You’ll never maintain a clean home if you are guilty of these bad habits
I put off cleaning until I know I’m having guests over. That’s my bad habit. I think many folks are the same. They work full time and when they’re home it’s time to unwind. The plan to clean the kitchen tonight be damned! Unfortunately, problems start to arise as a result of this behavior. If maintenance negligence becomes a concern to your landlord or worse to your health, you are in need of a mandatory change.
If you’re like me you’re all about what I call “surface cleaning” just enough to give the appearance of neatness and cleanliness. I understand that. Or maybe you literally wait for each season to do a more intensive job, y’know, like spring cleaning. But that’s laziness. It’s self-defeating and it’s time to be a bit more thorough, so here are some tips that can be helpful. You may not even be aware that you are wasting your time by making common mistakes that actually are detrimental to your cause. Cut those out of your routine and cleaning will be more efficient and you’ll have more time to chill.
Don’t Ignore Emergencies
Some things you just can’t put off. If you spill a coke on the floor you got to mop it up a.s.a.p. Otherwise you’ll have the soda tracked all over and you’re going to nurture a seriously sticky surface that will attract all sorts of dust and debris. But worse of all, you’ll invite a likely endless stream of ants. That’s what’s called having an even bigger problem on your hands. So, spend less than a minute to nip it in the bud, or much more time battling ants.
This goes for any other cleaning situation that pops up suddenly. Address it immediately. In fact, you can even be proactive. If you simply put a minute or two into decluttering every day, it will make the eventual heavier cleaning much easier. It should go without saying, the food prep area in particular needs to be sanitized. Wipe down the sinks and shower after each use, keep clothes off the floor, and unwanted paper like junk mail disposed of regularly. Throw in what should be weekly habits, like dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the toilet, etc… and you will be golden before you know it.
Know Where to Begin
The idea is to be as efficient as you can with your time cleaning. You could actually start with a certain chore that will cause you to have to backtrack. It’s important to do everything in a certain order that promotes efficiency. For example, begin by picking up things that are randomly strewn about and put them in their applicable spaces. You do not want to clean around something that doesn’t belong there to begin with.
It’s a good rule of thumb to start at the top of the room and work from there. Makes sense, right? You dust the ceiling fan and all that debris falls to the floor. Soon after you’re cleaning the floor whereupon the dust fell, it’s a logical order of things. It’s just as applicable and convenient when working with water like cleaning a shower. Start at the top and you won’t be troubled with drips.
The Right Stuff
If you are buying cleaning products that are subpar you often compromise the quality of the cleaning job it is supposed to do. It may not be as effective as the more established brands and therefore will do an inferior job. There’s nothing worse than spending money on a product that just doesn’t do what you expect of it. Sometimes you might pick the right cleaner but for the wrong job. Don’t waste time and money. Read the labels and follow the directions. If you prefer to be environmentally conscious there are plenty of green solutions that are effective as cleaning products.
Don’t be Self-Defeating
You need to make sure a car is running great before you enter a race, or a computer is free of malware in order for it to work properly; so, too must you keep your cleaning tools clean. You can’t vacuum properly if the bag is full, and you can’t scrub with a brush with bristles that are worn to the point of ineffectiveness. Even your washing machine in the laundry room needs to be cleaned regularly. And if you’re relying on sponges that are clearly past their prime you are only serving to hold yourself back while making yourself susceptible to harmful germs. Make sure everything is in the right condition to properly do its job. When dealing with disposable projects tackle each with a fresh batch. I hope these helpful household tips get you on the right track to a cleaner home!
