Is it just me or do newer places seem to require the most maintenance? I mean, I don’t mind cleaning my home but there’s more cleaning going on than ever lol. I cleaned my previous apartment regularly but not this often.
Do you have the same issue?
I talk about the cleaning supplies I use and the schedule I’ve created to make sure I give my home the tlc it needs.
At my previous apartment, I was able to get away with cleaning every two weeks but at my current location, I can only go one week and I think that may be pushing it.
My apartment complex does a great job changing the air filters so I know that isn’t the problem. I wonder if because I am living in the mountains if that can be a contributing factor.
I’ve learned that where you live does have an effect on the amount of dust in your home. I’ve also learned that candles, preferably beeswax can help with the accumulation of dust.
A lot of people have issues with their bedroom being the dustiest but I have more dust in my bathroom. I know, right?
Even though a lot of us clean...and we may clean every other two days, we don’t necessarily clean in the way we should.
We usually miss the areas that are really important such as: the baseboards, the lights, fans, tv and tv console, mirrors, appliances, linen closets, bedroom closets, pantry closets, chairs, etc.
We don’t usually think about these things because we don’t always see dust accumulating with a naked eye or we just don’t pay attention.
Deep Cleaning: When you go this far in cleaning your house, that’s basically called a deep cleaning. You’re making sure to get the nook and crannies of undisturbed areas. This will help with a lot of the dust you may be seeing in other parts of your home.
So, while people may only do deep cleanings during the beginning of each season, try to amp it up a little bit and do it more often. You’ll thank me later.
I know this is all tedious work but it makes sense for now and the long run. It helps in making sure you don’t get sick or you don’t upset your allergies. This is truly another and important way to take care of your health. So let’s hold each other accountable in making sure we spend time deep cleaning our home. Deal?
Scheduling: It’s hard to schedule time to clean especially when you know you need to hurry and do something about it. You have to make it a priority. That’s right. Add it to your already busy schedule. Now, you can go the route of having someone come into your home and do it for you especially if you just have too much to do or you don’t want to do it yourself. No judgement here. If you have the money, go for it.
But, if you’re like me who’s trying to get on that level, stick with doing it yourself. It won’t take that long. Now, my place is not that big but it’s big enough and it’s bigger than my first apartment. Because I have work to do for the majority of the day and I know I want to clean this week, I’ll make sure to add it to my schedule. I create a schedule of everything that I need to accomplish on that day and I make sure to add cleaning. This way I can’t miss it. Especially if I’m trying to stick to a schedule. This is another way I hold myself accountable.
Cleaning Supplies: A lot of times, we purchase all of these different cleaning supplies because we watch commercials about how great it is or read the bottle and believe in what it says it can do. Sometimes we can’t take it at face value. A lot of the supplies I use have been used for generations in my family, so I know and have used these supplies myself for a long time. There’s one that I want to include if you have pets, that’s amazing and you don’t have to spend a fortune on it. It will be added to the list below.
Comet/Ajax comes in different scents and also comes with bleach or no bleach. This is amazing for your kitchen and bathroom. Any water stains or dead skin rings around the tub or even other issues in the toilet, this is something that can help. It’s super cheap. You can use either one because they both work the same. If I’m not mistaken, I think they’re with the same company.
Windex is great for windows and anything with glass. This gets rid of the cloudiness, smudges, streaks, anything and everything that may be on your glass.
Pine-Sol is amazing! This is a product to use on your wood and makes it shine like it’s brand new. I don’t have any of this with me personally because I have real wood tables that don’t need it. I’ve used it before many times and this is awesome.
Clorox Bleach is not just used for your clothes. You can use bleach for your dishes and to also clean your home. If you’re wanting to get rid of those stubborn dark marks or stains that won’t come out with anything else, apply bleach on there and let it stay for a few minutes before rinsing.
Lysol wipes/spray never hurts. This is another way to disinfect your countertops and your cabinet handles and doorknobs. You can also use it on doors but I would also use Pine-Sol or Fabuloso to shine it up. You can also apply Lysol to faux wood furniture. I wouldn’t recommend it for other furniture or parts of the house because it will leave streaks. You can use bleach (only if it’s white just to be cautious) or if you’re wiping down the stainless steel refrigerator, use Windex.
S.O.S. pads are great for the very tough stains you usually notice in your refrigerator or your other appliances. This is a lifesaver but I will say, depending on how stubborn the stain is, you’ll really have to put some effort into it. Don’t worry, you can’t scratch the surfaces. It won’t harm your appliances; you can also use this on dishes as well. It’ll have your things looking brand new.
Nature’s Miracle Enzymatic Formula Stain & Odor Remover is out of this world for pet stains. It doesn’t matter if it’s your sheets, your clothes, your carpet, whatever, this will get the stain out. I love it so much but I don't want to use it all of the time. I like to have this for those little emergencies.
Swiffer is your best friend. This is my go-to for mopping. I love vacuuming but not mopping. Using a Swiffer makes it so much easier and hassle free. I use the wet cloth and if I desperately need to clean my floors, I’ll use the super wet cloth. They also have some specifically for pets as well. You can also use the extender and use a dust cloth to get those harder to clean areas such as your ceiling fan. You can also use their smaller handle to clean the lightbulbs. I love this product so much, I really can’t live without it.
Clorox Toilet Wands are also lifesavers. Take the wand handle and the disposable cleaning head and begin cleaning your toilet. This can also work with getting rid of those tough toilet stains. I highly recommend it.
Bissell is so awesome to have around when cleaning. I’ve always loved vacuuming every chance I got. I believe this is Bissel’s least expensive vacuum that’s sold at many stores. I personally purchased mine at Bed Bath and Beyond and used coupons so I only had to pay $30. This vacuum cleaner is so easy to put together and I love that you can see how much dirt you’re picking up from your carpet. It’s so light weight and it doesn’t take up much time at all.
Lastly, you can use candles to freshen the house. Now you’re probably thinking this is crazy especially when Summer is quickly approaching and it’s already hot. I’ve learned that this is truly helpful with the amount of dust your home accumulates.
I hope these tips and supplies helped you to make your home cleaner. If you have any suggestions as to what else can be helpful or have any questions, please feel free to comment below.
xo,
Janelle
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