6 Cleaning Hacks for a Sparkly, Tidy Home

Picture this; it’s the night before a big birthday dinner, or maybe it’s t-minus 6 hours until you have the family coming over. Suddenly every dust bunny is looking that much bigger, the kitchen isn’t shining like it should be, and the reflection in your mirrors are so blurry they might as well be something out of a true crime series.

So, how can you get all your housework done when you’re short on time? The key is to clean smarter, not harder.

These handy tricks can make cleaning your home a little easier.

1. Vinegar is your best friend

A 1:1 formula of vinegar and water acts effectively as a disinfectant, working on everything from a stovetop cleaner, to a floor solution. You can even pop one part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle for a homemade everyday cleaner. For an even deeper clean, add a dash of baking soda and lemon juice.

2. Move task by task, not room by room

If you’re vacuuming, mopping and deep cleaning a single room before moving onto the next room, you won’t be doing yourself any favours. The best strategy is to assemble a list of tasks for the entire house and move through them once that task has been accomplished. Tidy the whole house, then clean all surfaces, then vacuum and mop. By doing this you can have the house cleaned in a fraction of the time.

3. Get the family (or housemates) on board

Granted, convincing others to clean with you might be even more intimidating than cleaning the house yourself, but sharing the load can make cleaning so much easier, faster and even…fun! Get the kids to pick up any toys they have lying around and ask your partner or housemate to start on the bathroom while you work on cleaning the living room. Over time your family might forget they’re doing housework and start to enjoy it.

4. Cover your bathroom with shaving cream (Yes, really!)
Don’t stop reading just yet! Shaving cream has many of the same active ingredients as soaps and disinfectants. Shaving cream can effectively remove stubborn make up stains and by placing a thin layer on a mirror and wiping it off can help prevent mirrors from fogging up. So, you can be greeted by your own gorgeous face straight out of the shower every time.

5. Must-Have Microfibre

Microfiber cloths are one of the best products to have on hand. Microfibre is highly absorbent, covers more surface area and doesn’t harbour germs, making it ideal for surface cleaning. Its versatility and shape make it excellent for fitting into tight spaces, crevasses and corners for a more comprehensive clean, and microfibre cloths also contain an electrostatic charge, making them excellent for dusting.

6. Clean often

In terms of nifty cleaning hacks, this might be the most effective one. If you clean often and make a routine of it, your workload will likely decrease with every clean. Pick a time in the week, let’s say Sunday morning, to carry out a routine clean. Soon you’ll notice that your house is clean all the time! So, when the busy season arrives, you won’t have to dedicate as much time to keeping your house spick and span.

Hopefully, these tips help to cut down your cleaning time, so that you can spend more time with your friends and family.

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