Having a clean home can be quite therapeutic and relaxing. Yet, cleaning your home is not only about vacuuming and brushing the floors. Many elements play a role in properly and effectively cleaning your home. This ranges from dusting and vacuuming to how you arrange your items. Still, confused about how to properly clean your home? Check out the 6 tips to clean your home like a pro and turn it into your therapeutic sanctuary.
1. Use The Right Tools & Keep Them Together
Before you think of cleaning your home, you should first ensure you source for the right tools. Examine your home and figure out what tools work for it. For example, do you need a long duster to clear cobwebs from the ceiling? Do you need a special oven spray to remove the grease build-up? Do you need non-chlorine based bleach to clean up your bathroom?
Think of other elements that make up the products. For example, a citrus-based oven cleaner and bleach would work great for the oven and bathroom; ultimately leaving a pleasant citrusy after scent. You also want to be efficient during your cleaning sessions. You don’t want to switch from a glass cleaner for your bathroom mirror, to a wall cleaner and tile cleaner for the same bathroom.
Instead, look for a multipurpose cleaner that can cover several areas. This means that you can carry one bottle around with you for more efficient cleaning. Plus, it is also cost-effective to invest in a single multipurpose cleaner than several specialized cleaning products.
After identifying the products you want, invest in a small shower caddy or even a utility belt, and stuff in all your supplies so you can easily transition from one area to the other during cleaning.
2. Declutter
This is perhaps one of the most important steps during cleaning because it also plays a role in determining how your home looks. You can invest in the most expensive cleaners and vacuums, but a cluttered home will still look messy. Decluttering your home also makes the cleaning process more efficient.
Put your laundry away in its designated space, pick things off the floor, stuff your utensils and other kitchen items in the dishwasher, and so on. Doing so creates ample space to effectively clean the home. As a long-term tip, invest in furniture and tools to organize and permanently declutter your home.
For example, rather than tossing the mini lamp, Bluetooth speaker, calendar, and small plants around the room invest in a nice looking display stand and arrange them on it. Other than organizing your living space, the stand also adds extra aesthetics to the living area.
3. Learn How To Vacuum The Right Way
Before you begin vacuuming your home, there are several prepping steps to follow to ensure you do it right. During the cleaning process, vacuuming should be last. After decluttering your place, the next step should be to dust your items and move large furniture out of the way.
Dust the ceiling, walls, and windows, dust down the surface around, wipe down furniture and other accessories. You can even use furniture polish and other cleaning products to make them shine again. Don’t forget to also clean the smaller items such as your displayed accessories on the decorative stand. If they are machine washable, toss your curtains, cushion covers, and other cloth items into the washer.
Then, move on to vacuuming – when you start to vacuum, work your way out to the front door. Begin with the bedrooms and bathrooms, move towards the hallway, kitchen, dining area, living room, and out through the front door. When you dust from top to bottom, then vacuum towards the exterior, this ensures that the cleaning process will not be redundant.
For example, if you begin by dusting the furniture before you dust the windows, or vacuum then dust the small accessories on the stand, you may have to dust or vacuum again because the dirt particles will fall on the already dusted or vacuumed surface.
Additionally, when you are vacuuming, you should also know your traffic and non-traffic areas.
For instance, at the front door, you want to vacuum the area, with at least two strokes and at a slow pace. You don’t have to do the same with areas such as the guest bedroom where traffic is not as high. When you are vacuuming also be thorough with corners, edges, and even furniture. And if you have tile or wooden floors, still vacuum first then, mop them.
4. Don’t Forget Other Important Components
As you continue to clean from room to room, you should also remember to clean up essential components in each room. For example, when you are in the kitchen, the stars of the show are the kitchen sink and appliances. So before you pick up the duster, vacuum, or mop, these items need to be cleaned up first.
Spray down your sink, dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, and other similar items with an all-purpose cleaner and then, give them a good wipe. You can even run the dishwasher with a magic cleaner to disinfect the inside. In your bathroom, don’t forget to wash your shower curtain, if you have one. You don’t have to wait for it to be soiled so you can throw it away.
5. Create A Clean Ambiance
After you are done with the cleaning process, you also want to create that clean environment and ambiance in your home. Spray the air, curtains, cabinets, and wardrobes with a fabric refresher and light a freshly scented candle in your home. This helps to set up that clean and relaxing environment whilst also masking the chemical and strong smells of your cleaning products.
6. Cleaning Should Be A Lifestyle
To ensure your home is spot clean at all times, cleaning shouldn’t be a single day affair. It should be your lifestyle. Doing so makes the designated cleaning day more efficient and realistic. This doesn’t mean that you should be vacuuming your home every day. Instead, it means you should integrated cleaning into your life.
For example, after having that sandwich and soda, don’t toss your plate and glass in the sink. Instead, rinse them and arrange them into the dishwasher until it is full and ready for a wash cycle. If you have a large family, try to do your laundry at least twice a week. Toss your clothes in the washer and leave it running when you leave for work. When you return after work, you can arrange the clean clothes in your wardrobe.
