Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I used to have such a hard time keeping my house clean. Ever since I was a kid, my parents were appalled by how my room would look, and it never really got better. Not until I finally took the time to put some steps in place.
1. I started playing music fairly loud when I'm cleaning and try to have some fun with it. (i know tuff to do for something like cleaning). But once you get into the zone, it becomes so much easier.
2. I made it a rule I cannot break to always clean up after cooking. If you don't do it even once, it's hard to get back into it, so you really have to be disciplined with it. The worst part of a dirty house, in my opinion, is a dirty kitchen.
3. I bought a rumba. Yes, I said that right, I bought a rumba. I used to be so skeptical of these things, however, the technology has progressed so much, that they are actually extremely viable. Not having to vacuum and always have a clean floor is such a blessing and worth the money.
4. Last but probably most important, is to keep yourself motivated. Always hold your self accountable over every little thing, as soon as you lose the motivation, the clutter comes back in. We have all been there, we spend hours cleaning the house and within a few days it's dirty again. This won't happen if you keep yourself motivated and disciplined.
[mod cut - advertising not allowed]
Last edited by VTsnowbird; 02-07-2020 at 04:47 AM..
I try and clean smartly. We have mostly hardwood flooring (and tile). Years ago I bought a Hoover Floormate that clean/mops/dries all in one pass. The difference over normal mopping and/or the pad things, was simply stunning. I’m now on our second device, the Bissell Crosswave gadget that basically does the same thing. Gets all the dirty water off the floor, and allows us to stretch out cleanings of the floor a little longer. Also noticed fewer illnesses amongst the family after buying of these gadgets (at the time had little kids/babies).
Windows - Mr. Clean Magic erasure bars, $3 squeegee, paper towels. Can clean a window spotless and streak-free in about 10 seconds.
Bought a bucket, and a package of good sponges from the paint section at HD. Fill with hot water mixed with your cleaning solution of choice, wipe with sponge, dry with rag. Easy.
Bought several spray bottles from HD and ordered 409 in bulk from amazon. Each bathroom has a spray bottle of 409 and a bottle of diluted bleach along with a roll of paper towels. Also put toilet cleaner and scrub brush in each bathroom. Basically deployed all cleaning items needed to each location instead of hauling them around. Makes it easy to spot clean when needed.
Bought several spray bottles from HD and ordered 409 in bulk from amazon. Each bathroom has a spray bottle of 409 and a bottle of diluted bleach along with a roll of paper towels. Also put toilet cleaner and scrub brush in each bathroom. Basically deployed all cleaning items needed to each location instead of hauling them around. Makes it easy to spot clean when needed.
You took the words right out of my fingers - LOL.
This is really the key to easy cleaning for me - to have cleaning supplies stocked near where you are going to use them, especially in bathrooms. Then like you say, it's super easy to just grab what you need quickly out of the cabinet and clean something on the spot, rather than having to go get something, come back, etc.
I believe in "clean as you go." It's just my husband and me, and our two big dogs, so I only "deep clean" about twice a month, but I pick up and clean along the way every single day. It's just a few minutes a day that way.
One tip that is very pertinent to me is "Don't put anything on the floor." No clothes, no papers, no books, nothing. I also don't put anything other than a pillow in any chairs, and other than the "mail station" (a small table with a shredding machine and trash can next to it) I don't lay stuff around on tables either.
When I use something, and I'm done with it, I just put it up. I mean, if I'm sitting in the living room watching TV and have something to drink, when I get up I take the glass back to the kitchen. If I come in with a drink in a disposable cup, I throw it in the recycling when I'm done. When I come in and change into something more comfortable, I just go ahead and put my other clothes up, or if they are dirty I go ahead and put them in the hamper. It sounds common sense but I've seen a lot of people who don't do this, and then cleaning up becomes some big project - when it's not when you do it along the way.
I can and do totally relax, I just pick up after myself when I get up if that makes sense. True story - my BIL and SIL are both clutterers. When they visited recently, we all had some fruit for breakfast, and we were sitting around in the den with our little plates, eating our cut up fruit. We sat around talking for a bit, planning our day, and then when I got up, I do what I always do - I picked up my plate and took it into the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher. Except this time, I also picked up their plates. I didn't even think about it, it's just habit. A few minutes later my SIL exclaimed "Where is my plate? You took my plate! I wasn't done eating yet!" (This was at least an hour after breakfast.) I said, "Oh, yes, I picked that up when I got up." She said, "Well, I wasn't done with it yet." I said, "Well, I'll put it this way - we have more fruit. We have more plates. This is how I roll in my house, so there's no point in trying to retrain me - I'll probably always pick up your plate when I pick up mine. But you are more than welcome to have more fruit." Sheeze!
But it doesn't surprise me, because their house is very cluttered and especially their kitchen. That's fine for them, but it's not how I roll in my own house. Like I said, I didn't even think about it when I got up an hour after we ate and picked up the plates. I just don't let dirty dishes lay about in my house. So sue me. LOL!
We clean up after ourselves. We don't put packages down or mail, it gets opened thrown away or put where its suppose to go. Dishes are rinsed and put in dishwasher after we are done using them. We dont allow things to pile up. We have Roomba vacs they are worth every penny. And 2 robot Braava mops. It helps alot and I can keep the house in better shape.
Spray showers down before taking a shower, its easy to rinse and keep them clean.
Roombas still have some issues. They get stuck on the fringe of area rugs and stuck under furniture etc. On hard floors like wood with hard debris like bird seed, they just throw it around the room rather than picking it up. The battery tends to go dead relatively quickly (i.e. no longer holding a decent charge) and a replacement battery costs more than a Roomba on sale.).
We have always loved Roombas despite the problems, but when the last one died (battery) we did not replace it. Too much money that we need to apply to other priorities. A broom and vacuum operated by a human work better and are virtually no cost to us.
So basically, the way to keep a clean and orderly house is to clean it and keep it orderly.
I am all for that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It was reported and removed.
I am all for that.
