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Entries Tagged 'Quick Cleaning Tips' ↓
Who likes to clean the house, raise your hand… Waving hand, OK, I admit it, I personally would rather clean the house than cook! But my disclaimer is that I do make homemade meals every day because I want my family to eat healthy food. But if I had a choice between a toilet brush and a basting brush, my bets would be on the toilet brush. Somehow cleaning gives me a sense of satisfaction and completes a job that shouldn’t have to be done again right away. With cooking, it’s only a few hours and there you go again.
But, being a busy mom, there are times when the deep cleaning doesn’t get done around here. The house looks clean, but I know it’s not really, really clean. I have ledges in my house that need dusting that are so high they require a ladder. And like everyone else, I have blinds that need dusting, appliances that need to be pulled out, cupboards that need wiping and the list goes on and on. So what do I do? I call my mom! You’re never, ever too old to need your mom. So what can you do?
Get a cleaning companion! Having someone help you will make it so much easier to get through your list for the following reasons:
1) It makes you accountable to get ‘er done when you have a date and time set with someone else, whether it’s your mom, spouse or good friend (they must be a good friend if they are helping you clean).
2) It’s more fun to have someone to talk with while you work; definitely more fun than whistling while you work.
3) You’ll have someone to hold the ladder for you. I’m a chicken when it comes to the top rungs of the ladder, I feel so much better when my mom is at the bottom to catch me.
4) The work will get done faster with two people. Who wants to clean all day? I like it, but I’m not crazy.
5) Chances are you will do something fun when you are done, like go out for lunch together. I don’t like to cook all that much, but I love to eat!
If you’re struggling to get everything done or maybe just overwhelmed on where to start on your cleaning, get a cleaning companion and tackle it together! For more quick cleaning tips, please feel free to stay right here and read more! 
Tags: cleaning companion, deep cleaning, DIY organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, Quick cleaning tip
cleaning kit
If you’re anything like me, there is a cleaning frenzy in your home before company comes for a visit. Now, if someone just stops by unexpected, they are going to get what they are going to get. If there’s laundry waiting to be folded or dishes in the sink, that’s just a part of life. But when I have purposely invited company over, I like to have the house looking nice and it’s always a good excuse to get everything in order!
But when I am balancing work and home chores, sometimes I can get stressed out because I’m trying to do too much. For example, this is a picture of a shelving unit in my bathroom and I noticed it need to be dusted. Well, how likely is it that my company will come all the way up to my bedroom, go into my bathroom and notice I need to wipe down the glass? Probably not very likely.
So, I’m thinking that when we are busy, when we are in a hurry, when we have plenty on our plates, it’s OK to use this quick cleaning tip and clean just what’s seen. I’m kinda thinking that sweeping the porch and mowing the front yard will make more of an impression when company pulls up than dusting in my bathroom. I’m thinking that getting the dishes out of the sink and into the dishwasher before company comes will have a bigger impact than vacuuming a floor that already looks fine.
So, I’m thinking I’ll clean the obvious stuff first and if I have extra time (hahahahahahaha) before company comes, then I’ll dust the bathroom. Plus, they are coming to visit us not do an inspection!
Tags: balancing work and home, cleaning tip, DIY organization, dusting, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, Quick cleaning tip
Home Organizing Cleaning Kit
At first I was just trying to be funny about hiring someone, but I got to thinking about it and this really can be an excellent option for some households. I’m very aware that everyone has a budget to keep in mind, but hiring someone to help you really can be a great option for busy families struggling to get everything done. Perhaps you read one of my last posts listing everything that I felt I needed to get done over the weekend. I sure did get a lot done, but I didn’t get it all done and chances are you aren’t getting everything done either. I’ve worked with busy two-income families that worked uber hard all week and then still had all of the normal chores to catch up with over the weekend. This could be the perfect scenario for hiring someone to clean (I’m not talking about organizing here) while they are at work leaving their weekends open for something other than mopping, dusting and vacuuming. Maybe it’s only once a month for deep cleaning; boy would I ever love to have someone come over to dust my blinds! Another option is hiring someone for the outside. A yard service or nearby teenager to cut your grass once or twice a month.
If this is something that you choose to do, be sure to choose to do it without guilt. Your time and energy and effort is valuable and you have to decide where to best spend it. Maybe your best way to spend it is at the beach with your kids while someone else takes care of the dusting-what will your children remember more?
Making a concious decision to have a better life balance means you get to pick and choose the best way to spend your time! Now, I am off for a run! OK, a run/walk.
Your Home Organization Expert-Monika
Tags: DIY organization, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, organizing, Quick cleaning tip
Organized Garage
A great way to stay on top of garage organization projects is to commit to sweeping on a regular basis. If the floor is packed-you just really can’t sweep. Plus, it just really feels great to walk into a freshly swept, neat garage! And it keeps you from dragging stuff into the house on your shoes or feet. Commit to sweeping at least once a month which will actually mean committing to keeping the floor clear of extra “stuff!”
For more tips, check out my other garage organization posts for more help!
Disorganized & Messy Kitchen
When you’ve got too much stuff out, it simply makes it harder to clean flat surfaces.
- When you can’t get to your kitchen counter top, it’s hard to clean food crumbs.
- When you can’t get to your table top, it’s hard to keep dust at bay.
- When you can’t get to your desk top, it’s hard to keep dust at bay.
- When you can’t get to your floor, dust, grime and food crumbs can take hold.
Choose one area of your home today to declutter and create a clear surface so it will be easier to keep clean! And it will look and feel better too-you can do it!
Your Home Organization Expert, Monika
Organized & Clean Kitchen
Tags: cleaning, clutter, counter top, declutter, desk top, disorganized kitchen, dust, floor, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, home organization expert, Organized & Clean kitchen
Clean and Organized Kitchen
Home organization isn’t just about clearing clutter, it’s also about keeping surfaces clean so you can find what you need and feel calm in your surroundings. I am an organized person (ahem), but I just happen to be a messy cook! Cupboards and drawers fly open creating booby traps, crumbs fall on the floor, lids get separated from the spices…After I finally sit down to enjoy my meal, I have a lot of work ahead of me to get everything back in order. Oh, did I mention cooking is one of my least favorite tasks? Baking goodies-good, eating-great, cooking-not so much.
Of course I feel great when I take the time to put things away and wipe down counters as I go. This is a habit I need to work on so I can enjoy my meal in peace. This is an easy way to stay on top of organization as there aren’t any decisions to be made as there when you are decluttering your home. I’ll keep working on it and that may mean a few less head bumps along the way too-bonus!
Tags: cleaining tip, clearing clutter, cooking, Decluttering, home, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, kitchen, organized person
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
I wanted to share one of my favorite biodegradable products as a cleaning tip for you! I have started buying and LOVE Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Aromatherapeutic Household All Purpose Cleaner. I bought my first bottle at Target when I was looking for something without all the chemicals that will make it down the drain. The initial investment was more than the chemical all purpose cleaners at roughly $8 for 32 fluid ounces. But it is a concentrate so it is taking a very long time to use up the bottle-which is great! The directions say to use 1/4 cup with 1 gallon of water, but I am using a 32 oz. spray bottle so I add a few capfulls of Mrs. Meyers and then fill the spray bottle the rest of the way with water. I was sure to add a label to the outside of the spray bottle to avoid the possibility of confusion and, although safer than other cleaners, I still store it up high.
I prefer this to using vinegar and water as a safer cleaning agent as it smells nice and clean with lemon verbena.
You can save yourself some time and energy by filling several spray bottles and placing them strategically around the house for a quick and easy clean up!
Tags: chemicals, cleaning tip, earth friendly, easy clean up, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, spray bottles, Target
Ok, I’m the first person that would say that it’s not a good idea to multitask. I know the stats, I know it takes longer for your brain to process what you are doing when you multitask. But sometimes I think there’s an exception to the rule and where I draw the line on the rule is when it comes to cleaning the house. In my opinion, if I am having a casual conversation, not a business call or a call with a client, then I think I can do a little dusting and still carry on a conversation. I love to talk and I’m good at it, a little bit of chit chat won’t hold me back or keep me from sweeping. Here is a list of quiet activities you can do while chatting up your BFF:
- Dust table tops
- Clean mirrors
- Clean fingerprints from doors
- Fold laundry
- Clean light switches
- Clean the front of kitchen appliances
- Carpet spot removal
- Dust the tops of pictures
- Dust the TV screen
- Clean your computer screen
Stay away from the noisy stuff like cleaning out the dishwasher or you’ll give yourself away. Catch up on all the latest while you make your home shine!
Tags: computer screen, dust, laundry, light switches, mirrors, phone, TV screen
The liner that you place under a dish rack is a quick, easy and inexpensive fix for keeping things clean under your kitchen sink. I place my garbage can and another small basket filled with scrubbing supplies on mine. It is so easy to pull out, scrub down, dry and place back under the sink. It beats having little spills hit and stick to the wood, which requires a lot more scrubbing. My plastic liner has lasted for many years.
Stay on top of home organization and take a cleaning shortcut with a dish rack liner!
Tags: cleaning, dish rack, garbage can, Home Organization, kitchen sink, supplies
We are all so busy, it can be very hard to find time to do a big ‘deep’ cleaning in all the rooms of our homes. Be sure to keep a supply of cleaning products (locked if you have little ones) under all of your sinks, in bathrooms and in your laundry area for doing quick clean ups as you go. Take advantage of even just seconds to help you keep a handle on things. If possible, use green products to help our environment while you care for your home. If you can’t keep cleaning products down low due to kids or pets, then create a cleaning caddy with a handle that you can just grab and go while you are on the move!
Here are a few tasks you can get done quickly:
- While waiting for something to warm in the microwave, you can wipe down the front of the microwave or any appliance for that matter.
- While you are waiting that last couple of minutes for the laundry to be ready to put in the dryer, quickly spray and wipe down the tops of the washer and dryer.
- While you are waiting for the water to warm up for your shower, spray and wipe down the counter top in the bathroom.
- While you are waiting for your computer to come on, wipe down your screen and blow out the keyboard.
Help yourself not have to invest hours in a cleaning frenzy by doing little bits in little bits of time!
Tags: bathroom, cleaning, computer, dryer, green products, home, keyboard, kids, laundry, pets, washer
