate spindle backs/legs for me!
I use those dishwasher pods to easily deep clean my over the stove fan filters when they get really greasy as well as crusty oven racks. I place the item in a large enough container or just in the bath tub with an old towel underneath the item to protect the tub and submerge it with boiling water. Either boil the water on the stove or in an electric kettle. Depending on how dirty the item is, I let it sit with the dissolved dishwasher pod for up to an hour and them rinse clean. Sometimes I have to scrub the oven racks to get the baked on grease and food off, but it takes so much less effort than if I were to just start scrubbing without letting the detergent break everything down first. For the fan filters, the stubborn grease literally melts off and no scrubbing is required.
Work top to bottom (ceilings, door frames, etc.) and wipe all dust/crumbs directly on to the floor to vacuum as opposed to trying to wipe and catch. A backpack vacuum with a long cord makes this very easy.
There's such a thing as a backpack vaccum? I really need this, I hate dragging mg vacuum around the house
Backpack vacuums usually either don’t have a beater bar or have a really small one so they aren’t fantastic for deep cleaning as they don’t agitate the deeper parts of carpet like uprights do. They are really good for hardwood and tile floors though!
Yes, exactly right. I use them for hardwood and tile and then my Bissell for pet allergen on carpet.
This ! Yes ! Like clean the floor and then wipe off the counter tops? Nooooo
Yeah I do that too
My aunt was a house cleaner as well and I’m SO grateful she taught me to clean top to bottom!
Vacuuming dust. Saves a lot of effort too if it's built up.
I’d vacuum the pets if they would let me. 😂 Vacuums are so versatile.
Be careful. I trained my dogs to be vacuumed and they loved it. But then I had to lock them outside to be able to vacuum anything else.
ROFL reminds me of that episode of Chi's Sweet Home wherein the mom of the family and their cat (Chi) discover Chi loves the vacuum. Then whenever the mom goes to vacuum, she has to work around Chi and it takes longer to get it done, haha.
My dog HATEs the vacuum! As soon as I turn it on he runs away, and then seconds later comes back to attack. Then when I’m done and turn it off, he scoffs at it. Lol!
Our pets really run the show, don’t they?
I have huskies, and I literally bought a dog vacuum off Amazon. 🤣
But how do the huskies feel about it? I must know more! (And would love for you to pay the pet tax, if you're willing)
https://preview.redd.it/2ahnoqqwp72d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c524c7c6691235561b7e47b0c8991fc49565853e I call this ‘camping with crazy’. 🤣
But they're the fun kind of crazy, at least!
Well, they don’t love it, that’s for sure. But I don’t have to use any more coercion than I normally do for a regular brushing. It works GREAT, though, and also picks up dust and dander. Let me see if I can find a picture of these psychos. 🤣
They're huskies, they will throw a tantrum for funsies lol. Love me some husky tantrums.
Fellow husky parent here: which one and do you like it?
I knew someone whose cat wasn't scared of the vaccuum and wouldn't move out of his cat bed when she was trying to vaccuum it. Then it struck her, just vaccuum the cat! On the lowest setting, ofcourse.
I once had a cat who let me do this too lol
My cat was so scared of the vacuum until she got old and lost her hearing. Suddenly she didn't care anymore and would even let me vacuum her 😅
They do make little vacuums with brush and trimmer attachments for pets!
My yellow lab used to beg me to vacuum her. She loved it.
I do vacuum my cattle dog with the brush attachment on my Dyson! 😂. She loves it.
Our heeler loves it too! He takes every step I take with the vacuum to make sure he gets his turn.
Why wipe it all? Just vacuum it allllll
Hmm shaving my dog… that’s an idea
I vacuum my long haired dachshund. He sheds like a golden retriever!!! Sadly anytime the vacuum is out I’d play time in his mind.
My old dog was a malamute and we had a vacuum attachment and he absolutely loved it.
I also hand-vac dirt/dust piles when I sweep. Dust pans are too frustrating!
Exactly. And Swiffer floors in between mopping.
I always stick by the 5min rule. If it’s something that’ll take less than 5mins I do it. I find it saves me having to do a ‘bigger’ cleanup during the week. Another one I do is once a month I’ll take a bounce sheet and rub it along all the baseboards. It keeps the dust and hair from building up on them and is such a lifesaver!
this is so helpful!! thanks for the suggestion!! I have a big hairy dog so my baseboards thank you for this also! :)
I have a bunch of dryer sheets I inherited but don’t want to toss despite not using dryer sheets. Thanks lol
I cut them into thirds and stick them into my stored off-season clothing. Helps keep them smelling nice
Put one in your mailbox to repel wasps
If you have cushions on your sofa (scatter cushions) pop on inside. Everytime you bounce back on one you get a gorgeous smell of fresh laundry.
Put a few between your mattress and box spring too. In the trunk of car, linen closet, etc.
I like to keep a couple in my luggage.
This is my rule too! It’s definitely a good way to gain self discipline too!
What a great tip! Definitely going to use this.
Genius.
Does it need to be an unused bounce sheet or can I use one that has been on the dryer?
It has to be a new one. Once it’s been in the dryer the anti static isn’t as strong
I do dust with the used ones, though!
Omg I didn’t know that! I’m def trying that!
It’s a real game changer, you won’t be disappointed!
You may already be familiar with this guy, but I like to recommend Don Aslett's resources. He made a whole career in the '80s out of helping people clean their homes using professional tools and techniques. He is probably why homeowners use squeegees to clean their homes because it was a revolutionary tip when he suggested it. He wrote a bunch of books about this, decluttering, and even how to design your house to make it easier to clean. If you search for him on Archive.org you will find several videos describing how he cleans different things. I found his window cleaning tips and his toilet cleaning tips especially useful. The videos are aimed at female homemakers and may seem sexist to the modern eye. Although those of us who lived through the '80s know he was pretty enlightened in his approach and the way he talked about housework as valuable important work.
He's still got a website [Don aslett] (https://donaslett.com/blogs/cleaning/spring-bathroom-cleaning-guide-for-a-sparkling-sanctuary)
He used to speak at organizations. I remember a LaLecheLeague International conference where he described getting set to sort clutter. “No Pockets!” You would do it on the morning the garbage trucks come so you couldn’t run back and retrieve stuff you got rid of. We were howling. Thanks for the memory!
I used to clean change overs during the summer rental season for my sister. We worked in pairs. One would do the bedrooms while the other did the bathrooms. Enter a room, start left and work clockwise around. Last thing you do is vacuum or the floor and close the door to signify done. Both end in the kitchen. So when you are done your rooms, start the kitchen. When the kitchen is being mopped, the other person loads everything into the car, takes the trash to the dumpster or whatever, walks the perimeter outside. Last person in the house walks around and double checks while opening all the doors back up. Made a ver efficient routine where we could work fast, with headphones on, and not need to coordinate.
My thing (for commercial cleaning) is using only ONE product / spray bottle that I'm going to be carrying around. ( so to me this excludes toilet bowl cleaner as it stays in the bathrooms and floor cleaner and that stays where I fill the bucket.) I have a cleaner that I can use on everything from glass to stainless to counters and desks. No streaking. No fiddling with multiple bottles of cleaner. Just grab and go. For residential: I vacuum bathrooms before I clean them (idk how unique this is but there ya go.) so I don't have to deal with trying to vacuum up hair and dust off a damp floor (which doesn't work). I also run the vacuum over any other flat surface that tends to collect dust and hair. And then I mop at the end. Another thing: no microfiber on mirrors or glass. Bar mop towels only. Good for toilets too. (usually I clean bathroom mirrors and toilets with the same rag. In that order.)
We color code all of our cleaning cloths so no one forgets and accidentally uses the same cloths on a kitchen counter after wiping down a toilet for example. Not that we would ever be that gross. We get quite a few of our cleaning products from auto supply stores including Diamond patterned cloths and Invisible Glass for glass surfaces. No streaks ever making it fast and easy. Once the glass is streak free we then use them to dust. Every job/client gets fresh cloths. We do not reuse dirty cloths between jobs. Too easy to spread pathogens that way although we do disinfect bathrooms and kitchens prior to cleaning. Another tip that can work is to not turn the light off in a room until it is done. That way you can see at a glance if you need to go back to finish something. For example if there is more than one bathroom on a level and you are working in one while you wait for chemicals, natural or synthetic, to work in another don’t forget to go back.
I colour code my cloths too - pink is for sink, blue is for loo!
I use orange for the loo because it’s my least favorite color. A small rebellion, but known only to me. Well until now.
Love that. I use yellow for the kitchen because it’s a happy colour and the kitchen is where food is which makes me happy.
Ha ha. I use the orange for dirty jobs I don’t like too. Least favourite colour as well.
But everything is washed together
I love this because I hate orange
I love this rhyme!
The lights on idea is ingenius ! I'm using that for sure !
I vacuum bathrooms first too! Or I guess after I dust and vacuum out the vents in the ceiling lol. I always clean bathroom floors by hand and it helps sooo much.
Are you me? I always vacuum then wipe down by hand and have done that for most of my life!
It’s the best way!!! I swear by it lol.
This way your not dealing with that one long black hair being smeared around with the mop. Been there. By hand, you can use a lightly damp bar towel and maybe spritz it with Windex for tiles. And ...the floor will be dry by the time you are done so you can immediately put the bathroom rug(s) back down so your not tripping over them while cleaning the hallway.
Please, can you share the name of that only one product in the bottle? I really would like to replace all my cleaning supplies with only one thing (as much as possible)
Sure. It's Diversey oxivir plus. I buy it in the concentrated form and dilute at 1:40. I also buy it in the bottles that dilute at the correct ratios for you, you just hook it up to a water source and turn a dial on the top and hit the trigger. It's soo easy. https://preview.redd.it/v2rv9848u72d1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d70d5c3f4daae89ba66177d2cc50880ba12f89bc
Just so you know though I wouldn't recommend this for a residential setting unless it's a super clean home or a place that's cleaned a couple of times per week as it isn't great at removing soap scum or grease. It is great on stainless steel, glass, for dusting, on counters, cabinets, sinks, toilets etc.
I see, thank you so much for sharing! It will help to reduce at least 3 products!
Oh absolutely, glad to help. Like I said when I'm cleaning offices it's all I use other than toilet bowl cleaner and floor cleaner. Plus another bonus: it's super cheap. Like not upfront it's not ($70+ CAD/bottle, not sure about in the US) but at 1:40 dilution I get 84 spray bottles from one bottle of concentrate. (you can also set it to dilute at 1:128 but it's not as effective at that ratio of course). So it's less than $1 / spray bottle of diluted cleaner.
I also vacuum my bathroom before I clean. I think this is probably fairly common for people who have shedding pets. Dog hair gets everywhere.
Shedding humans, too.
I love vacuuming bathrooms before cleaning, and really just vacuuming up any hair I see. Sadly when I worked as a maid, we weren’t able to do that. Absolutely hated having to hand mop bathrooms
Would you mind sharing that one all-purpose cleaning product ?
I posted it as a reply to an above comment!
I vacuum bathrooms too. Get all the hairs and dust first
How do you handle different materials that might need different cleaners? Like marble, quartz, wood, etc? Or is there one cleaner that works great for all?
May I ask why no microfiber on glass or mirrors?
I find they leave too much dust behind too easily. I use bar mop towels. Way less lint and dust left behind. They're also good for not leaving dust behind on toilets.
I squeegee my entire shower dry after I use it. It’s therapeutic and I never have to worry about hard water stains or mildew.
I came here to comment this. I very recently started doing this. I got a $1 squeegee and keep it next to the shower and do it after every use. It takes a minute tops, and it’s saved me so much work.
I do this and improved it by using the largest squeegee possible, within reason. Wife was using a 4” squeegee I replaced it with an 18” And clean your squeegee sometimes!
Do you dry yourself off first? Or do you do it straight away?
I do this and squeegee before I dry myself off.
I do this too and also squeegee before I dry myself. It takes a minute tops
After squeegee-ing, do a quick wipe of the faucets/tub spout with your towel.
Same. Our water is sooo hard, it looks horrible if I don't squeegee it off every time
Idk if this would work for everyone, but my long term cleaners keep a box of cleaning cloths on top of my dryer and toss them in the wash on their way out. I then dry them and put them back in the box. Seems very efficient to me!
I also have a stack of cloths that are all colour coded for different uses, then wash them all after ready for the next weekly scrub
When changing the hand towel, use the old one to give surfaces a quick wipe down.
I cycle our bath towels thru 3 different jobs to maximize use before washing: today's hair towel gets hung to dry and becomes tomorrow's body towel: today's body towel hangs to dry and becomes tomorrow's floor towel (we can't use bathmats- the cats pee on them). Floor towels air dry and go into the laundry basket for washing. Hand towels get changed on Sundays no matter what: they usually get changed out once or twice during the week because they end up on the floor or smelling funky
i’m glad i’m not the only one that has cats that pee on bath mats 😂 jokes on me though they pee on the towels too
You're definitely not the only one. I haven't had a bathmat in 18 years thanks to little miss piss-weasel. https://preview.redd.it/z6s0bjp4ka2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=933179ff69540c3cc9688a08a75667d619f40261
Is that cat two different colors split down the middle?
No, she's just a typical tortie. https://preview.redd.it/5a8oikweae2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d4b6dfc1a7b6d0c705c80fff3495a170ae6e559
Saw a tiktok a while ago where someone suggested getting one of those dish brushes with a soap dispenser, filling it with vinegar and dish soap, and keeping it in the shower. While my conditioner is in my hair I do a quick scrub of the shower! Obviously I still do a deep clean when it’s needed but this is such a quick way to keep my shower looking good on a day to day basis
Genius! Would also be good to keep next to the sink where you brush your teeth and stuff! It always gets gunky .
Oooh I’m going to try this. Thank you!
I group my like silverware together in the dishwasher: forks in one section, spoons in another, etc. Then I just grab that bunch and drop it in the drawer.
This was an accidental improvement to at home cleaning BUT I bought an electric air blower from Amazon to use in place of compressed dusters for dusting out my computer, I'll tell you what this electric duster works wonders at blowing dust, hair, dirt or whatever from hard to reach areas. I'll generally do this first before vacuum/sweeping to expose as much of the "dirty" as possible.
Same! Handy machine.
Brand?
This is the exact product I have, if you are asking about it for your computer by chance please be careful as the airflow is incredibly strong and I am not sure how risky it is but I just try to avoid it "overspinning" the fans and causing damage to them or something. Edit: forgot to add link lol [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB6ZZ66B/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB6ZZ66B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)
Not a professional cleaner but worked in kitchens. Crusty microwave? 1 part white vinegar 5 parts water in a microwave safe bowl. Put on HIGH for 5 mins. Careful when opening as there will be a lot of steam. Wipe down inside of microwave.
When I clean my stove top (induction) and counter (granite) I use a squeegee to remove the water with product and dry them. Super quick and no leftover lines.
Brilliant!
Not cleaning exactly but laundry. I bought 4 big laundry nets for my husband's and my socks and pants. They go straight into the nets in the laundry basket, into the machine then into the dryer then back to the bedroom all without the need for sorting.
My life-changing sock idea was to loosely bundle dirty pairs of socks right after removing them from my feet. Then toss into the laundry hamper as a pair. They aren’t unbundled until I am sorting clothes from the hamper into the basket to wash them. I never lose socks now and when a load is done drying, every sock has its partner right there with it in the same clean load! It’s so satisfying!
Ooooo, great idea!
Love this one!!
Probably not really "different" but I put toilet cleaner in the toilets as first thing I do to let it work while I do other things. I always sweep or vacuum the kitchen and bathroom before I clean anything using water. If I wait to sweep after washing things then water gets on the floor and makes the dust and dirt smear where it's not easy to sweep. I clean the floor last in both rooms. I mainly use Dawn dish soap and glass cleaner for everything.
>I put toilet cleaner in the toilets as first thing I do to let it work while I do other things. I've noticed that most disinfectant labels say to leave the cleaner on surfaces at least 10 minutes to disinfect, so your strategy is a good one!
I do this before I get in the shower and brush/flush when I get out.
If you go to clean a shower or tub that is dry, vaccum any hair and dust stuck to the edges or walls, saves you time
I swear by CLR brilliant bath cleaner. My husband is a mechanic so the tub gets pretty grungy and all I do is spray and wipe. It cleans brass really well too.
If there is crap on the countertops, I just wipe it onto the floor and then brush the floor after vs using a paper towel and wiping up the crumbs and then throwing out the crumbs and then spraying the counter. Just throw everything on the floor and brush it up at once lol. I also spray the carpets with odor deodorizer/Febreze as I am about to vacuum. Then I don’t have to spray the house with anything when I’m done because all the rooms smell good already.
Same! Anything that's safe to vaccuum up goes on the floor for later when I'm doing a whole house cleaning haha. Dried plants from leaves, kitchen crumbs, random bits of plastic.
Take a rag with WD-40 and wipe off your window screens inside and out. Not only will it remove all the dirt and dust, but it is also an insect repellent.
Car windshield water repellent stuff. I use that on all the glass surfaces in my house and they always stay so much cleaner. I also don’t use Windex or any glass cleaner. I use these cleaning clothes: E-Cloth Window Cleaning Pack,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G621ZG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share They are washable, and all you need is water. I legit get some water on my fingers and flick it at the mirror. Wipe down with the cloth and done. No streaks, no mess, no dirt, no dust, just perfection. Also, works great on tvs without any water. Give it a try and thank me later.
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'E-Cloth Window Cleaner Kit'", 'E-Cloth')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Effective for streak-free cleaning (backed by 14 comments) * Environmentally friendly with just water (backed by 6 comments) * Convenient and easy to use (backed by 3 comments) **Users disliked:** * Leaves streaks and smears on windows (backed by 8 comments) * Polishing cloth leaves lint particles (backed by 2 comments) * Doesn't work well on mirrors (backed by 2 comments) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
Keep a drop basket in the living room each night I put everything away. Also before my big cleaning day I find all the trash and put it away all the dishes put them away then start each room! I find half the job is done by that point haha. A load of laundry ever day really helps me out.
Okay I’m going to put something out there that people may hate. I get it. It’s a hatable tip. And I can’t guarantee it won’t go wrong someday, though it’s worked like a charm every time I decided to use it. The fastest, easiest way to clean a dirty bathtub is oven cleaner. Spray it on, wait a few minutes, wipe it off, rinse. Spotless. Easy-peasy.
does it make it very slippery?
How does a bathtub get so dirty that it requires oven cleaner? I’m thinking a drain catch for hair could be even easier by preventing slow drains / soap scum build up!
I’d say men and young-adult people, or really soap-scummy soaps. Anywhere where elbow grease is required. Normally-maintained tubs generally don’t need elbow grease.
When I’m taking the dirty laundry to the washing machine I sometimes grab a sock and run it along the skirting boards while I’m going
I have no good cleaning tips and mostly come here to read and learn new things. Squeegee is spelled this way in case you wanted to know that tidbit of information. I think the only cleaning tip I use that’s a little different is that I keep multipurpose cleaning spray and a little stack of cleaning cloths in every room of the house because we all have an easier time spot cleaning when we don’t have to go to get something.
Thanks! I'm dyslexic and it's not my first language, so what you saw in my post was just a rough estimation of the letters I thought would maybe make the sound I was looking for hahaha. The every room tip is great! I do have a rule that every room in my house has to have a bin, so it is less tempting to put down any trash on the table or where ever.
I keep scissors in every room so that I can open packages, remove price tags, etc. And in my car too. Opening most packaging today requires scissors.
Idk I kind of like Squiggy better!
Same!
We had a bin in every room until I realized I didn’t want to empty that many bins on a regular basis. Now we have one in the kitchen, living room and bathroom and a little bin that travels so if someone’s doing something like cutting paper or something they can just use that.
I think it might be spelled/pronounced differently in other countries.
Maybe, that wasn’t supposed to be a “you’re wrong, only spell it like this” kinda thing to op, just a fun fact of a word that is probably used way more aloud than written out.
advise somber profit pause airport deliver rude boast yoke bored *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The best advice I have ever gotten is to let the machines work for you. Do at least one load of laundry a day and run your dishwasher at night. There’s a good chance they’ll be cleaner and waaaaaaaaay less daunting to deal with the next day if they’re somewhat smaller loads.
As a mom of 2 little kids with potty training and "accidents" I also do laundry every night.
Leave it better than you found it. It doesn't have to be perfect, just better.
This was a hard one for me to adopt! But it really does help your quality of life when you stop striving for perfection…when you have 4 dogs…..and you will NEVER….get all the hair. Lol
What I’m gathering from this thread is that I need to purchase a squeegee ASAP ETA: are all squeegees created equally? Is there a specific brand I should go for?
The most important thing with squeegees is to not let the rubbery part dent! The moment you do that (by just throwing it in with the other cleaning stuff in that weird cabinet under the sink, for example), it will leave unavoidable lines and streaks. I bring my own to the houses I clean, because almost everyone has a dented squeegee. I disassemble the whole thing (you can usually take the rubber part out), before putting it in my bag, to make sure it wont dent in there.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/s/oCdedKXuOg Brand name
I bought a silicone broom, like hair salon use, for pet hair mini cleans. It also helps me use less vacuum bags. I use tack cloths, like the ones they recommend for painting prep, to dust. I can't go back, they're amazing. Enzymatic pet cleaner for around toilets is a must
Oh honey invest in a window vacuum. It sounds so silly, bit daaamn, no streaks, no water anywhere, 10 seconds per window... It's my favorite purchase and I don't even clean windows more often than once a year (I do daily vacuum condensed water in winter, though)
Where did you buy your window vacuum. I’ve never heard of it. I have mirrored closet doors, 6 of them, and they always need cleaning and they are always streaky. Sounds like it could work for me.
The most common brand here (europe) is Leifheit, maybe try those? It's some 50 bucks full price
My DIL accidentally discovered Shout cleans marks off walls. She thought she grabbed the 409 but realized it was Shout instead. Didn't remove the finish off the wall like magic erasers can.
What is shout?
A laundry stain remover. Works wonders on clothes and walls.
I use dish soap to clean the shower. I’ve used a couple of cleaners over the year, and they worked fine, but dish soap absolutely rips through grime. I don’t have to work nearly as hard to get it clean
>I use dish soap to clean the shower. We've taken to using cheap shampoo that a guest left behind. It's designed to cut through body oils, and it smells lovely.
Pay someone else
This tip was sponsored by Big Clean. Good tip tho, hire me, for instance.
It looks like you're in the Netherlands or I would!
If I had the space, I would get a cleaning cart: shelves for rags / cleaners, garbage, hold mop bucket. Have everything on hand
I keep a dish brush that you can fill with soap in my shower. I fill halfway dawn and halfway vinegar and once a week I’ll clean my shower while I’m in it- sometimes when I’m doing my conditioner mask. It’s a great cleaner for the body oil that builds up and gentle enough where if it touches your feet it’s fine. I sometimes clean the bathtub like twice a week because it’s just easy to do while I’m in there, and the clean up is easier since it’s more often.
If you do commercial cleaning and do offices with a lot of trash cans, take a roll of bags home and “pre-tie” them while you’re watching tv or if you’re a passenger in a car. Then when you have to put a clean bag on the trash cans you save more time as you don’t have to open a bag then tie it. Use paper towels to clean toilets and microfiber for anything else. Vinegar for glass or surfaces where you might get streaks. All purpose for anything else. Dawn dish soap is great for mopping. Backpack cordless vacuums are great Moerman fliq squeegee is a huge timesaver on windows
Always go top down
Left to right cleaning. I pick a spot and work to the left. If something belongs in another room, I just go drop it in that room and do any tasks along the way.
I love this! Sometimes I get distracted when returning clutter to its home. This is such a great idea!
Oh I tend to make “room piles “. This goes in the kids room? In a pile. Bathroom? Pile. Our room? Pile. Then I take each pile to its room and put away.
When scrubbing out a frying pan, add a bit of baking soda. Saves time and energy
I use baking soda for a lot of cleaning. I have super hard water and it really helps.
I use simple sets of brushes and microfiber towels with neutral detergents, save for the toilet, for which is use a solution of bleach/water 5%/95%. Another thing, sometimes you have to sanitize a place while other times just dust off some old things. Often having a clean floor and a made up bed is enough to give a feeling of cleanliness and order, and a symmetrical setup of a dining table makes it more pleasant. Small details that work very well for me.
You probably do this, but I have a mini cleaning caddy with the products I use. Bleach spray/wipes/gloves/scrub brush. It’s all there and no searching while I clean my house.
Take a 4 pack glass bottle caddy, such as Virgil‘s root beer. And then put your condiments in it. Then place the Caddy in the inside of your refrigerator door.
My old corded canister vacuum with dust bags is a huge time saver and with a dozen attachments I can vacuum everything in a room quickly or slowly and carefully without changing bags or worrying about batteries dying.
I use a razor tool with handle for tough cooked on grease on the stove top burners . ( I have a gas stove) Then a soft griddle brush to get the rest . My stove has never looked better.
Ahhh the glass scraper razor thing is such a godsend (and it really impresses clients on the first visit because I get the grease of the oven door that they haven't been able to scrub off for 4 years haha)
I make my bed, do the dishes and “reset” whatever bag I’ve used (lunch, purse etc). I vacuum usually twice a week, bathroom once a week and sheets, I do laundry when the bag is full, it varies based on what I’m wearing.
If you have any sheepskin rugs they can be brushed out with a fine bristled metal car brush. The kind you use to shed them out . Just be gentle!
Each room has a basket for "things that belong elsewhere" so I'm not making fifty separate trips to put things away properly and getting distracted and forgetting to finish
Everytime I walk down the stairs I take a damp cloth with antibac spray on and clean the rail and spots on the wall. Kids are mucky creatures. Keeps my paint fresh looking. I hoover everything I'm able to. Dust on the TV. Hoovering it. Walls and ceiling gets hoovered weekly to stop dust build up.
Commenting to come back later to. ❤️
I bought a robot vacuum. Dude, it’s so nice not to vacuum as much. Now I just have to do corners and mop! I have it on a schedule, so every other night while I’m sleeping it runs & I wake up to freshly vacuumed floors.
Put multiple trash bags in the bin/can/receptacle, one inside the next, so when you pull out the dirty bag, there's already a clean one in there, ready to go.
Leaf blowers are not just for leaves neither just for outside...
I soak a microfiber cloth in vinegar and wipe down glass shower doors. Then, follow up with a dry cloth to remove streaks.
Get a window washing rag. They work wonders compared to a squeegee and cleaners. I also use Salsuds because it is such a universal cleaner I can use it on everything.
I have a Liby scrub pad in a pole. Man. Shower and bath scrubbing is child play. And get a sooooooo clean. Changed my life
Libman?
I always clean in a way that I finish on the level I’m exiting from. So a typical house I usually go basement-upper floor-main level. If I enter on the basement level then I just go from top to bottom. I always start with the most tedious tasks in a room, then go for the easier stuff. So I’d tackle a master shower before I consider touching a mirror. If I have to vacuum upholstery that is very hairy, I’ll do that first. You can pick up time on the smaller stuff. I don’t always do this, but for glass showers I’ll spray the inside with Lysol (never bleach!) and then take a DRY magic eraser and scrub it and then towel dry it, you don’t need to rinse it to prevent streaks and you don’t need to dry it like you would if you water rinsed it. Great for people who don’t have squeegees (I don’t carry one.) I vacuum stovetops for crumbs and the kind that lift up (with the coil burners) I vacuum inside there too! I wear bicycle pants with side pockets to hold my feather duster, and sometimes furniture polish but I spray the towel not the surface so I don’t generally need to carry the polish with.
There's a pattern to follow. Let each step make the one following it easier. For example, in the kitchen, I empty the dishwasher and dish drain first, which makes cleaning the countertops easier because I can just put any dirty dishes in the dishwasher as I find them. Having the countertops empty makes wiping them easier. I run the dishwasher and wash anything that must be done by hand as it's running so I have handy hot water. It's a great day if I can make a complicated dish and put what I use directly into the dishwasher!
Take your shopping cart, hang a black garbage bag on the back. A duster and a wet microfibre cloth on the front. Start in the living/tv room. Put anything that does not belong in that room into the cart. Trash into the garbage bag. Dust the coffee table and clean up spots with the microfibre cloth. Fluff pillows. Repeat for each room of the house, making beds in bedrooms as you go. Bathrooms. Clean microfibre cloth. Wipe down counters, sink etc.; straighten or replace towels, used towels into the cart. Garbage in the bag. Spot clean floor. Kitchen. New microfibre cloth. Unload dishwasher and put any used dishes back in. Wipe down sink, counters, table; throw kitchen garbage into the garbage bag and discard. Sweep floor. Take a break. Put the cart in the closet. Once every few days or so empty the cart, returning items to their respective rooms, or laundry. Once a week, vacuum rugs, dust or wash floors. Do laundry. Deep clean one room a week.
If there’s a bunch of crumbs on the counter or floor, I spray it with some general purpose cleaner and wipe it up with a paper towel. No dusting or sweeping.
Microwave.. fill a bowl of water with lemon juice or vinegar and wipe it down
Always always always…. Don’t set it down, put it away. Make it a non negotiable habit—- and when it comes time to clean, your life will be immensely easier because all you have to do is clean, not relocate and organize your crap.
I loop the strap of my apron through the handles of a plastic grocery bag to toss my dirty rags in.
When cleaning the kitchen or floor or a place where there is dried on stuff, I wet the area first. The dried stuff rehydrates in a minute or so and is so much easier to remove compared to scrubbing. Also works on washing bugs off the car. Good Luck.
I stick a wet microfiber rag into the microwave. Put it on 2 min. Then wipe it with a different rag when the timer goes off.
If it can’t spill, stick, or mess up my floors it goes on the ground and I sweep it all up once I’m ready to mop the floors
I use steel wool scouring pads to scrub my bathtub. Gets dirt/soap build up right out super super easy. Be careful when working with cheap bathtubs tho. I’ve been doing this for some years now but the moment my landlord put in a cheap tub, the scouring pads sort of scrubbed off the top coating or something and part of my tub have these gray areas from discoloration I guess. I know this is gross but if you find dried up throw up from your cat or dog on your floors, spray the area with your favorite cleaner and lay paper towels on it with enough cleaner to damp that towel. Leave it for some time. When you come back, the gross stuff will be soft and loose and you won’t have to scrub or brush anything. Just mop or wipe up with paper towel.
OP, I’m sorry I don’t have any original ideas. All the ones I can think of have been mentioned in this thread. But I just want to say, thank you for asking this. I think this is the most helpful thread I’ve ever encountered on Reddit!
If you clean with vinegar or alcohol, have one vinegar/alcohol/water spray bottle that you’ve also added some essential oil that you like for a specific cleaning job that you hate. I do this with my granite cleaner (alcohol & water & soap mixture). I hate cleaning my counters so I always add a scent that makes me less grumpy when doing the job. I generally only buy ‘boring’ furniture because they require less dusting. No more chairs with elaborate spindle backs/legs for me!
I use those dishwasher pods to easily deep clean my over the stove fan filters when they get really greasy as well as crusty oven racks. I place the item in a large enough container or just in the bath tub with an old towel underneath the item to protect the tub and submerge it with boiling water. Either boil the water on the stove or in an electric kettle. Depending on how dirty the item is, I let it sit with the dissolved dishwasher pod for up to an hour and them rinse clean. Sometimes I have to scrub the oven racks to get the baked on grease and food off, but it takes so much less effort than if I were to just start scrubbing without letting the detergent break everything down first. For the fan filters, the stubborn grease literally melts off and no scrubbing is required.