Having a regular cleaning schedule is one of the best things you can do to make sure your home always looks great and is in good shape. While there are some things you can do infrequently, some household tasks should be taken care of on a weekly basis. Taking care of those tasks regularly will keep your home in prime condition and help you to make an ideal impression.

Kitchen Cleaning

Your kitchen is a hotspot for germs and junk to pile up, and if it isn’t kept clean it can impact the cleanliness of your whole house. Life can get busy and that often results in dishes piling up in the sink, and your counters getting messy. Setting aside time each week to take care of your kitchen cleaning will help you to take care of the mess and prevent things from piling up too much. Kitchn recommends mixing it up with a little music, some games, or rewards to make it more fun for yourself. 

Vacuuming 

Vacuuming is one of the chores that are most often forgotten, but it can make a big difference. According to Michael’s Professional Carpet Cleaning, you should vacuum the carpet at least once a week to prevent damage. When dirt and grime is allowed to stay in your carpet, it can lead to major problems, so it is better to take care of your vacuuming regularly. Make it a point to clear out time in your schedule for vacuuming each week, and don’t forget to use the attachments for corners and hard to reach places. 

Cleaning Your Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of the places in a home that can breed the most germs, mess, and smells. Taking care of your bathroom each week will help you to stay on top of the mess and make sure that it always looks and smells great. Even just taking a few minutes to wipe down surfaces and clean the toilet can make a huge impact on the cleanliness of your bathroom overall.

When you take care of certain home cleaning tasks on a regular basis, it can help you from getting overwhelmed and ensure that you are happy in your home. Make it a point to set a day each week to take care of cleaning tasks and you will begin to see major benefits. With a little bit of weekly work, your home can be a place where you love to be.

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• Spring cleaning offers the opportunity to evaluate what you surround yourself with and rid yourself of things that harm your well-being.
• Letting go of old memories and processing trauma can be therapeutic.
• Living in a mess increases stress, but physical activity helps moderate responses for a calmer state.
• Eliminating clutter and creating a tidy abode can be like a psychological refresh.
• Use spring cleaning as an opportunity to embrace the new you, while giving gratitude to the items you part with.

Keeping it clean doesn't stop at countertops, windows and the usual germ-accumulating suspects like toilets and sinks. For the deepest and most thorough cleanse, there are some surfaces that are absolute must-cleans that often get overlooked. Here are four important surfaces that you may be forgetting to clean.

Dishwasher

The all-important dishwasher sanitizes your dishes making them safe to eat off of once again, but it is a frequently neglected appliance that doesn't often get a cleaning of its own. It's good to keep in mind that a clean dishwasher gives you cleaner dishes so making sure to give your dishwasher the care it needs inside and out ensures that your dishwasher will not only cleanse your dishes more efficiently, but it will also keep your dishwasher healthier for longer by preventing food buildup that could cause clogging issues.

Doorframe

Be sure to add your doorframes to your cleaning to-do list. Many people do not think to clean their doorframes, but dust can easily accumulate over time, causing irritation to those suffering from allergies. Neglecting to clean doorframes simply creates more settled dirt that can potentially affect your health, so regularly cleaning them reduces the amount of dust that settles and can be dispersed into the air if the door is opened and closed frequently.

Doorknob

Doorknobs are used often but are rarely cleaned. A doorknob can rapidly accumulate germs, so it's important to clean them frequently to prevent germs from spreading unnecessarily. Staying on top of the care of the doorknobs in your home decreases your chances of contracting a virus or other illness that can be spread through touching the same surface as a person with a contagious virus or infection.

Driveway

Cleaning the exterior of your home is equally as important as the cleaning you do on its interior. Your driveway needs love too, and cleaning it regularly allows it to remain intact and reduces the number of cracks that unwashed driveways experience. Neglected driveways get more cracks than driveways that are cleaned regularly, so properly maintaining your driveway by recognizing its need to also be cleansed saves you time and money for repairs in the long run.

Cleaning the seemingly insignificant surfaces on the interior and exterior of your home keeps the smooth running of your house, your loved ones and yourself going strong. Incorporating the regular cleaning of surfaces that you may miss provides you with a cleaner, happier and healthier home.

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With spring in full swing, many homeowners are deep cleaning their houses and clearing out the clutter. Although your kitchen may look clean on the surface, you never know what kind of grime and germs are lurking. That's why it's always a good idea to give this room a thorough cleaning every spring. Here are three tips for making your kitchen look spotless during spring cleaning.

Clean Your Tile and Grout

One key component of any kitchen spring-cleaning process is scouring the tile and grout. While most tile is resistant to stains, the porous nature of grout can make it hold on to bacteria-containing dirt and grease. Although there are many homemade grout-cleaning concoctions, these can often damage your tile. Because cleaning your tile safely and effectively can be a challenging task, it is often best to leave the job to professionals who have the knowledge and tools to give you the results that you desire.

Care for Your Kitchen Cabinets

As the face of your kitchen, it is imperative that you give your kitchen cabinets some TLC when you're spring cleaning. Especially for cabinets near the stove, food and grease splatter can become a real problem for the surface of cabinets. A professional service will ensure that the right cleaning materials are used on them. It is then important to look for tips for caring for your kitchen cabinets so that when the professionals are done you can maintain the spotless look of your kitchen. The experts can provide you with advice and tips on keeping the cabinets looking spotless for months to come.

Organize Your Pantry

The pantry is usually the most cluttered and messy area of the kitchen. Installing an organizational system in your pantry can help you keep things in order and minimize the mess. To reduce food waste, you should store the newest items in the back of the pantry and put the food that will expire soon at the front. Storing dry ingredients, such as flour and sugar, in airtight containers will help to keep them fresh and safe from pests. Once you have an intuitive system in place, it will be easier to keep the pantry organized and accessible.

Although it can take a lot of initial work, making the time to deep clean your kitchen will pay off big dividends. A clean kitchen will inspire you to cook more and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Make sure that as you clean not to use toxic chemicals or other harmful materials that could put you and your entire home in danger!

According to the calendar, Spring is just around the corner! I don't know what the weather is like in your neighborhood, but I just watched the news and here in Michigan, we are supposed to have record breaking cold temperatures this week. Ugh. Enough all ready! Do you hear me Mother Nature???!!!?? 

Any day now, warming temps will be blowing threw and I will gladly open my windows for that elusive and long forgotten smell... Spring! Until then, we can still get ready for Spring by cleaning. But the good news is, if you use MamaSuds products and a few pantry staples you won't HAVE to open the windows while you clean!

Not sure where to start? Use this to-do list, which has all those places you've probably forgotten about (anyone?) and how to tackle them like a pro AND do it in JUST ONE DAY (whhaaaaat?!?).  

1. Clean light fixtures and fans. Put sheets down over furniture so it's quick to clean up the mess. Use a dusting tool or a rag on a broom and knock down all the lovely dust that's been building up over the last few months. Sidenote: Anyone else leave the fan on when company comes over so they don't see the dust on the fan? Anyone?
2. Wipe down the walls, cupboards, appliances (in the kitchen). Using a mixture of hot water and castile soap will do the trick, and so will the ever-amazing All-Purpose Cleaner. Have the new Concentrate bottle? Fill up a bucket with hot water and pour about a tablespoon of that awesomeness and you have perfect "everything" cleaner. 
3. Clean the windows and mirrors with a mixture of water and Vinegar (1:1 ratio) or All-Purpose Cleaner. Don't forget the outside of the windows too! I always find cleaning the windows really helps make the room feel super clean.
4. Vacuum and wipe down the furniture (a damp rag or All-Purpose Cleaner is perfect for this job). Don't forget the legs and feet of your furniture. 
5. Wipe down the baseboards and trim. I tend to clean the baseboards when I see they are dirty, but I tend to forget the tops of the doors during the day-to-day cleaning. Sometimes vacuuming the door trim before wiping them down helps! Don't forget all the frames and clocks on your walls as well. 
6. Wash any rugs or drapes that can be washed in the washing machine (read your tags!).
7. Vacuum your mattress! Tear off your sheets and wash them, and before you put on fresh sheets, vacuum your mattress. Let's pretend nothing is gross about our mattresses but vacuum it anyway. 
8. Sweep/Vacuum the floors. This might be a great time to clean your carpets too! 
9. Mop the floors. Use a steam mop or just a bucket and a rag. Focus on the edges and corners. 

Whew! You're done! Now start binge watching Marie Kondo on Netflix and clean out those drawers for extra credit! 

 

• Understand the benefits of minimalism in order to motivate yourself to reorganize.
• Set up three boxes for items to keep, donate, and throw away.
• Install shelves and storage containers for organizing.
• Label everything to make it easy to remember where items belong.
• Make a daily routine of putting everything back in its place.
• Have everyone living in the home on board with the plan together.

If you are looking into natural ways to keep your home clean¹, then you may have considered pressure washing - an ultra-powerful way to remove grime, mildew, and virtually all types of dirt, without the need for toxic products or hand scrubbing. Pressure washers rely on either a gas engine or electric motor, as well as a pump and sturdy nozzle, to raise your hose pressure by up to 80 times. Although they deliver up to 4,000 psi, they do not harm your floors and surfaces, making them a good choice for a deep spring clean.

What areas can you pressure wash?

Pressure washers are normally used outdoors on terraces, decks, fences, walkways, boats, RVs, etc. They are particularly excellent at removing stubborn stains such as oil² and are favored by those who have allergies³ since they rinse possible allergens off outdoor surfaces. This cleaning method is sometimes used indoors - for instance, in kitchens and bathrooms of commercial spaces. If you used a pressure washer indoors, however, you will need to be extra vigilant about following safety instructions, as space is restricted and you want to avoid the ultra-high pressuring touching your skin.

What will you need to pressure wash?

When choosing a machine to clean your home, you need one that is efficient but not so powerful that it can harm your skin. Pressure washers emit a powerful spray with the click of a switch, and all you need to do is point it at targeted areas. Most machines come with a variety of nozzles but if you can only pick one, opt for a nozzle of at least 15º. A 0º nozzle shoots out a very powerful, long spray, while those with a higher degree ‘fan out’ a little more. Use a wand extension to reach high places without having to use a lower degree nozzle. This will also save your surfaces since 0º nozzles can sometimes damage sensitive surfaces and metallic surfaces such as those on cars. A 15º nozzle will keep your environment clean3 while efficiently removing even stubborn dirt. If you are seeking to clean an area like a garage with thick oily residue, opt for a hot water pressure washer.

Avoiding accidents

Before using it, remove any flammable or dangerous materials. Ideally, the space you are cleaning should be completely clear of furniture and tools. Protect yourself with an eye guard and wear thick sturdy clothing. Remember that a low degree nozzle can harm you if it touches your skin.

What is an ideal time to pressure wash?

If you live in a cold climate, you usually won’t have to pull out your power washer until spring or summer, when you know the rain won’t undo your hard work. If you live in a warm, mold-prone climate, you will need to give surfaces at least one good clean a year, once again opting for a summer month, when the wet weather won’t threaten to bring mildew or mold to your exteriors. Try to keep your outdoors clean throughout the year, so you don’t need to spend too much time when power washing these areas. If your home is susceptible to mold, you may have to consider cleaning surfaces twice a year (or even more), bearing in mind the negative effects that mold and mildew⁴ can have on your family’s health.

Pressure washing is a quick route to clean exteriors and, on occasion, interiors. It removes the need for toxic and expensive products and battles mold, mildew and other health risks⁵. If you opt for this cleaning method, remember to put safety above all things, including cleaning ease. Never use a 0º nozzle and clear the area you are about to clean, to avoid destroying car surfaces and to prevent the risk of fire and other accidents.

Resources

1 Nogueira, H, Worker Readies for Spring Cleaning. www.thecrimson.com, accessed May 2018. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/5/27/worker-readies-for-spring-cleaning-on/

2 Tyson, S, How to Clean Up Spilled Lamp Oil and Candle Oil. www.fireflyfuel.com. Accessed May 2018. http://www.fireflyfuel.com/blog/how-to-clean-up-spilled-lamp-and-candle-oil

3 Mold Allergy. www.mayoclinic.com. Accessed May 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mold-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351519

4 Nunn, P How important is a safe and clean environment, does this affect you?. www.mrsactionuk.net. Accessed May 2018. http://mrsaactionuk.net/Improvement%20Foundation/How%20important%20is%20a%20safe%20and%20clean%20environment.pdf

5 Mendell M, et.al., Respiratory and Allergic Health Effects of Dampness, Mold, and Dampness-Related Agents: A Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence. Environmental Health Perspectives, June 2011. Accessed May 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114807/

 

Contribution by freelance writer Sally Preston