House Cleaning Tips
Who among us couldn't use a few quick housecleaning tips to make cleaning easier and save a little time each week?
Housecleaning, while not always a lot of fun, is a necessary evil for homeowners and renters alike.
But, housecleaning doesn't have to take a lot of time and effort to be effective. Try these three housecleaning tips to speed up your chores, and you'll be multitasking your way to a cleaner home in no time!
Cleaning the Microwave
The next time you need to set the kitchen timer for three minutes, place a mixture of equal parts distilled white vinegar and water in a microwave-safe bowl in the center of your microwave. (A quarter to one-half cup of each will usually do the trick.)
Instead of setting the timer, set the microwave to high. The heat, combined with the vinegar and water mixture, will loosen caked-on food and grease from the inside walls of the microwave.
When the timer goes off, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and wipe down all the walls, including the top. (You'd be surprised how much food is projected upward while cooking.)
If some of the food hasn't loosened enough to be easily removed, dip the sponge or paper towel into the bowl and apply directly to the remaining bits.
Cleaning the Kitchen Sink
The kitchen sink can get quite dirty during nightly dinner preparation. Draining pasta water leaves a starchy film, rinsing raw chicken adds bacteria and rinsing a bunch of spinach can leave some grit behind.
One of the best housecleaning tips for the kitchen sink is to clean it while you're eating your pasta with chicken and spinach dinner.
Before you sit down to the feast, rinse the sink with warm water. Pour dishwashing liquid liberally all over, making sure it sticks to the sides of the sink as well as on the bottom. Then sprinkle baking soda down the drain to reduce any odors that have built up.
After dinner, grab a paper towel or a sponge and wipe all around the sink and rinse with warm water. (Better yet, have the kids do it.) Now your sink is clean and deodorized.
Cleaning the Shower
People who live in warm, humid southern states know that wiping down their showers with a squeegee or towel after each use reduces the amount of mold and mildew that build up on shower walls between cleanings.
This housecleaning tip can save time even if you live in a dryer, less humid northern state.
If your shower stall or tub unit doesn't get much natural light or doesn't have good ventilation, chances are mold and mildew will begin to grow very quickly after the water is turned off.
Wiping down the walls and floor within 10 minutes of getting out of the shower will not only reduce the amount of mold and mildew, it will remove soap scum before it has a time to harden and set.
