You don't need to be a professional cleaner to make your home sparkle. Our guide shows you how a few simple tricks can save you time on cleaning as well as giving your home that professional clean touch!!!
Tip #1 - Have the essentials handy
Matching the right household cleaner for the job can be complicated, since there are so many products making all kinds of claims. Homemade cleaners can handle many basic cleaning tasks just as well as harsh commercial cleaners, saving money and reducing the amount of harmful VOCs (short for “volatile organic compounds”) in your home’s indoor air. Our cleaning pros always keep the following ingredients handy:
Baking soda. This mild alkali powder is great for removing stains from tile, china, and the inside of your oven and refrigerator. It’s also excellent at absorbing odors, for example by sprinkling the powder on musty carpets, then vacuuming it up after a few hours of deodorizing.
Borax. Available at most grocery stores, this powder or crystalline salt makes an excellent freshener when added to laundry and is an all-around deodorizer.
Castile soap. A mild soap available in liquid or bar form that can be used for general-purpose cleaning. It was once made from olive oil, but now might include other vegetable oils as well.
Cream of tartar. This common baking ingredient is a mild acid that you can use as a sink and bathtub stain remover. It can also be used to remove spots from aluminum cookware.
Distilled white vinegar. Use this pantry staple to help kill germs and deodorize, remove some carpet stains, clean cookware, and unclog drains. While vinegar has a slight scent while wet, when dry, it leaves no odor.
Hydrogen peroxide. A mild alternative to chlorine bleach that you can use for stain removal and mild bleaching and germ killing.
Lemon juice. It acts like a very mild bleach to lighten stains and cut grease. Lemon can also be used to remove tarnish on brass, copper, bronze, and aluminum (but not on silver).
While ammonia is harsher, it’s also good to keep on hand for certain tasks. For example, when washing windows, you can mix 1⁄2 cup ammonia, 1⁄2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent, and 1 pint rubbing alcohol, plus enough water to make a gallon. Pour the solution into spray bottles and it will clean as well as anything off the shelf. For everyday kitchen and bathroom cleaning, mix one part ammonia and eight parts water, then add a few drops of dish detergent.
Bleach is another good one to use sparingly. To battle mildew or soap scum, spray on a solution of one part bleach to four parts water, let it sit for 30 minutes, wipe with a sponge, and finish with a water rinse. An old toothbrush dipped in diluted bleach (1 tablespoon bleach to 2 cups water) can clean grimy grout lines on tile walls and floors.
There are times when you’ll need to reach for commercial cleaners. Our pros stand by Pine-Sol as the best all-purpose cleaner for tackling heavy soil and stains without leaving behind streaks.
Tip #2 - Deep clean your carpet
Regular vacuuming is key to reducing the amount of dust and dander in the home. Once a year, it’s also worth paying for a deep steam clean to get at that ground-in dirt and stains. You can pay a professional cleaner for around £75 per room for a typical home. Or you can rent a deep-cleaning machine from the home centre or vacuum dealer, for about £30 a day.
Keep in mind that the machines are heavy, so they can be hard for one person to manoeuvre.
Tip #2 - Wash those windows inside & out
Clean windows just add that "just cleaned" sparkle to every home.
The best way to clean windows is with soap, hot water and a squeegee!
Pick a nice day and get to work, you will notice such a difference afterwards.
We can't get enough of this £8.99 squeegee from Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/NileHome-Squeegee-Stainless-Bathroom-Cleaning/dp/B0BLHQTZG3?crid=AZSMN9CK9KMK&keywords=squeegee&qid=1683035609&sprefix=squeegee%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-8&linkCode=li1&tag=kayteeebee11-21&linkId=5a0cd447bfa0dc1d2b5129952c7a7dc5&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0BLHQTZG3&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=kayteeebee11-21&language=en_GB" ></a><img src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=kayteeebee11-21&language=en_GB&l=li1&o=2&a=B0BLHQTZG3" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Tip #3 - Keep your filters clean
Did you know that your dishwasher has a filter? It’s there to help get rid of the funky smells coming from food bits and to help mucky water drain from the machine. To do all that, it needs to be cleaned at least once a month. But don’t stop at the dishwasher. Plenty of other filters in the home also need to be cleaned or replaced regularly.
If your home has forced-air heating and cooling, there are filters in the furnace and air handler that need to be changed every few months to cut down on dust and pollutants. Room air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and vacuums also have filters that need to be cleaned to improve your home’s indoor air quality.
And to minimize grease in the kitchen, remember to clean the filter on your range hood or over-the-range microwave. Many can simply be popped into the dishwasher.
Tip #4 - Make a cleaning schedule
Schedules for cleaning are our favourite things.
If you struggle with what to do and when, why not make a schedule and tick off as you go. Not only are they fun to complete, they also help you remember what to clean and when.
Amazon offer these cute paperback cleaning schedules for just £5.95
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cleaning-Schedule-Checklist-Log-Book/dp/B0B67JDHG1?crid=Q0NJVIXBC9KZ&keywords=cleaning+schedule&qid=1683036013&sprefix=cleaning+schedule%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-8&linkCode=li1&tag=kayteeebee11-21&linkId=b90139fb101d838c1aa3bea4e9f17a43&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0B67JDHG1&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=kayteeebee11-21&language=en_GB" ></a><img src="https://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=kayteeebee11-21&language=en_GB&l=li1&o=2&a=B0B67JDHG1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Tip #5 - Put that music on
Cleaning shouldn't be a chore, it is essential for your wellbeing. So set aside a certain day each week, put on your favourite tunes and get to work. It will zoom by and you will start to enjoy cleaning!!!!
Don’t Fell Bad Asking For Help
Life can get busy and sometimes we just really do not have the time for cleaning. It is ok to ask for help and there is always a professional willing to do so. Professional cleaners are great to hire for those with busy work schedules, busy families etc and we also come with great knowledge too. Finding t hard to remove that limescale? We can help!!! Don't suffer n silence.
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