When it comes to cleaning your house, it’s important to be effective and have a great schedule. That’s why we will look at a few housekeeping tips to have a clean and effective household that you can be proud of.
Housekeeping can be a daunting task, especially if you do it yourself. But with tips and guidelines from industry experts, you can easily ensure that you make the most out of your efforts and have a house that is always lean and presentable. Whether you clean hotel rooms, other people's houses or your own, you can learn a lot from these experts’ expertise.
If you handle your housekeeping work yourself, it’s time to get up, put on that housekeeping uniform, and get to work! But with a little planning, you can make your work much easier. Here are a few great tips to save you a lot of time and effort, while ensuring that your house is always ready for visitors.
Have a Plan
According to the experts, you need a very scientific approach to cleaning. For example, in a hotel, the room attendants are trained to walk into the room and strip all linen first. Develop a plan for each room in your home. If you know what you're going to clean and in what order, you'll save time and avoid repeating steps. Use our cleaning checklist to get started.
Include the Furniture
Many people focus on the floors and hard surfaces, but skip the sofas and upholstery. Vacuum with an attachment to remove dust and dirt particles that can break down the fabric over time.
Dust Your Bulbs
Brighten up your rooms by giving light bulbs a regular dusting. Make sure you turn them off and let them cool down first, so they're not hot, recommends the experts.
Start at the Top
You should start at the top of a room and work downward. Dust falls and you don't want to drive yourself nuts repeating steps. This goes for all rooms in the home.
Care for Your Appliances
Cleaning a room might be your top priority, but don't overlook the appliances that are making your room sparkly clean. According to Messing, "Even the best vacuums can get clogged. On a monthly basis, inspect your vacuum and clean the brushes to ensure that the vacuum is working properly. This makes vacuuming easier and more efficient."
Irons needs to be cleaned too, as rust can built up if the water is not drained - which will stain your clothing. Always drain your iron after every use.
Open the Windows
When cleaning in a room, use natural light wherever and whenever possible. It provides better ventilation when you're working with chemicals and lets you see more details as you clean. Plus, it's good for the environment.
Be Careful with Chemicals
Never, never mix chemicals. Some chemicals can create harmful vapors when mixed, so stick with what the chemical label recommends and let the chemicals do the work. It's easy to lose track of what products you're using when you're busy cleaning, so one way to avoid this is to use color-coded rags. Consider using different color rags for each cleaning project or chemical, i.e. one for dusting and one for cleaning windows; also be sure to wear gloves.
Protect Your Beds
Using mattress protectors not only keeps mattresses clean, but also can extend the life of your mattress, according to Messing. There are many options that will protect your mattress from liquids and stains, dust mites and other allergens without changing the comfort and feel of your bed.
The same goes for pillows. Utilizing and periodically cleaning zippered pillow protectors will help extend the life of your pillows and give you a clean place to rest your head.
Pressed for Time
If you really need to clean the home in a rush, you can take a few minutes for each room and have it ready in no time. Here’s what you can do:
- For the kitchen: Wash up and clear draining board, buff up taps and sink with a microfiber cloth, wipe worktops, and empty the bin.
- For the bathroom: Use wipes to go around toilet, dispose of them in the bin bag, squirt bleach and flush, check there's enough toilet paper, wipe basin and taps with a microfiber cloth, replace hand towel.
- For the hallway: Put coats and shoes out of sight, clear hall table top or windowsill and give them a quick polish, straighten the doormat.
- For the sitting room: Plump sofa cushions, tidy side/central table, return remote controls to the TV stand, remove food and drink debris, open windows.
Make a List
Make this work for your home by creating a list of all the occasional chores you need to get done, like organizing that huge pile of magazines. Take a few minutes every day to check an item off the list. You can even designate 15 minutes each day to do one task. You don't have to spend your entire weekend cleaning because much of it is done and your house always looks company-ready.
So, with these tips in mind, start your cleaning plan and get into a routine. By utilizing these tricks and tips, you'll be done with your cleaning for the day - and you'll have a house that is always presentable.