Effortless Techniques to Maintain a Nearly Spotless House at 95% Cleanliness Level
Maintaining a clean home with minimal effort requires a combination of smart habits, efficient cleaning routines, and a few clever tricks. Here are some tips to help you keep your home tidy without expending too much energy:
Daily Habits
- Make Your Bed: Starting the day by making your bed sets a tone for keeping your home organized and tidy.
- Clean Up After Meals: Wash dishes immediately after meals to prevent the buildup of dirty dishes and save time later.
- Quick Wipe-Downs: Keep cleaning sprays under every sink for quick surface cleanups.
Efficient Routines
- 5-Minute Clean Routine: Allocate just 5 minutes each day or a few times a week to clean high-traffic areas or quick tasks like wiping down surfaces or vacuuming a small space.
- Mealtime Tidy: Before each meal, take a few minutes to tidy up the home by putting away items that don't belong in each room.
Organization Tricks
- Use Bins and Baskets: Place bins or baskets at the top and bottom of stairs to collect items that need to be taken up or down, reducing clutter on the stairs.
- Plan Ahead: Schedule tasks like laundry and deeper cleaning for specific days to avoid last-minute rushes.
Lazy Hacks
- Micro Tasks: Break larger cleaning tasks into smaller, manageable chunks that can be completed during short breaks throughout the day.
- Tidy as You Go: Implement habits like putting away toys or books immediately after use to maintain a clutter-free environment.
Cleaning Solutions
- Dishwashing: Dawn's Foaming soap can help clean extra greasy dishes that won't fit in the dishwasher. A dishwasher can clean glass, nonrusting metal, or plastic items, and water spotting and funky smells in the dishwasher can be solved by using a cleaner and disinfectant designed for that purpose.
- Bathroom Cleaning: Using muni-compostable cleaning wipes can help maintain cleanliness in the bathroom. A line of mold and mildew remover gel can be used to banish black spots from bathroom grout and caulking without scrubbing. Spray-on cleaning gel can banish rusty stain buildup in the bathroom. Eucalyptus-scented, citric acid-infused toilet bombs can help cut down on the need to scrape lime scale or calcium buildup. Gel can be used to keep a clean toilet without the need for scrubbing. Soaking a showerhead in vinegar for a couple of hours can help dissolve buildup.
- Kitchen Cleaning: A microfiber duster can attract and hold onto dust like a magnet. A shallow cookie sheet or a reusable liner can catch spills in the oven. A plastic-free cleaning concentrate can be used to make an all-purpose cleaner. Keeping all-purpose stain remover around can help with occasional stains without the need for a professional carpet cleaner.
- Living Room Cleaning: A candle designed to eliminate pet or lingering food smells can make those odors disappear. An infinitely reusable pet hair roller or a handheld pet hair vacuum can pick up pet hair easily. Wearing sweeper slippers can pick up hair, dust, fuzzies, and water drips. A lint roller can pick up dust on lampshades.
- Hallway and Entryway Cleaning: Creating a designated spot for everyone to take their shoes off can help keep the house clean. A boot scraper can help get gunk off shoes before going inside. An indoor doormat can catch water that doesn't get wiped off on the outside one.
- Cleaning Electronics: A 2-in-1 cleaner and polish can eliminate smears and fingerprints on stainless-steel appliances. A no-wipe, no-scrub formula on shower walls, curtain/door, tub, fixtures, and floor after turning off the water to prevent the need for deep cleaning.
- Pet Care Cleaning: A deshedding brush can prevent future shedding. Wiping down dogs' paws with an old towel or a paw washer can help keep the house clean if dogs bring in dirt from the yard. A silicone drain cover can catch hair and prevent the need for chemical de-cloggers and plumber help.
- Quick Cleaning Tools: Mist a no-wipe, no-scrub formula on shower walls, curtain/door, tub, fixtures, and floor after turning off the water to prevent the need for deep cleaning. A robo vac can help keep floors clean by regular vacuuming. A cleaning pod can clean a Keurig coffee machine in less than three minutes.
- Deep Cleaning Tools: Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, followed by a dish brush, can clean cooktops or stoves in five minutes. Microwaving a bowl of water and lemon can help clean the microwave. Soaking a showerhead in vinegar for a couple of hours can help dissolve buildup.
By incorporating these simple yet effective strategies into your daily routine, you can keep your home clean and organized while minimizing the effort required.
To maintain a clean home in a lifestyle that prioritizes efficiency, practice daily habits such as making your bed and cleaning up after meals. For a home-and-garden that stays tidy, consider using bins and baskets to collect items as well as implementing organization tricks like a 5-minute clean routine.
