Wondering how to clean your house in 15-minutes a day or think it’s just not possible? Well you’re in for a treat. The tips and insight I give you below will open your eyes to what it takes to clean your house in just a few minutes a day.  Even if your home goes by the street name Casa de Catastrophe.

To get started, let’s borrow a quote from the business world that’ll take your mind exactly where it needs to be if you want to clean your house in just 15 minutes a day…

That’s right.  People with the cleanest homes are not slaving away spending all their time cleaning!  As a matter of fact, people with clean homes don’t have to clean nearly as much as people with messy homes.  Yep.  Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side!

So here’s the real golden nugget – if you want to clean your home in 15-minutes a day, it’s not about moving super fast.  You’re more than likely just going to look silly.  I know I look silly when I try to move fast.  Maybe because I’m old.  Who knows.  

What you seriously need to do is make sure that 15-minutes is spent cleaning the just right things so you have something to show for yourself.  

For example, if your entire house is a mess, cleaning out the junk drawer is not going to get you to clean.  Not that you shouldn’t clean it out.  It’s just, there’s a hierarchy of sorts when it comes to what should be cleaned first in your home.  

You don’t want to spend 15 minutes cleaning your house only for no one to notice that you just sacrificed 15 golden minutes of your life cleaning right?  Super deflating.  And yes, it’s happened to me.

Instead of giving you fluff bunnies, I’m going to give you the real deal on what you need to actually clean your house in just a few minutes a day and make sure your hard work it’s totally noticeable by anyone that enters your domain.  What’s wrong with getting noticed?

Disclaimer / I ended up writing way more tips than I expected so the first 7 below will be considered *Part 1* and the rest of the tips will be posted as *Part 2*. You may continue scrolling!

The non-negotiable things you need to do if you really want to clean your house in 15-minutes a day  

Tip 1 /  Cleaning your house in 15-minutes is not about being able to clean fast

How long does it take to clean a 3 bedroom house? How about a 6,000 square foot house? When it comes to being able to clean your home in a few minutes a day, size does matter guys. The bigger the home, the more minutes or time you’ll have to dedicate to cleaning. And the same goes for people. The more humans – and animals – you have living in a house, the more you’ll need for cleaning.

So here’s a simple way to help you think about how much time it really takes to clean your home and keep it clean. One thousand square feet of space should take about an hour to clean. However, when we get to around the 4,000+ square feet, start adding in some extra minutes. Trust me. It’s about an hour and 30 minutes for each additional1,000 sq. ft. of space over 4,000.

And in case my explanation left you confused /

• 1,000 sq. ft. house should take about one-hour
• 3,000 square foot house should take around 3-hours
• 5,000 sq. ft. house should take around 6-7 hours

So with that in mind, cleaning your house in 15 minutes a day really comes down to two simple ideas: 

(a) cleaning the right things at the right time and 

(b) cleaning efficiently or basically not wasting time or energy and getting 100% out of the cleaning sesh.  

I don’t need to write a paragraph on this because a few of the following tips build on this idea.  So prepare for a few instances of she already said that.  (Because it’s that important.)  

Tip 2 /  The 5-Unforgiving Chores are heartless…get to know em’

Ever heard of the 80/20 rule?  Of course you have.  Only 20% of what you do really matters – or something like that.  Google it. 

Before you focus on 15-minute blocks of hardcore cleaning, make sure you’ve mastered the 5 unforgiving tasks – aka the universally agreed up cleaning tasks that if left undone for days or even just hours in some cases, will spawn unspeakable herds of clutter, chaos and mess all throughout your home.   

These small tasks account for 80% of the mess you probably see in your home but if kept under control, will only account for 20% of your time.  Ewww, the truth hurts.

Sidenote / if you clean your house and it still looks messy, you might want to take some notes my friend. 

Here are the 5 (unforgiving) tasks:  

• laundry
• dishes
• tidying up
• trash 
• toilets 

Bottom line /  Don’t bother with real cleaning if the dishes, laundry or other essentials are out of control. Center your daily 15-minute cleaning sessions (more time if you’ve got it) on the 5 unforgiving chores for a few weeks so that you can get these areas under control once & for all.  

Now, if you’re really in the mood to clean random things around the house, head on over to my post, How to clean a flat screen tv so that it’s streak-free. Because the big screen is no place for a smudge to hang out.

Tip 3 / Make a chore list, a cleaning schedule or cleaning plan so you’re not being a total random 

15 minutes isn’t a long time but you can do a lot in those 15 minutes if you plan.  Make sure those minutes are well spent by knowing exactly what you want to clean today.  What you clean today will affect tomorrow.  

You don’t want your cleaning sessions to be cleaning whatever catches your eye.  Go about cleaning that way and you’ll end up realizing the whole house is actually disgusting, and in walks anxiety and overwhelm.  And you don’t have time for that so let’s make a cleaning plan instead.   

When it comes to making a cleaning schedule, keep things simple and use a daily, weekly or bi-weekly cleaning list.  

Sidenote /  a cleaning schedule, cleaning plan, chore list or even a cleaning plan are all kind of the same thing so you may see me use these words interchangeably.  Just didn’t want to confuse ya!

Here’s a super simple sample weekly cleaning schedule / 

Monday – Bathrooms (Full cleaning)

Tuesday – Kitchen (Full cleaning)

Wednesday – Dust

Thursday – Vacuums 

Friday – Mop Floors 

Saturday 

Sunday – Prep & Plan

And just like that, you’ll have focused cleaning sessions that’ll keep you from bouncing around from place to place.  Instead, you’ll clean what needs cleaning and have a very productive 15-minute cleaning session.  Cheers to that. 

Tip 4 / Clean your house in 15 minutes. Or maybe 20?

Goal gettin’ has been a heck of a movement but no matter what anyone tells you, you cannot clean your whole house in 15 minutes. Unless it’s a tiny house.  Maybe.  I need to see one in real life to really know for sure though so err on the side of caution with those as well for now. 

Point is, the last thing you want to do is set a big lofty goal for whatall you can clean in 15-minutes.  Why?  Because if you can’t do everything you thought you could, you’ll probably be bummed out. And bummed-out-you is less inclined to stick with your daily 15-minute cleaning blocks.  And your messy house troubles will ultimately return. 

Tip 5 /  Make big spaces bite-sized

Everyone has their own cleaning speed.  Same way we all have our own walking pace.  Some people walk slow and some people walk fast.  God’s plan right?  But regardless of your speed, some spaces will just be too much to clean in a 15-minute span.  Let’s look at an example.  

Can you clean your bathroom from top to bottom, including vacuuming and mopping in 15 minutes?  Umm, if it’s a half bath – definitely.   But a full-on master bath with yucky super soaker jacuzzi blasters and a tile-and-grout walk-in shower speckled with mold & mildew spots like the 101 dalmations – probably not.   

So how do you handle areas that are a bit too much for a 15-minute cleaning session?  I’m glad you asked.  

You have permission to break big jobs down into smaller bite-sized chunks.  But I know you were already thinking that.  Sometimes it’s just good to have someone validate the genius thoughts you have in your head so your welcome.  

With that being said, it’s ok to break the bathroom down into the smallest bits you can handle and clean the tub – or all the tubs – today.  And the shower tomorrow.    

Here’s a sample schedule for cleaning your bathroom in just 15 minutes a day /

• Monday – sweep, vacuum, spot clean floors and take out trash
• Tuesday – clean the bathroom sink, counter, cabinet doors
• Wednesday – wipe down all the baseboards,  doors and wall fixtures
• Thursday – clean the tub
• Friday – clean the shower

So yeh, it’s one week in the shower but you’re basically doing a little every day, sometimes less than 15 minutes to keep your bathroom super clean. 

And now my moment of truth: I actually clean the bathroom surfaces on one day and then the bathroom floors (vacuuming & mopping) on the day I vacuum and mop the entire house.  There’s no wrong way to do it.  Thank goodness. 

Bottom line / Instead of trying to cram as much as you can into your 15-minute cleaning session (and only getting half of it done), plan to clean less than you think you can.  You’ll be surprised by how good it feels to accomplish an obviously-accomplishable cleaning task. 

But the real magic is that it’ll naturally lead you to say, dang, I can do more!  And that’s the energy you need to stick to cleaning your house in just 15-minutes a day for the long haul.  

Tip 6 / Don’t let clutter punk you…

Since this post is about how to clean your house in 15-minutes a day, we have to talk about clutter.  If you’ve got a lot of it, it’ll definitely slow you down if you don’t know how to handle it. 

For starters, it’s not always immediately obvious how you should handle a cluttery situation.  Whether it’s the floors, bedroom dressers or the bathroom counter, should you:

(a) move everything off,  clean the surface and then put it all back

(b) clean around all the knick knacks or 

(c) pretend you don’t see it and move on to the next area

Interestingly enough, any of those answers could be right.  And yeh, I know that’s not super helpful but what I want to highlight is that you should have a plan for clutter.  Not having a plan for clutter is an invitation for overwhelm.  Trust me.

The second thing I want to mention is more of a rule.  And that is, don’t let clutter hijack your cleaning session.  

Set aside a block of time just for decluttering the bathroom cabinets.  And a time just for scrubbing bubbles. Staying focused on cleaning during your cleaning sessions will give you the result you’re looking for – a house that looks clean.  

Bottom line / There’s a time for clutter and there’s a time for cleaning. (Said in my cowboy voice) Create dedicated time blocks just for tackling clutter and likewise, time just for cleaning your home.  (And by cleaning I mean vacuuming, mopping, dusting and all that good stuff.)

Tip 7 / The 3C-Mafia

To clean your house in just 15-minutes a day, procrastination has got to go! If you let the messes stack up for days without getting checked in the spirit of *I’ll get to it later* well, you can kiss the dream of a 15-minute clean goodbye.  

To make quick & sweatless cleaning sessions a reality, here are three different strategies you can stack to keep your house clean enough so that when it’s really time to clean, you can breeze right though it.  

Introducing the 3C Mafia!  Inspired my favorite rap group when I was a youngling fresh from Germany, these 3 cleaning strategies work together so that you can have hyper-productive 15-minute cleaning sessions: 

• Dedicated cleaning sessions to one particular task a few days out the week (vacuuming, mopping, dusting, etc.)
• Cleaning as you go for example, clean the kitchen & wash dishes while you cook. Or scrub the toilet right after you do the doo…
• And lastly, spot cleaning. Make it a point to wipe up spilled juice and foods now while they take less than 2-minutes to clean up. The longer certain types of messes sit, the sticker and grippier they get to surfaces. And old messes are a quick way to blow a 15-minute cleaning session.

Bottom line / Cleaning your house in just 15-minutes a day sounds wonderful but it’s nothing more than a pipe dream if you aren’t doing other things to make it a possibility.

Let’s wrap this up /

Finding a painless way to keep your house clean is a journey.   But it’s the type where you learn so much along the way that it makes you a better version of yourself.  I say that to say, don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling to keep your house clean.  You’re not alone.   And I promise, as long as you know why you want to keep your house clean and are willing to put yourself first, the rest will fall into place.   Not the advice you were expecting huh? 

Ready to get your home under control once & for all? 

Quickly find your zone of clean so that you can create a home you’re proud of and reveal the blueprint to a home that stays clean, cleaner or cleanish all the time in just 7-days.  Check out the Clean Vibes Kit & Caboodle today! 

Best Selling Items This Week:

• Dye Catchers Cut down how long it takes to do laundry with these! Toss everything into the washing machine and get on to all the other things. Without worrying about those whites turning pink.
• Scotch Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbers If I have to choose between these & my husband, I’m definitely taking the scrubbers. They seriously do allllllll the work when it’s time to clean. Unlike him.
• Window/Glass Cleaning Cloths Ok, if you believe it’s impossible to have streak-free mirrors or glass, prepare to be impressed. You don’t even need window cleaner with these things. Just a little water & shizam. All clear.
• The Roboroc Robot Vacuum It sweeps, mops and is soo smart, it avoids both cat puke & dog terds . If you have pets, you know that’s huge. It’s also $30 off right now.

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later. And get a little clout by showing others you always find the good stuff:-)

The post Clean your house in 15 minutes a day. Seriously. appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

So how far down is dusting on your list of most-dreaded chores?  If it’s so far down it’s towards the center of the Earth, join the club. Dusting is one of the least favorite chores out there.

How do I know? Because it’s the 2nd most requested task clients ask for when booking cleaning services from my company. (Can you guess what the #1 request we get is? Floors. Young, old, single, grande sized families and everyone in between hates cleaning the floors.)

So the real question is how long can you really put off dusting without crossing the ewww-your-house-is-kinda-nasty line?

To sum up dust in one-word, it’s gross.

Since dust is primarily composed of human skin cells, pet dander, fabric fibers, pollen, and dust and debris from outside, you probably want to dust more often than you currently are (sad fact: about 80 percent of the particles you see floating in a sunbeam are dead skin cells).

According to one study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the composition of most household dust is significantly grosser than you might imagine, combining dead skin, fungi, and bacteria ranging from the benign to the potentially-harmful, including Staphylococcus aureus.

If you live in a dusty zip code… 

A few factors contribute to the amount of dust collecting in your room, including where you live (clearly, the Arizona desert is dustier than a rainy Oregon forest), how often you open your windows, the season of the year, and how many pets you share your home with.   To name a few.

If you live in a dusty-ish terrain, you should aim to dust weekly.

If your house is hairy, you should dust (and vacuum) every day-ish

And then there’s hair…long hair, pet hair, human hair, fake hair, remy, curly, silky, straight – it doesn’t matter. I know hair isn’t dust, but if you’ve got a lot of thick-haired carbon-based beings that shed in your home, you’ll need to dust your home more often than others.

Now this seems like a tall order, but you really only need to stay on top of high traffic areas. And then bathroom floors. Why? Because dry hair is a lot easier to clean up than wet hair. Trust me.

All you need is a vacuum cleaner to quickly suck up hair – especially in corners and along baseboards – to keep your home looking exceptionally hairless.

Hardly ever dusting your house will make your house look dirtier than it is

Whatever you do, don’t skip dusting altogether.  But I get it. Dusting your entire house can seem a bit daunting but it’s a lot easier to manage when you break the task down room by room. Dusting just one room a day is doable on even the tightest schedule.

  Here are some quick & dirty reasons why you should dust more often: 

• a layer of dust can easily make your place look much dirtier than it is. 
• dust can also cause damage to household surfaces, especially electronics (so pay extra special attention to those!).
• dust can lead to allergy and breathing problems for many people — so don’t forget to get rid of that dust on the ceiling fan, since it’s circulating the air around.

You should dust your house every week – if you’re a neat freak.

And that’s ok.  But you’re on your own. Justin Timberlake leaving N-Sync style.  Unless you live in an apartment, dusting every week is something most of us really just don’t have time for. But there is one little exception…

Common spaces & high traffic areas should be dusted weekly.  But when I say dust, I’m not talking feather dusters.  You need to wipe down furniture surfaces with a damp towel & cleaner so that they are actually clean & dust-free.

Greasy fingerprints, water rings, and all that grimy stuff dulls your shine majorly. And will give your mother-in-law fuel for eons especially if she’s of the nice nasty variety.

• coffee tables 
• sofas just a quick wipe off
• lamps
• dining tables (aka a desk depending on who you ask) & chairs

If you have a life, dusting your house every 2-weeks or monthly is totally ok – and normal

I’m giving you this answer based on my experience as a cleaning service owner & how often most people want their house cleaned. The absolute most popular frequency for our clients is drumroll please – every 2 weeks.

So if you’re looking to create a solid cleaning schedule, want to know how long you can go without dusting – and still be considered a decent human being – or seriously just forget to dust, you can totally get away with dusting anywhere from every 2-weeks to once a month.  

Things in your house you should dust every 2-weeks or monthly-ish:

• common rooms
• bedrooms 
• guest rooms 
• unused spaces
• furniture surfaces you can’t see or reach without a ladder
• ceiling fans
• baseboards (especially in bathrooms or places where pets sleep)
• doors
• televisions
• blinds (you really want to stay on top of blinds because they can be a pain to clean when they get to the point of no return
• wall decor & fixtures

Dust the unreachables & unnoticeables at least every 3-6 months

Out-of-the-way spots like ceilings, corners, high shelves, and door frames only need to be dusted dust every three to six months. But what about those things that you don’t even think about dusting that are absolutely covered in dust? Looked at your outlets lately?

Introducing, the unnoticeables. The items you see & use all the time will never make it onto your cleaning list except by some type of divine intervention. Like you reading this post lol

Thankfully, you don’t have to give these items much of your attention or time which gives you plenty of wiggle room to plan when you’ll dust them. But heed my warning youngling, go any longer than that, and getting rid of dust on those high ledges might require a lot of elbow grease.

Just remember the factors I mentioned earlier that affect how often you should dust. The more factors you have in play, the more often you should dust.

Things you should dust in your house every 3-6 months:

• crown molding
• tops of furniture that you can’t see or reach without a ladder
• outlets
• light switches
• vanity lights
• plants
• curtains (lint roll them)
• mattresses (use the vacuum cleaner hose)
• vacuum cleaner (empty the canister & wipe it out)

Clingy dust needs a little extra push

You ever tried to clean dust that seemed to be a little umm, clingy?  The type that you can’t just dust off.  (When was the last time you got just a little too clingy? Lol )   If it’s like this every time you dust, you should be dusting your house more often for sure.

When dust settles, it begins to take on moisture from the air around it, and if it isn’t removed, it then begins to stick to the surface it settled on initially.  You need to clean – with a damp towel & an all-purpose cleaner – to remove this type of dust.  

Are you making things dustier when you dust

What you dust your house with matters more than you think. Those fluffy feather dusters, while great at getting into small places – and being used as photo props for cheesy pics to post on social media – only scatter dust back into the air. Total fail. 

I have to admit that I use high-dusters with heads just as bad or worse than those duck feathers but hear me out.  I use them to dust all those out the way things like ceilings, super unreachable lights and sometimes even blinds.  All I do is knock the dust off, then wait about 15-20 minutes for the dust to settle on lower surfaces.  Once the cost is clear, I go through dusting as usual with no issues. 

What you’ll need to dust your house if it’s super dusty – or to keep it up

If we have a home to clean that’s super dusty, there will be a lot of vacuuming going on.  So we may do a round of vacuuming surfaces, then a round of dusting with a microfiber, followed by another round of vacuuming to get it all out the room. 

Ahhh, finally, a reason to use those vacuum attachments that have become that special kind of clutter you just don’t want to throw away.  

Dusting tools – that are actually good for dusting:

•  microfiber cloths (it’s what I use at home and in my cleaning service all day everyday)
• high dusting kit for those unreachable things that get super dusty
• good ol fashioned Swiffer dusters – I actually avoided them for a long time thinking they were gimmicky but presently, I totally use them to clean blinds. 
• a vacuum cleaner with a Hepa filter to get the dusty edges of the room and along those baseboards

Once you have some good tools in hand, all you have to do is grab your headphones, clear the clutter & dust away! 

Plan how often you want to dust your house

If you’re like most people, you often don’t realize it’s time to dust until you randomly swipe the blinds, turn your palm over & reveal fingers covered in a layer of thick ick…

If you’re only dusting your house when you see something that kinda grosses you out instead of cleaning regularly, you’ll always stumble upon areas that have been neglected & send you into panic mode. Hello 7-hour long marathon cleaning session. Or maybe you’ll ignore it because you just can’t deal. Hey that’s life.

If you want a simple way to stay on top of what needs to be dusted – and when – along with all your other dreaded housekeeping chores so you feel like you’ve got your house under control & clean is always within reach, you should check out my Clean Vibes Planner Kit.

In addition to a ton of mess eliminating templates & resources, it includes a Master Cleaning Guide + template for you to use to create the perfect cleaning schedule & easily maintain your home. No matter how crazy your schedule is.

And of course, if you loved this post, do a me a mini-sized favor & repin this. It’s like giving me a virtual high-five which will kinda make my day! See ya in the next post…

The post How often should you dust your house *for real* appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

Spring cleaning: Not just for spring anymore

A clean, organized workspace can help improve your focus, stabilize your mood, and give you that creative boost you desperately need. According to the South China Morning Post “[C]lutter can make us feel frustrated by the way it invades our home, which, for many of us, is our safe space.” Look around at your home: Did it become messier during the last several months of quarantine?

The answer? Declutter that mess! It may seem hard to get started, but once the clutter has been reorganized and everything is put in its place, that sense of frustration will dissipate. You may even find that if you do work from home, your productivity will get a boost since your focus is on the task in front of you instead of the clutter in the corner of your eye. (It also doesn’t hurt to also spend some time sanitizing your living space, as research shows that cleaner homes promote healthiness and physical activity.)

In addition to a thorough decluttering, a deep cleaning from top to bottom will serve you and your home well as you prepare to hunker down. Work from top to bottom, and get into the nooks and crannies to ensure you’ve addressed every space and crumb. If you’re feeling less than inspired to take this on, why not splurge and outsource to a professional? The experts at The Cleaning Club can take your home from dirty to dazzling, giving you more time to work on prettying up your space. 

Comfort central: Cozy up your couch

One thing you can do to ensure maximum comfort is to turn your attention to furniture and decorations. Add a colorful rug or two in the bathroom and kitchen; apply fabric deodorizer to curtains and, if you’re feeling especially motivated, dust the blinds. Does that recliner in the corner look a little drab? If you know how to crochet or knit, easy accent pillowcase patterns provide a way for you to add a personal touch and splash of color to your living space. 

Of course, if your furniture is structurally sound and simply needs a bit of a sprucing up, reupholstering is always an option. Maybe that floral print from the ‘70s isn’t doing it for you anymore, or the cat stretched with claws-out too many times — whatever the case, choosing a new fabric can be an exciting way to welcome a “new” chair or couch into your space. Don’t forget to factor in budget when researching chair upholstery pricing. On average, the cost to reupholster chairs can run anywhere from $350 to $1,000, including labor and fabric costs, depending on the design.

Internet capability: Stress-test your Wi-Fi

Stanford University researcher Nicholas Bloom noted that for those Americans working from home, internet access is not as ubiquitous as it should be. Before the next round of quarantine, even if you’re not working from home, be sure to metaphorically dust off your Wi-Fi router and make sure your plan can handle increased usage. Visiting internet speed test sites like SpeedTest.net can give you an idea of what kind of load your pipes can expect to successfully carry. You can even contact your internet service provider and ask if they are ready for the increased usage.

Don’t wait

Your home should be your sanctuary — especially now. Don’t let indecision keep you from creating the most comfortable shelter for your needs. Before the next round of lockdowns, take the time to address any concerns you may have with your current space, so you can meet this year’s extraordinary challenges with one more arrow in your mental-health quiver.

The post Three C’s of Quarantine: Cleaning, Comfort and (Internet) Capability appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

If you look inside your microwave and see a version of Mission Impossible Tom Cruise couldn’t even survive, these are the 7 powerful (natural) microwave cleaning hacks you can use to tackle the job with ease! 

Each of them is a gold status cleaning hack if your microwave has the most going on and you’re looking to do the least amount of scrubbing possible.  These tips are from some of the top cleaning pros on the web and our friends at Real Simple!

How To (Easily) Clean A Dirty Microwave

01 lemon + steam

Becky Rapinchuk of the Clean Mama homekeeping blog follows this tried-and-true method:

DIRECTIONS

Fill a glass bowl or measuring cup with three or four cups of hot tap water, then cut a lemon into chunks and add to the water. Put the bowl of water and lemon/lemon juice in the microwave and run it until the water boils, about three to five minutes.

“Let the steam do its job—don’t open the door for at least five minutes,” Rapinchuk says. If the microwave isn’t steamy after that time, microwave the water for another minute and let it sit, then use a wet microfiber cleaning cloth to wipe it clean.

02 vinegar + steam

When those marinara splatters are extra stubborn, spray the interior of the microwave with white vinegar, Rapinchuk says. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then use a microfiber cleaning cloth to wipe clean, rinsing and wringing it as you’re wiping. Remove, wash, and dry the glass plate and replace.

03  dish soap + steam

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of water and one teaspoon of dish soap, says Harriet Jones, cleaning and maintenance supervisor for Go Cleaners London cleaning services.

DIRECTIONS

Heat the mixture in the microwave for about two minutes to create steam, being careful to not let it boil over. Let it sit for three minutes before opening the microwave, removing the bowl using oven mitts, and wiping down the inside with paper towels.

04 wet sponge + steam

No, you’re not going to use it to scrub. Instead, saturate the sponge thoroughly in water, adding a drop of Dawn dish soap if you wish, says Zeynep Mehmetoglu, a cleaning expert with Maid Bright cleaning services near Washington, D.C.

DIRECTIONS

Spray the inside of your microwave with a mixture of one to three ounces of water and three to five drops of essential oil (orange or lemon are good choices). Microwave the sponge on the turntable for two or three minutes, then let it sit a few more minutes before wiping off stuck food with the sponge.

05 wet towel + steam

For an extra-simple cleaning process that involves only one item, thoroughly wet a small towel (ensure it doesn’t contain any metal tags or elements), then microwave it for a minute or two, says Shirley Langridge, a kitchen cleaning expert with Maggie’s Oven Services. The towel will soften the stuck-on bits, and once it cools down enough to handle, you can use it to wipe down the microwave’s interior.

06 baking soda + air

To handle serious spills without resorting to harsh chemicals, take a small bowl and make a paste out of baking soda and water, Langridge says. Apply it to the hardened food and let it sit for five minutes, then wipe it up with a wet sponge. “There will be no need for any scrubbing,” says Langridge.

07 the funny gadget + steam

Fill this hilarious little steamer called Angry Mama with water and vinegar and microwave on high for seven minutes, advises Joanne Archer, an editor with Expert Home Tips. Let it cool for two minutes, open the door, and wipe clean.

08 bonus microwave cleaning tips (keep it clean)

The easiest microwave cleaning hack of all is to not let your microwave get filled with crusted pieces of food in the first place. Once you’ve followed the above tips and gotten it back to mint condition, here’s some advice for keeping your appliance looking fresh and clean all the time:

• Always cover whatever you’re heating up, even if it’s just for 10 seconds, with a paper towel or a perforated microwave cover.  Think anything deliciously saucy like spaghetti, bbq, and chilli.     

• Wipe down the inside of your microwave whenever you clean the kitchen counters.

• After microwaving something with a loud smell, do a quick clean immediately following cooking by adding water and lemon to a small bowl, microwaving for a few minutes, letting it stand for five minutes, and then wiping the inside clean.

• Take the glass plate out of the microwave so that you can clean underneath it.  Wash the plates off with a little soap and water, rinse and place back into your like-new microwave. 

• Clean the outside of your microwave with soap and water.  After washing it down, take a second towel and buff it dry.  It’ll sparkle for days with this simple 2-step cleaning method.  

Laundry Out Of Control?  You may want to read my post 7 Laundry Tips You Can Use To Get Laundry Under Control.  These tips are perfect for busy moms and those that are absolutely drowning in laundry!

Vinegar is natural which means it’s safe to use on everything right?  Wrong!   Yes, it’s pretty amazing but there are some things you should know before you clean your house with vinegar again!  Read this post to learn the ins and outs of cleaning with vinegar!

Super Dirty Bathtub?  Learn how to (easily) make it look new again with this step-by-step post.  You’ll learn everything you need to clean your dirty tub with the least amount of scrubbing in the shortest time possible! 

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post Easily Clean A Microwave With 7 (Steamy) Cleaning Hacks appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

Follow this step-by-step guide to discover how to create a home management binder – the smart girl’s solution to living a full life, keeping your home clean and making it look oh so easy.  

Nothing brings me joy like a york peppermint patty – and talking about a super simple tool that will make big waves in your life. Like help you get organized at home and get rid of the chaos & messy house. And eliminate a boatload of stress from your life in general.   (Stress makes you age faster so consider this a skincare hack as well!)

I personally didn’t even think about *home management* or a HMB until…well, until I started looking for ways to better help my clients. After dibbling and dabbling with the idea of having one for a few years, I finally got one going. And haven’t looked back.

Sharing is caring. I used this super quick tutorial below from our friends at OrganizedMom.net to get my home management binder setup so I think you’ll find it equally useful.  

Ok so before you dive in, think about this for a second… You’ll see the benefits of using a home management binder almost immediately – guaranteed! So don’t do like I did and wait years to do this. Set aside an hour or two and seriously organize your life – you’ll thank yourself every day that you did it.

Why You Need A Home Management Binder  

From cleaning schedules to account passwords, a home management binder should be like the official Google of your life!   When you need to know something related to your family – from when it’s time to clean the baseboards to what bills are due this week – the answer should be in that binder.   If it’s not in the binder, it doesn’t exist lol.

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

Write down why you want a home management binder in the first place.

1. What is driving you crazy about your life right now?
2. What keeps happening over and over that you could stop simply by getting organized?
3. How will being more organized improve your life?

This will help you create a system based on your actual goals and priorities instead of just copying what you see someone else doing and trying to make it stick. (Because it won’t!)

Everything You Need To Create A Home Management Binder

Creating a household binder is pretty simple. Ir’s either a physical three-ring binder or a digital equivalent that contains important documents and information about your family life.  

Before you get started, you’ll want to decide if you’re creating a physical binder or a digital version for your computer, tablet, or phone. Or some combination of the two.

I recommend a physical binder, at least at first. And that’s what we’ll focus on in this post. Maybe I am old fashioned but I like writing things down anyway.

With that being said, I use the Notes and Lists app on my iPhone to keep certain things like my running grocery lists.   I actually copy a lot from my binder into my phone – for example, I keep passwords in both places. Just remember, there is no wrong way to do it!  

The ingredients for a home management binder /

A large binder | You’ll be amazed at how quickly your household binder will fill up.

Page dividers

Sheet protectors OR hole punch | You’ll need to use one of these so that you can add paper to the binder.

Paper | I like to use 24pt. paper for my binder cover and sections.  The heaviness of the paper just makes it all feel so royal.   And of course regular paper for the rest.

Sticky notes

Sidenote:  My home management system is kinda all over the place lol. Intentionally. I use a physical binder for things I don’t need often. Important documents, passwords, and medical information are in my binder. Basically the stuff that if I loose it, I’ll be screwed!

But the items I need – all the time – like my schedule for the day, running grocery lists and meal prep ideas are on my phone and my clipboard.   I share this to say, don’t box yourself into one way of managing your home or getting organized. Do what works for you and it’ll all come together. I promise.

If you want to find your cleaning style, check out The Clean Vibes Kit & Caboodle. Knowing THIS could be the missing key if you’ve been struggling with your home for awhile.

Divide Your House Management Binder Into Sections

Every family’s household binder is going to look a little bit different. Just use the categories or sections below as a guide. As you start putting your binder together, you’ll think of more sections to add – it’s perfectly normal. Consider the binder like a pair of yoga pants – it should stretch and give room for things to change over time!

Calendars + Schedules

The section I turn to most in my household binder is calendars and schedules. You can include everything from monthly calendar pages to a daily to-do list in this section. And don’t hesitate to divide the section into smaller sections.

You may want a schedule section for each family member to note after school activities or work travel. Or separate sections for daily, weekly, and monthly schedules.

Experiment to find the setup that works for you. But just know, after you write everything down, you definitely need to set up your Google calendar with all this stuff.

Family Budget + Finances

Creating a family budget and keeping it in your household binder is a useful way to keep track of your household expenses. And if you’re currently trying to get out of debt, this section is even more important!

I also store bills in this section and make notes of when they are due and when payments have been sent.

If your binder is kept secure, consider making copies of your credit cards and storing them in the event one is ever stolen. For those – knock-on-wood – my purse was stolen from the car at the hotel moments.

Your Contacts Contact Info

Don’t roll your eyes. This is one of those things where it’s not until you need to find this info that you’ll appreciate this – probably super short – section.

You can make a sheet of emergency contacts. Another with names and phone numbers for babysitters, pet sitters, coaches, teachers, or anyone else you may want to keep a phone number or an address for. Again, for those super random just in case moments.

Health + Medical Information

The health and medical section of your household binder can be for everything for immunization records to copies of your health insurance cards.

It’s also a good place to keep records if you have insurance appeals or other ongoing issues where the documentation – and headaches – add up quickly.

Cleaning Schedules + Checklists

Creating a daily cleaning routine and cleaning schedule is one of the smartest ways to keep your home clean and organized.  No matter how crazy your life is!  Daily cleaning, weekly, monthly, and even seasonal deep cleaning schedules (or checklists) should be included in your household management binder.   Wait, let me clarify – it’s actually a must-have!

UPDATE Nov 11, 2020 – Create notes for your cleaning service if you have one or plan to in the future. There’s a fine line between being over-the-top OCD about everything – and scaring your cleaner off – and just making sure you get the cleaning you want. Keep your list for them simple & make note of little stuff like where the small bags are for the bathroom trash cans or which products you want used on your floors.

Add a maintenance section so you can keep up with when the nuts & bolts around the house need to be tightened so to speak. I’m talking about everything from how often your AC should be serviced to paint colors used in rooms. It’s definitely a list that you’ll kiss yourself for every time you have to pull it out.

Meal Planning + Grocery Lists

Meal planning is a great way to save time and money when it comes to grocery shopping and feeding your family.

Create a weekly meal plan for your family and plan your grocery list accordingly. Keeping these items together in your household binder will make them easier to coordinate.

Family Travel

A family travel section of your household binder is the perfect place to store confirmations for upcoming family trips. And to keep copies of packing lists, maps, and lists of favorite hotels. Anything that will make family travel more organized.

Utilities + Internet + Other Service Provider Contact Information

If every time you needed to contact a service provider from your internet provider to your garbage company, the phone number was conveniently located in your household binder imagine the time and frustration you would save.

Make sure to note your account number or any other reference number next to the provider information. No more searching for an old bill or searching the internet for phone numbers. All the information will be right at your fingertips.

Home + Auto Insurance

Your household binder is the perfect place to keep your home and auto insurance policies. Along with contact information for your insurer. And copies of any insurance cards. Yes everything is online, but there’s real wisdom in keeping things written down. What if someone else needs the information and you’re not available? Smart right?

Membership Information

If you belong to a church or a gym or a rowing club, or any other organization, this is a good place to keep contact information, reference numbers, dues information, copies of membership cards or any other miscellaneous information you may need as a member.

Update Your Household Binder Regularly

Once you’ve created your household binder, the next step is to use it. Big surprise right?

Make updating your home management binder part of your weekly routine. I like to do it as part of my *prepping for the week*. You’ll also want to think of using a home management binder as an experiment. By that I mean, are there things you’re constantly going to your binder for that could be more accessible if you placed them somewhere else?

What if you make a home management binder but never touch it?

All is not lost. That simply means that a closed binder may mean *out of sight out of mind* for you. So maybe you need things out in the open like me. Perhaps keeping go-to information on a dry erase board or a clipboard with what you need to know on the front page would work better.

Personally, I only use my home management binder to store the stuff I barely, hardly ever need. Having it all in one place that I know it will not move from gives me piece of mind. But for the things I need daily – like my to-do lists, schedules, meal plan, etc. – all of that is on my clipboard and on my phone. I need to keep stuff out in the open. In my face.

If you’re not at the point where you’re planning and prepping regularly, or just trying to get into the swing of having a *routine* when it comes to keeping up with everything at home, these are the very things I cover in the The Clean Vibes Kit + Caboodle. You’ll get step-by-step instructions on how to get your house together and keep it clean. And do it in a way that works for your personality. Which is *the key* to a clean house:-)

Final Thoughts

Juggling a family, house and career is a lot of work but with the right tools and strategies, you can handle everything on your plate like a piece of cake! This is a fail-proof tool that simply requires a little time upfront to organize your world but if you set it up right, and use it, you’ll be able to run your home like a well-oiled machine.

If you’re ready to get organized and get your home control, you should check out The Clean Vibes Kit & Caboodle. It’s all you need to get your home under control once and for all – even if you’re naturally unorganized!

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post How To Make A Home Management Binder – Demystified! appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

Discover how to clean your very dirty bedroom fast with this (fail-proof) step-by-step guide. But first…

I LOVE walking into my room and feeling like it’s saying oh hey girl, you’re back – I missed you! But I’m not gonna lie. I like to come home to that but that’s not always the reality. I’m married and naturally, we share a bedroom. Which I also believe is the most insidious idea in the world! I don’t want to roll my eyes at my husband every day for the rest of my life because he doesn’t make the bed when he gets out of it and leaves dirty (and clean) clothes wherever. And did I mention the q-tips? They’re everywhere. He should be free to live however he wants. Just not in my sacred space.

I get sloppy too. My closet stays in a state of emergency. And when I think about it, I don’t like the pressure of having to maintain it daily for someone else. I’d rather everyone have a space to be free. But keep the community areas on point. Like 24-7. Rain, snow, sleet or hail. I might be a dictator of sorts.

But I’m venting so let me stop. Why is your bedroom dirty? Before we talk about cleaning, you should really ponder this for a second. Knowing the answer will help you keep the room cleaner in the future. And who doesn’t want that am I right?

So before we dive into the tips, I need to give you a golden nugget to kick things off so that you can get in and get out with a clean bedroom fast.

Skip doing a total closet detox or major decluttering project – save that for another day.  Instead, let’s focus on surfaces that are visible. The bed, furniture surfaces, floors, making sure the blinds are pointing in the same direction, stuff like that. As long as you can remember that, you’ll be able to whip that room into shape in just a few minutes. And with that, let’s get to it!

Clean Your Bedroom Fast & Keep It Clean | 7-Steps

Step 1 //  Everything that doesn’t belong must go! 

Let’s talk trash, dishes, and other undesirables that belong somewhere else in the house – not in your room.   Simply grab a trash bag for the trash and a basket or a box for the rest.  Spend a minute or two collecting everything and when you’re done, just set it all outside the door.  You can put that stuff away later. 

This may be super helpful if your whole house is a wreck! // How To Clean Your House Super Fast if it takes you all day and night to get your house cleaned!  You’ll learn the strategies and techniques you need to get the job done faster!

You might need to read this // How To Clean A DISGUSTING Bathtub – And Make It Look Almost New – FAST!

Step 2 // Strip the bed – or make it!

Now’s the time to wash those sheets if it’s been a minute.  Strip the bed, and start the washer so the sheets can get cleaned while you’re cleaning the room – multitasking at its finest.  

Skip the stripping and instead make your bed if your sheets were recently cleaned.  For a perfect, (botox) smooth bed, pull everything off then remake the bed from scratch.  A made bed gives the whole room a new vibe! 

If you need to clean your room fast, making your bed is the single most important thing you can do to give your room an instant face-lift.

If you want to deep clean your bedroom, take this time to flip or rotate your mattress.

Step 3 //  Separate the clean from the dirty-ish clothes!

Clothes lying around your bedroom can be dealt with quickly – even if they’re everywhere.  What’s clean and what’s dirty?  Sort everything into 2 piles.  Clean items get placed neatly on the bed and dirty clothes on the floor.  

Once you’re done sorting, dirty clothes go straight to the hamper.  Wherever that may be.  Clean clothes will be put away the lazy girl approved way – now’s not the time for any Marie Kondo style folding.  

Loosely fold items and tuck them into drawers.  Hang as much as your closet will allow. The biggest key to getting your clothes put away quickly is staying focused – that means you need to put your phone on do not distract mode. 

Step 4 // Let’s cut through the surface clutter!  

You should be seeing some real progress at this point so let’s start focusing on surfaces.  A little tidying, organizing, and straightening need to be done to pull the room together. Think dresser surfaces, nightstands, floors, desks, etc. 

If stuff is kind of everywhere, make things easy on yourself by putting like with like.  Books with books, photos with photos, hair stuff with hair…stuff.  You get it! That’ll make it easy to find a home for everything. 

If you have a lot of stuff on your surfaces to the point that you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, grab a basket and clear the entire surface.  Consider the basket a temporary storage solution.  You can put things away from the basket when you have time.

READ THIS // 5-Painlessly Simple Things You Need Now To Keep Your House Clean

Step 5 // Don’t just dust. Clean furniture + surfaces!

An all-purpose cleaner is usually all you need to clean your bedroom fast.   Be sure to use a slightly damp towel so that you can actually clean surfaces – remove drink rings, stickiness, and dust – in one swipe.

Pay attention to commonly overlooked areas: the bottom of furniture, headboards, doors, mirrors, picture frames on walls,  light switches, and ceiling fans. These things make your room look flawless when done!

Quickly clean the surfaces in your bedroom by working from left to right, cleaning a section at a time.  

If you want to deep clean your bedroom, now’s the time to clean the blinds and baseboards as well.  You always want to clean from top to bottom so be sure to clean the blinds before you clean surfaces in your room.  

Step 6 // Clean floors using the FOIL method!

Whether you have carpets or hardwood floors, you need to clean your bedroom floors using the FOIL method.  Actually, use this when cleaning floors anywhere in the house!

If you’re a millennial, you might remember FOIL from a math class – first outside, inside last.  Finally, a real-world application lol  Use this method whether you’re vacuuming, sweeping, or mopping.  

When cleaning the floors, focus on the edges or outer areas of the room first.  You can follow the baseboards or walls of the room. Once that’s done, cover the middle and rest of the room like normal.  This is the quick-n-easy way to have perfectly clean floors from corner to corner.  Your bedroom will be so clean, they’ll swear you hired a cleaning service!  

Step 7 // Keep your bedroom clean with a simple nightly cleaning routine!

Prevention is the best medicine and when it comes to keeping your room clean, a daily routine is a fail-proof remedy.  Every evening, set aside 10 minutes to declutter your room and plan outfits for the next day. Once per week, do a little light cleaning to keep the clean vibes strong – you’d only need 10-15 minutes.   Easy to manage right?

Here’s a nightly routine you can swipe // A Simple Nighttime Cleaning Routine For An Ultra Clean House if you want to keep your house clean, mornings stress-free and actually sit down for once without feeling guilty!  Use this post as a guide or inspo for your daily cleaning routine. 

How to clean your bedroom step-by-step //

I updated this post on 12/3/2020 to add a checklist you can swipe.

Step 1: Grab a trash bag & a basket or a box.

Step 2: Starting at the doorway, work your way around the room collecting trash from the floors first – can’t clean anything if you can’t walk – and then the furniture surfaces. Set the bag outside the door.

Step 3: Now grab your basket or box to collect items that don’t belong in the room like dishes, papers, toys, etc. Set it outside the door when you’re done collecting randoms. You’ll sort the basket later. AFTER you’re done cleaning.

Caution: If you decide to put the items in the basket away first, you may never get the room cleaned. A rookie mistake I’ve been super guilty of making a time or two.

Step 4: Strip the sheets from the bed & throw them into the washing machine. If your sheets are clean, just make the bed.

Step 5: If you’ve got clothes everywhere, this step is all about sorting. Put clean clothes in a designated place to deal with later or if you’ve time, start hanging them up now. You know where the dirty ones go.

Step 6: It’s time to do a little dusting and cleaning. Grab a high duster, towel & all-purpose cleaner so you can hit the ceiling fan, wipe down the tops of your dressers, headboard, etc.

And this is the point where you can stage the room – make it look at insta-worthy;-) You don’t have to give your paycheck to Target to give your room a magical touch. Simply make sure all your blinds are pointing in the same direction, pictures on the walls are straight, and if you don’t know how to decorate, just arrange things from tallest to shortest. That always works.

Step 7: Are the sheets ready to be put back on the bed? Either make the bed now or swing back around to this later.

Step 8: Vacuum or sweep, then mop. Easy enough right? Just make sure you get along those baseboards and under furniture – as far as you can easily reach – and you’ll pass with flying colors.

Step 9: Repeat all – or most – of the steps above weekly-ish to keep your room tamed.

And if you’re kinda serious about getting your home under-control…

You can easily keep not just your bedroom clean, but the entire house – without taking a long boring course. Even if you work a full-time job or have a house full of sometimes (or never) well-behaved children.

The secret to keeping your house clean isn’t a new vacuum – although I will admit I love taking a new vacuum for a spin around the old block. To manage your home so that it doesn’t feel like a struggle, you simply need to get organized. And unlearn messy habits. And the trick is to do it in a way that works for your personality & schedule.

The Clean Vibes Planner Kit has the very simple tools you need to create simple but totally doable cleaning schedules & routines that work for you. As well as other life bettering tools like a meal plan kit to help you take deer-caught-in-the-headlights-look out of dinner time. And who doesn’t need help with that?

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post How To Clean A (Very) Dirty Bedroom Fast | 7-Steps appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

If you’ve got a bathtub that has so much soap scum, hideous stains & gunk you think you may need FEMA, you’re in the right place!  I’ve seen my share of dirty bathtubs over the years and after much trial & error, I’ve got the perfect cleaning hacks and tips you need to easily tackle any issue you may find in your tub – with only zero to light scrubbing required!  #winning

The 5 Simple Steps You Need To Clean A Very Dirty Bathtub

Step 1 //  Vacuum Up Dry Debris Like Hair & Dust  

Things might get a little messy when you start cleaning your bathtub or shower so to minimize the mess, remove dust, debris and hair from inside the tub, shower and the bathroom floor before you start cleaning.  

Dust tends to get muddy and cleaning wet hair from the floor is like cleaning glitter – a huge headache!  Save yourself some time by taking care of this upfront.  

Bonus Tip:  Grab a razor blade to easily remove hair that may be caught on the drain.   You’ll want to do this before cleaning to make sure water flows freely down the drain while cleaning. 

BONUS STEP / Fix Slow Moving Drains Before You Start Cleaning

If your pipes are clogged, we cannot pass go. Or collect $200. Until we get them fixed. You can use products like Draino or try some home remedies to get things draining properly.

To remove hair that’s clogging your pipes, you can actually use a wire hanger to pull it out. That’s the easiest, quickest and yuckiest method. You can also try to flush the drain using boiling hot water and household items like baking soda or vinegar.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ // How To Clean Your Dirty Bathroom Super Fast – And Keep It Clean for my advice on cleaning thoroughly in the fastest, smartest way possible.  It also comes with an ultra-deep cleaning routine + checklist that will transform your bathroom!

Step 2 // Remove Gunk & Soap Scum From Your Bathtub

Here’s where the real magic starts to happen.  Get rid of layers of build-up & soap scum to reveal a side to the tub you thought was lost forever!   You will even be able to get rid of light stains for a seriously bright tub.

Warning:  If you have rust stains, do not use anything with bleach at this point.  Contact with bleach will make the rust – reddish – stains worse.  

You’ll Need The Following Items + Cleaning Products

• a very large bowl or cup for rinsing
• scouring sponge (This is the secret to getting all the build-up removed easily)
• microfiber towels (once the build-up is gone you can use these for lighter cleaning and drying the tub)
  

Product Option 1 | Miracle Working Homemade Soapscum Blasting Recipe | Clean your bathtub with vinegar & dawn

You’ll need white or cleaning vinegar & dawn dish detergent + spray bottle | prepare a 50:50 mixture of warm vinegar & dawn soap in a spray bottle | simply warm the vinegar in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes prior to mixing with the soap 

Product Option 2 | A Soft Cleaner Like Soft Scrub or Bar Keepers Friend! (BKF) | both are must-have cleaners in my opinion

Optional Soap Scum Removing Tool | A razor blade for removing heavy build-up & soap scum on shower glass doors

You can use any one of these options, or alternate between them to remove heavy soap scum or buildup from your tub.   Just be sure to only use one product at a time.  

Cleaning Process To Remove Soap Scum + Gunk From Your Tub + Shower

• Spray or apply the cleaning product to the tub from top to bottom, covering every surface including the faucet and shower door.  

• Let the product sit undisturbed for 10-30 minutes.  

• Once the time has passed, start cleaning.  Use a scouring sponge and start at the top corner of the tub or shower wall to clean all the surfaces.  Use a circular motion as you clean – think wax on, wax off – and rinse your sponge out frequently.

•  As you clean, you should begin to see bright white smooth areas become visible.  

• Depending on how thick the soap scum is that you’re cleaning, you may need to repeat the cleaning process 2-5 times to remove it all.  

You’ll know the tub is clean when: 

• you no longer see visible signs of soap scum or build-up – usually patchy brown or tan areas 
• when you run your fingers across the surface, it’ll feel smooth as glass to the touch

Step 3 // Remove Tough Hard Water Stains + Limescale

These unsightly stains are usually what mutes the shine of your faucet, showerhead, shower door & tub.  These stains are caused by hard water – water with lots of minerals like calcium and magnesium.  

You’ll Need The Following Items + Cleaning Products

• a large bowl or cup for rinsing
• scouring sponge
• microfiber towel

Product Option 1 | Natural Hard Water Eliminating Recipe |  You’ll need white or cleaning vinegar + spray bottle | for heavy build-up, use straight vinegar | Dilute to a 50:50 mix if the smell is too strong for you

Other Product Options | CLR &  Bio-Clean Hard Water Stain Remover are two great options that will get the job done!   But any hard water or limescale remover should work for this.  Just be prepared for multiple applications. 

FYI Glass Shower Doors May Have Permanent Damage 

In some cases, mineral deposits can become so bad that there is a chemical change that permanently damages the material. For example, if you have a glass shower door with a white, cloudy residue that never seems to come off completely, those stains may be permanent because the chemicals have etched the glass.  

[You can also check out The Guide To Removing Limescale From Your Shower Glass Door created by our friends at MaidForU.]

Cleaning Process To Remove Hard Water Stains + Limescale From Your Tub 

Tub Or Shower 

• Spray the product and let it sit wet – if it dries, reapply it – for 1-3 hours.  

• Rinse & wipe clean with a microfiber towel.  Repeat the process if necessary.  

Chrome Faucets 

• Spray the product and let it sit wet – if it dries, reapply it – for 1-3 hours. 

• Wrap towels soaked in vinegar around the faucet to keep it wet.  You can use rubber bands to secure the towels in place. 

• Rinse & buff dry with a microfiber towel.  Repeat as necessary.

Showerhead 

• Spray the product and let it sit wet – if it dries, reapply it – for a few hours or overnight.   

• Scrub with a toothbrush, rinse & wipe clean with a microfiber towel. 

Here are a few more ways to clean the showerhead: 

• Wrap towels soaked in vinegar around the showerhead to keep it wet.  You can use rubber bands to secure the towels in place. Rinse & wipe clean with a microfiber towel.

• Fill a small bag with vinegar and secure it to the showerhead, with the showerhead submerged in the bag.  To secure the bag in place, you can use a rubber band or cord.  Visit our friends at Women You Should Know for a full tutorial on how to remove hard water stains from a showerhead. 

• Take off the showerhead and soak it in white vinegar for 3-6 hours or overnight. Then, scrub it with an old toothbrush.  Rinse & wipe clean with a microfiber towel. Reinstall it.

Step 4 // Remove Rust Stains From Your Tub

Rust stains are actually pretty common and they are – thankfully – easy to remove from your tub.  The one no-no when it comes to removing rust stains is to never use bleach! They may make your rust stains worse.  Other than that, here are the simple steps you need to follow to get rid of those red stains. 

You’ll Need The Following Items + Cleaning Products

• scouring sponge
• microfiber towel

Product Option 1 | Non-Chemical Options| Shaw’s Pads (SP) | Pumice Stone (PS) | It’s an all-around must-have item for your home.  Safe for porcelain tubs, toilets, ovens, etc.

Product Option 2 |  Bar Keepers Friend! (BKF) or any soft cleaner | It’s also an absolute miracle worker and must-have.

Product Option 3 | Calcium, Limescale & Rust Remover CLR  or any rust remover you can buy from a store | This option won’t require any elbow grease if you’re looking for a scrubless solution.  

Cleaning Process To Remove Rust Stains From Your Tub 

If Using A Pumice Stone 

• Wet the pumice stone

• Wet the rust stain

• Rub the stone back and forth over the stain

• Wipe clean with a microfiber towel

If Using The Shaws Pads

• Wet the pad 

• Rub the stain 

• Wipe clean and dry with a microfiber towel

If Using A Soft Scrub 

• Apply the product to the stain

• Gently rub it in then let it sit for 10-15 minutes or the time specified on the instructions

• Rub gently using a scouring sponge

• Rinse and wipe clean with a microfiber

Buy A Rust Removing Product

• Just follow the directions

• Rinse & wipe clean with a microfiber towel 

• Repeat the process if necessary 

Step 5 // Remove Mold + Mildew Stains From Your Tub

Now that everything is sparkling clean, the last thing standing in your way of a flawless tub is unsightly mold and mildew stains.  Luckily they are easy to remove so let’s dive into what you need to for a pure white tub!  

FYI Mold Stains In Caulk May Be Permanent | I’ve seen it too many times so I want to save you some time.  If you spray the caulk with a product containing bleach but don’t see the mold stains fade, they may be there to stay.  Replacing the caulk will be the best bet for a sparkling white tub.

You’ll Need The Following Items + Cleaning Products

• scouring sponge
• microfiber towel
• cup or bowl for rinsing
• small brush or toothbrush

Product Option 1 | Simple Bleach + Water | A 50:50 mix should be fine but make sure you are able to ventilate the are being cleaned | Bleach doesn’t kill mold but it removes stains

Product Option 2 |  Vinegar | Use it undiluted | It won’t remove stains but it will kill and prevent mold growth

Product Option 3 |  DIY Baking Soda Paste | Just cover the stains with baking soda & sprinkle with water. Using a toothbrush, rub the mixture to make a paste. Let it sit 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse, wipe clean & repeat if necessary. | It won’t remove stains but it will kill and prevent mold growth

Product Option 4 | Purchase a mold stain remover | RMR-86 Instant Mold Remover  (RMR) | This product and those like it are strong so be sure to ventilate the area!

Cleaning Process To Remove Mold Stains From Your Tub 

If Using Bleach + Water

• All you have to do is apply the solution to the stained areas & let it sit wet for 15-30 minutes.  You should start to see the mold fade away.  

• When the time’s up, you can start cleaning.  Respray the area with more of the bleach solution and clean the area right away with your scour sponge or brush if you’re cleaning grout.  

• Rinse and repeat as necessary.  Be sure to wear gloves & keep a window open!

If You Want To Kill Mold The Chemical-Free Way

• You can apply straight vinegar and let it sit for at least 2 hours  

• Rinse and wipe the area dry

• Just note the smell may be offensive

You may slightly lighten the stains but don’t expect miracles.   Vinegar is much better at preventing mold growth.

Prevent Mold Growth | There are several easy things you can do to prevent mold growth.  

• Keep the bathroom ventilated when you take a bath or shower.  Keep the ventilator running 30 minutes to an hour after you’re done.  

• Dry tub and shower surfaces after use. 

• Prevent mold growth with regular treatments of vinegar.  

• Prevent mold growth with Cornocorbium.  We use this in our cleaning service and recommend it to our clients.  You can check the pricing for it on Amazon. 

Step 6 // Buff Dry (Last Step!)

This last step is all about bringing on the shine! All you need is a nice, dry microfiber towel and a little Karate Kid action. Think, wax on, wax off.

You’ll want to fold your towel so that it’s flat and then using circular motions, buff the tub surface dry. Flip the towel to a dry side if the side you’re using becomes too wet. If you’re wondering much buffing you really have to do, the good news is not much.

The tub doesn’t have to be bone dry. You don’t want to see big beads of water on the tub’s surface. So once you get to that point you’re good. However, the more buffing you do beyond that, the more brilliant the shine!

Let’s Wrap This Up

Cleaning a dirty tub can be a chore but if you follow this process, you’ll get a super clean tub with a minimal amount of sweat and tears!   Use whatever cleaning products you like, just be sure to follow the step-by-step cleaning process and your bathtub will be Instagram worthy in no time.

With that in mind, if the whole bathroom could use a good deep cleaning but you don’t want to spend all day scrubbing away, move on to this post, How to clean a dirty bathroom fast!

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post How To Clean A (Very) Dirty Bathtub Quickly | Step-By-Step appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

So you’ve finally got the motivation to clean but there’s just one little problem – you don’t know how to clean a messy house! Well, you’re in the right spot because below are 7 fail-proof tips you can use right now to turn your house around for good!

Whether you need to clean your messy house fast or don’t know where to start cleaning, with the just-right strategies and a little time, your messy house will be a thing of the past in no time!     

Change Your Messy Habits To Keep Your House Clean

Aha, this time the best tip is being served first!

If you’re overwhelmed by your messy house & not quite sure where you want to start, pause!   Take your focus off the fact that the entire house is a mess. Instead, focus only on your actions moving forward.  

When you wake up, are you making your bed?  Are you putting your dirty clothes directly into the hamper?  Did you wash that mug you just used? Or did you add it to the stack of dirty dishes in the sink? 

What you *do* – your habits – are the key to *keeping* your house clean. If you’re like a lot of people, sure, cleaning the house may be difficult but doable. You’ve gotten the house clean before. The red phone situation is keeping it clean!  

These are the things I talk about in The Clean Vibes Kit & Caboodle – it’s everything you need to know about home management – but in a totally not boring way.

So if *keeping your house clean* is something you want to figure out once and for all, I highly recommend you check it out. But only if you’re ready to do things differently. Because obviously, and I’m not being a prick when I say this, what you’ve been doing hasn’t been working:-/.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ //  Find Motivation To Clean Your House With 9 Creative Strategies if you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed and just can’t seem to find the spark you need to clean your messy house.

How To Start Cleaning A Messy House In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

1 // Use A Very Simple Step-By-Step Cleaning Plan

It doesn’t really matter where you start cleaning.  However, a plan is a must! To get started cleaning your house, simply list out each area you want to clean, then add the cleaning tasks you want to do in each area. 

If you want to clean your messy house step-by-step, here’s a very simple plan you can follow:

As you work, declutter surfaces & clean each area but save the floors for last…

• Grab a trash bag or basket &  look for trash or out-of-place items throughout the house – limit to 30 minutes 
• Clean the kitchen – 1 hour
• Clean the bathrooms – 40 minutes per bathroom
• Clean/dust the living room 30 minutes
• Clean/dust common areas 30 minutes
• Clean/dust the bedrooms 20 minutes per bedroom
• Sweep and vacuum the entire house at once including the bathroom & kitchen. 
• Mop all your hard floors and you’re all done! 

YOU SHOULD READ // How To Clean Your House Super Fast for a more detailed step-by-step plan to clean your house!  You’ll also find more strategies and techniques you can use to get the job done faster!

2 // Make time for your house  

Everyone’s definition of clean is a little different but it’s up to you to decide just how clean you want your house to be.  Do you simply want to do some light tidying up or do you want to turn your house upside down and shake all the crap out of it?  

The cleaner you want it, the more time you should plan to spend cleaning.  You need to be realistic about how much time it’ll take you to clean your house. And more importantly, when you’re going to clean your messy house.   

A good rule of thumb to follow is that 1,000 square feet in a messy house , could take around 1.5 to 2 hours to clean. If you have a 3,000 square foot messy house, set aside 4.5 to 6 hours to get your house sparkling clean.

Whether you want to clean your house in 2 hours or prefer to use the weekends to get the job done, remember that regularly scheduled cleaning time helps keep your house clean. 

If you have a family be prepared to clean your house during off-hours. You may need to wake up an hour before everyone to clean or clean after everyone goes to bed. Take advantage of nap times and playdates as much as possible as well.

READ THIS EPIC YET SIMPLE // Daily Cleaning Routine + Weekly Cleaning Schedule You can use this post to help you find the time to clean you didn’t think you had!

3 // Clean Your Messy House Task-By-Task To Get It Done Fast

Any big task can be overwhelming and a messy house is no exception.  When you have a large project to complete, breaking it up into smaller tasks can not only make the project easier to manage, it gives you a better chance of pulling off a win! 

The one thing you don’t want to do is clean a little over here and then a little over there without focus.  Randomly cleaning throughout the house is not going to help you get your messy house cleaned.

So let’s break this messy house down into smaller tasks like these:

Task 1:  Declutter surfaces only in every room of the house – no closets or drawers. 

Task 2:  Clean out closets in all bedrooms – one room every weekend for the next 2 months. 

Task 3:  Wash the blinds and baseboards throughout the house on Saturday. 

4 // No Matter What, Always Start With Clutter 

No matter what you’re cleaning, you have to declutter first – it’s the law.  Get rid of trash, clear off surfaces, put clothes away – you get the idea right? Once you knock that out, you can actually get to the cleaning part.

If you have a lot of clutter and really just don’t know where it should go, no worries!  Grab a box or a basket to temporarily store all the clutter in. Just get it off the surfaces for now so that you can make progress & actually get to cleaning!

Bonus Tip:  Focus on surface clutter when you first start cleaning your messy house.  This is all the crap on top of counters & surfaces. Don’t worry about cleaning out junk drawers or decluttering closets right now – hidden clutter – save that for another day.  

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ // Try The Pragmatic Declutter Method For Practical People to easily banish your clutter issues!  And grab an epic room-by-room declutter guide.

5 // Get Your House Flowing | Start With Trash + Dishes + Laundry EVERYTIME

A lot of times, a messy house is a result of life kicking your butt.  Aside from your house not being cleaned, trash, dishes, and laundry usually pile up as well.  If this is you, you’ve got to get these areas flowing before you worry about the rest of the house.  

There are chores you need to do to keep your house running smoothly, and then there are things you need to actually keep it clean. 

A sink full of dirty dishes and mountains of dirty clothes are signs that you need to take a step back & regroup.  The Clean Vibes Kit & Caboodle will guide you through this process so you can get control of your house once & for all!

No matter how messy your house is, get these two areas flowing.  Dishes need to be washed and put away every single day. One load of laundry a day is what works for me but if doing 5 or 6 loads on the weekend works for you, do it.  Just get caught up.

Here’s a pro-sized tip to *keep* those dishes under control /

Keep your dishwasher running so that you actually have help with the dishes. This means rinse the dishes in the sink. DO NOT put your dishes in the dishwasher with food on them – despite what the commercials say. The dishwasher is not a backup garbage disposal. All that food just sits in the bottom, causing major *stink*.

Extra Bonus Tip // Save The Worst For Last

Tackling the easy areas first helps you get momentum and a system going so that by the time you get to the messiest areas of your house, you’ll practically be a pro!  

The more progress you make throughout the house, the more motivated you’ll be to keep going.  But remember to be honest with yourself. If an area is just too overwhelming, skip it and go on to the next.  Just come back to it later.  

On the flip, if you wake up and you have the zeal to actually go straight to the messy room that’s been your worst nightmare for a while, do it!   Remember, these are all just suggestions – use these tips & strategies in any way you see fit to help you clean your messy house.

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post How To Clean A Messy House When You’re Beyond Clueless appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

I don’t know about you but coronavirus really made an entrance – sheesh!  With the effects felt worldwide, this virus has everyone thinking about hygiene and even the proudest slobs registering as certified germaphobes.  

Quarantining is an excellent way to stop the spread of any viral illness but if you’re at home coughing & sneezing, touching everything with your dirty hands and not cleaning the right things at the right times, you’re spreading cooties to everyone else in the house. Not cool.

Believe it or not, viruses can actually linger in your home and coronavirus can actually stick around for days!  Effortlessly keep your home clean – like sanitized & disinfected, white-glove-inspection-ready clean – with these cleaning tips!

1 | Declutter, Clean Then Disinfect – In That Order (D.C.D.)

Don’t just spray Lysol and walk away!  Set aside a few minutes to truly disinfect surfaces and follow these steps:

1 \\ completely clear the surface or declutter

2 \\ clean the surface with a cleaner of your choice | make sure you clean off whatever you plan to put back on the surface

3 \\ use a disinfectant to eliminate all germs on the surface | disinfect items that need to go back on the surface as well

And you’re done!

Oh and one more bonus tip – if your cleaner is a disinfectant, just follow the first two steps and you’ll be germ-free!

If you truly want to disinfect your house after (or during) an illness, follow this 3-step process every time. Whether you’re cleaning a kitchen counter, the top of a dresser or cleaning an entire room, declutter, clean and then disinfect!

This is the best way to get germs out of the house and have surfaces so clean you can lick em’!  But please don’t because that’s disgusting and then we’ll have to go through the whole process again. 

Shop On Amazon // Clean & sanitize your house with these plush microfiber towels! We use these in my cleaning service and at home because they hold up extremely well, and I like the fact that they are color-coded which reduces cross-contamination! For me, it’s blue for bathrooms, pink for kitchens and gray for dusting – but feel free to color code em’ any way you want.

2 | Disinfect Hard Surfaces Forreal

Let me guess.  You sprayed your disinfecting cleaner on a surface and then wiped it clean.  If that’s what you did, you didn’t really disinfect anything! Those germs are probably still there – laughing at you!

Dwell time is the key to disinfecting surfaces. 

Spray or apply the disinfectant, then walk away for a few minutes to give it time to work.   It needs to be wet while dwelling so make sure you spray or apply enough disinfectant. Come back and wipe the surface clean when the times up. That’s it!  

Since most disinfectants vary in the amount of time they need to actually kill all 99.9% of those germs and bacteria as advertised, you have to read the instructions to know how much dwell time is needed.   Thankfully, we are only talking 3-10 minutes. You can wait that long right?

3 | No Disinfectant?  No Problem – You Can Still Disinfect Surfaces

Spoiler alert! Regular cleaning products or even good ol’ fashioned soap and water is all you really need to sanitize your home. Not only is this an easy option because you probably have plenty of cleaning items already, you can avoid the harsh chemicals used in most disinfectants.

Knowledge bomb: sanitizing and disinfecting are not the same thing!

Sanitizing reduces the number of germs on a surface to the point where there are not harmful amounts.  Cleaning actually lowers the risk of infection by reducing the number of germs on a surface to safe levels.

Disinfectants kill everything! Chemicals like Lysol or bleach don’t remove germs from surfaces but they kill what’s there. Disinfectants are very strong and not something you want to inhale every day.

You should always clean to sanitize your house, then disinfect to truly make your house germ-free.

Just remember:

Cleaning = Sanitizing | Reduces levels of germs to reduce the spread of infection

Disinfect = 99.9% of germs dead | Typically a chemical that needs 3-10 minutes of dwell time

Sanitize or disinfect your house after or during illness with these common items:

soap & water (sanitizer | cleaning physically removes dirt and gunk, including germs, but won’t get everything so follow-up with a disinfectant)

70% rubbing alcohol (disinfectant, but only when using 70% or stronger)

vinegar (a lightweight disinfectant that kills around 80% of germs and does not eliminate MRSA, staph or rhinovirus which is responsible for most colds)

bleach (a harsh disinfectant so use sparingly)

hydrogen peroxide (disinfectant when used at full strength with a minimum dwell time 5 minutes)

all-purpose cleaner (sanitizer | cleaning physically removes dirt and gunk, including germs, but won’t get everything so follow-up with a disinfectant)

tea tree oil

Surely you have one of those items on hand!

4 | Take Your Shoes Off At The Door

You walk into a gas station bathroom, step in who-knows-what and then don’t bother to take your shoes off when you walk into your home???  Shame. On. You. 

Take your shoes off at the door. It will stop the spread all that yuckness – both debris and germs – throughout your home.  And yes I know this isn’t a cleaning tip per se, but it is a way to reduce germs & keep your house cleaner for longer periods of time.

Part of cleaning your house after sickness is learning how to minimize the spread of germs and by following this tip, you are literally leaving germs at the door.

5 | Clean The Highly Touched Items No One Remembers

Yeh, you cleaned the kitchen counters, remote control and vacuumed but if you really want to keep others in the house from getting sick, you need to make sure you clean these commonly forgotten items:

light switches

toilet handles

doorknobs

thermostats

faucet handles and knobs

entire bathroom

refrigerator handles

stair rails

cell phones

computer keys

floors

sofas

Commonly missed items like these are breeding grounds for germs.  Plus they usually look grimy because they are not cleaned very often. 

Everyone touches these items so when you are deep cleaning your house after sickness – or trying to disinfect after the flu – make sure these items are on your list.

But make sure you actually clean those items.  Like, wipe them off – get all the nooks and crannies.  

And yes, the floors need to vacuumed, swept and mopped. Why? While those cold and flu germs are in the air, eventually they settle to the ground. And by ground, I’m talking about the same floors you walk on barefoot.

And just like, you’re on your way to a germ-free house.

6 | Wash Sheets Every 24-48 Hours During Illness

Laying in bed or on the sofa for a few days is one of the hallmarks of being sick.   But after a few days of coughing and a runny nose, things can get a little disgusting.  Like that pillow you’ve been breathing all over.  

When deep cleaning your house after the flu – or while you’re sick – change & wash the sheets on the bed often .   When my little ones get sick, I’m washing everything every day – especially those disgusting blankies!   It’s work but I swear they get better faster.

If you want to disinfect sheets, blankets, and other soft items, wash them on the hottest temp possible and add bleach if it’s safe.  Oh and don’t forget to add towels to the load! That’s all you have to do.

If you can’t use bleach, that’s ok too.  The key is just to get that stuff washed! 

7 | Clean While You’re Sick – You’ll Get Better Faster

A new study just released says that coronavirus can live up to 72 hours on surfaces.  That’s like living to be 100 in human years!  Since it likes to hang around for a while, daily cleaning is a must.  

Cleaning your home after illness will be a breeze as long as you clean your home and practice good hygiene during the illness. Clean these items at least every two days.

Stay on top of dishes. Wash, don’t just rinse cups and utensils after use.

Kitchen counters, faucet handle, fridge door handle

Clean the bathroom toilet handle, faucet handles, sink and counter

Sanitize or switch out toothbrushes every 2-3 days. Just something to help you get better sooner.

Wipe down or steam clean sofa

Wash contaminated bedding and clothing *as stated above*

Make sure to keep a lined trash can or just a trash bag to collect all those snotty wads of tissue paper

I’ve mentioned alot of these items already, but the point is not to wait until the sick person has recovered to start cleaning. Clean your house during the period of illness to help them get better sooner and prevent the spread of the illness to others.

GRAB THIS EPIC YET SIMPLE // DAILY CLEANING ROUTINE + WEEKLY SCHEDULE PRINTABLE 

8 | Kick Germs Out By Opening The Windows

Is it just me or when someone coughs on an elevator, the immediate response is to hold my breath.  Because the air is still, you can almost smell the sneeze or cough – I’m about to pass out just thinking about it.  

Still-air helps germs linger in your home and that’s the opposite of what you want.  Whether you’re deep cleaning your house or someone is sick, get some fresh air into the house whenever possible.  

It’s also the world’s cheapest way to deodorize your home.  And it works even if you have pets. Can we say winning?

9 | Steam Clean Your Way To A Germ-Free House

‘There’s one thing that unites all living things: they’re killed by heat,’ explains microbiologist Jason Tetro. ‘Heat at temperatures over 77 degrees C is the best killer of bacteria and viruses, and the temperature of steam is much higher than that.’

Steam cleaners can tackle a wide variety of household surfaces, such as sealed hardwood floors, upholstery and carpets, as well as your kitchen sides, showers and bathroom tiles.

You don’t need to scrub, as the steam lifts up dirt and grease easily, which is then wiped away immediately. This is extra-handy for saving time during periods in which you’ve had to ramp up cleaning efforts.

The NHS suggests using steam cleaning on curtains, carpets, mattresses and soft furnishings that cannot be disinfected with regular cleaning sprays.  

I personally used this Wagner and McCulloch steamer in my cleaning business, however, for most people, this handheld steamer will do the trick!

YOU SHOULD READ // 21+ Spring Cleaning Tips For Ultra Clean Vibes Year Round!  Check this post out for super simple spring cleaning ideas that take less than an hour to complete.

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post Coronavirus & Flu: How To Clean Your House After Sickness appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.

Vinegar is America’s Sweetheart when it comes to natural cleaning products but she has a dark side.  While the list of things you can clean with vinegar is never-ending, you’re probably cleaning with vinegar all wrong.  Discover how to clean with vinegar like a pro once and for all.  

1 // Never use vinegar to clean marble, granite, or soapstone surfaces. 

This is because the acid can cause natural stone to pit and lose shine over time.  Basically it’s just a recipe for dullness. If you use vinegar on your stone surfaces, stop now!  

You should also avoid using windex and bleach on your stone counters for this reason as well.  

WHAT YOU SHOULD USE TO CLEAN STONE SURFACES INSTEAD //

Instead, clean marble, granite or soapstone with hot water and dish soap.  For stains, make a paste using baking soda and water. Simple right?  

WANT A 5-STAR CLEANER & POLISH FOR YOUR STONE SURFACES? // Try TriNova Granite Cleaner & Polish 

2 // Avoid cleaning knives with cleaning vinegar. 

Ok so there is a middle ground with this one.  You can clean a rusty knife with vinegar but you can’t let the vinegar sit on the knife for longer than 5-minutes or your knife will be doomed! 

Longer than that, and it’ll start breaking down the iron in the knife.  As an alternative, or after trying with vinegar, you can make a baking soda paste to further remove the rust.  

3 // Avoid using cleaning vinegar on any messes that involve eggs. 

“Cleaning egg messes with vinegar solution is one sure way to make a bad situation worse.  If you’ve ever had to clean up egg, imaging making the whole mess “gluey” – sounds like a nightmare right?  

Instead, go the old fashioned route soap and water.  I once saw a hack about using salt so you may want to try that out – or just make it your life’s mission to never ever spill an egg!  

4 // Cleaning vinegar should never be used on solid wood furniture.

Because it can ruin the finish point-blank.  It will literally strip the wax right off – not immediately but over time.   

INSTEAD OF USING VINEGAR TO CLEAN YOUR FURNITURE, TRY THIS INSTEAD //

If you want to wet clean your furniture, use a damp towel and a gentle all-purpose cleaner.  I like to follow behind with a dry microfiber towel to buff the surface dry for an epic shine. 

My Two Favorite Products To Clean Wood Furniture // Better Life Wood Polish + Method All-Purpose Cleaner 

5 // Cleaning vinegar should never ever be used on hardwood floors. 

 As a cleaning business owner, I cannot tell you the number of people that have specifically requested we use vinegar and water on their floors – my heart breaks inside each time.  

Vinegar is acetic.   It is an acid. It breaks down finishes.  If I want to remove a polish or finish from a floor, I may use an acetic product, like vinegar.  

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR CLEANING YOUR FLOORS // 

Spot clean your hardwood floors daily.  That’s you first line of defense. When it’s time to wash them or mop, you can use almost any all-purpose cleaner or hardwood floor cleaner.   The best one to use is simply the one you like.   

The difference between shiny and streaky floors is a mop that’t too wet so just remember you only need a damp mop.  

My Go-To Hardwood Floor Cleaning Products // Method Squirt + Mop + Professional Microfiber Flat Mop

6 // Don’t bother mixing cleaning vinegar with baking soda. 

The fizz you see when you mix vinegar with baking soda is exciting & entertaining- but that’s about it.  Once you mix the two ingredients, they react wildly, you see the fizz, but there isn’t anything else that happens after that.  

When combined, you don’t create a more powerful cleaning solution.  As a matter of fact, all you have is saltwater which isn’t a very effective cleaning solution at all. 

HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD //

Since both, baking soda and vinegar are amazing cleaners – separately – you can still use them to tackle the same mess, but instead of combining them…

Clean with baking soda, then rinse with vinegar. 

Clean with vinegar and then..there’s probably no need for baking soda. 

When doing laundry, you can use baking soda and a little bit of vinegar.  Do this if you have hard water. To learn more about this you can visit our friends at Little House In The Suburbs. 

7 // When In Doubt, Dilute

After all that, I have to say there are very few things that vinegar will just destroy the minute it comes into contact with it! What a relief right?

Whenever you are cleaning something with vinegar, just remember, you never want to go full-strength! And if you’re following a recipe for a vinegar-based cleaner, always air on the side of caution and dilute.

If you must use vinegar to clean, remember just a little drop of vinegar won’t hurt nobody! *lol

Good things are meant to be shared! Save this to your Pinterest account so you can actually find it later and so others can see you’ve got all the good stuff!

The post A Crash Course In Cleaning With Vinegar appeared first on 🙌 House Cleaning Service In Columbia, SC | The Cleaning Club.