I put old newspapers on tall cupboards and just collect them carefully and throw away in some time instead of dusting these surfaces which are hard the reach.
I need to get everyone out of the apartment before I can clean thoroughly. I can move things around, swiffer, vacuum, etc, without getting in my boyfriend's way or vice versa.
I have two tips that I live by. The first is never leave a room or go up or down stairs without picking something up and putting it away. The second is to motivate yourself to do just one thing. So often it's overwhelming when you think of how much needs to be done around the house. So I just tell myself that I'm going to do one task and get it over with. Sometimes I do that one thing and that's it, but often I find myself automatically on a roll. It's a really good motivator!
"Commando cleaning" -- and no, it doesn't mean cleaning when you're not wearing underwear. Here's how to do it:
1. Set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes.
2. Pick an area/a specific chore and really dive in, focusing all your attention/effort to completing it before the buzzer goes off.
Chances are you will finish before 20 minutes -- in which case, start in on something else. If you're in the zone when the timer rings, keep going! If not, then stop and admire what you've completed.
If you have roommates/family, have them take 20 minutes as well. Do this two or three times a week and the place will stay very tidy -- which, in turn, makes it easier to do any deep cleaning later.
It helps to keep all your cleaning supplies together so you can grab the bucket/caddy/whatever before you set the timer.
And to keep things tidy in-between commando bouts, clean as you go. Plate and fork goes in the dishwasher, not the sink. Dirty clothes in the hamper/laundry bag, not on the floor. If you see toothpaste in the sink after brushing your teeth, wipe it up before it hardens. Etc. etc.
I use lysol wipes for almost everything! Washing counter tops, floors, wiping toilets/sinks, doorknobs, drawer handles... you name it! They're very easy to use and super efficient. It saves me time when I don't have several hours for deep cleaning, and leaves surfaces much cleaner than if I had used a wet rag.
This tip cleans out clutter, cleans your floors, and saves you money.
Find all of your old tshirts and undershirts that have been taking up valuable drawer space. Cut the tshirts along the two side seams until you can unfold it into the front a back laid out flat.
Now cut as many of your own swiffer pads as you can. You can use a paper towel on your swiffer to make a template of how big you need to cut. When done, place all of your new reusable siffer pads in a large reusable grocery bag, and then place a second large seal-able ziplock type bag in with them. This will be your dirty swiffer pads bag that you'll throw the used pads in until it's time to throw them in the laundry.
For hardwoods and laminate floors, this is how I get them spotless:
1.) Using an old sprayer bottle, I make a batch of homemade floor cleaner with the following: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda,1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
and a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.
2.) Do a sweeping pass to remove large debris and dirt.
3.) Spray the floor with a decent mist of the cleaner, and then use a large floor sized
squeegee to pull up the cleaner. This step pulls up an amazing amount of dirt and
debris missed when sweeping. This also allows your homemade swiffer pads to
clean a larger area because you're starting from a cleaner floor
4.) Do a final pass with your homemade swiffer pads to give the floors a nice shine
and remove any lingering dirt.
Microfiber towels and water is all you need to tackle most cleaning tasks. Use two different colors for countertops and floors and toss them in the laundry when they get too dirty. Wring out water as much as possible when cleaning treated wood surfaces. I learned this trick from a longtime GRA (guest room attendant) in Vegas who believes cleaning products actually attract dust, which makes sense. How else could cleaning product companies profit if their cleaner actually worked?
I recently bought a roomba vacuum at Bed, Bath and Beyond (using a 20% off coupon), and I have to say that it's absolutely awesome. Though not the most frugal purchase, I have it set to vacuum every day, and it ends up picking up a full bin of dirt each time. It not only saves me time, but I honestly feel like I have a cleaner house because of it.
I love vinegar and baking soda. Both alone and together, they're inexpensive and none-toxic and do a great job of freshening up, scouring, removing stains and just about everything else.
A cleaning tip I always follow is to go one small task at a time. If I look at the bigger picture (such as having to clean an entire house), the task quickly becomes overwhelming. Breaking it up in my mind into much smaller, isolated tasks allows me to be motivated by more mini-victories and pretty soon everything is done!
Baking soda is my first choice to clean anything. Also, I'm a huge fan of letting things soak. Fill a pot encrusted with gunk, let it soak a while, then clean. Much easier!
I recently learned the trick of microwaving vinegar and water to clean your microwave easily. I might have been living under a rock - but if you don't know it yet, this tip is a life changer!
To make spring cleaning a breeze, I open all of the windows and let in some fresh air and pump up some great upbeat music an go room to room with my spray bottles of vinegar & water and Dr. Bonner's Castile Lavender Scented Liquid Soap!
Great advices! From my own experience I can also suggest making some extra cash on TaskRabbit.com I haven't tried it myself yet, but I know people who use it for their own benefit and are happy about it. The best thing about TaskRabbit is that you can choose only those tasks that perfectly match your daily schedule and preferences. And one more suggestion about selling - I know that lately it becomes hot (and profitable as well) to sell thrifted clothing on Instagram. Some women significantly contribute to their family budget digging for thrifted treasures in local thrift stores and then re-selling them on Instagram. There's also a possibility to connect IG account to Inselly.com (that's a marketplace for instagramers) and create a full-blown e-shop on their platform. So this way of making some extra cash is also worth testing!
Vinegar and baking soda are affordable and can be used to clean almost everything.
I put old newspapers on tall cupboards and just collect them carefully and throw away in some time instead of dusting these surfaces which are hard the reach.
I need to get everyone out of the apartment before I can clean thoroughly. I can move things around, swiffer, vacuum, etc, without getting in my boyfriend's way or vice versa.
I have two tips that I live by. The first is never leave a room or go up or down stairs without picking something up and putting it away. The second is to motivate yourself to do just one thing. So often it's overwhelming when you think of how much needs to be done around the house. So I just tell myself that I'm going to do one task and get it over with. Sometimes I do that one thing and that's it, but often I find myself automatically on a roll. It's a really good motivator!
"Commando cleaning" -- and no, it doesn't mean cleaning when you're not wearing underwear. Here's how to do it:
1. Set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes.
2. Pick an area/a specific chore and really dive in, focusing all your attention/effort to completing it before the buzzer goes off.
Chances are you will finish before 20 minutes -- in which case, start in on something else. If you're in the zone when the timer rings, keep going! If not, then stop and admire what you've completed.
If you have roommates/family, have them take 20 minutes as well. Do this two or three times a week and the place will stay very tidy -- which, in turn, makes it easier to do any deep cleaning later.
It helps to keep all your cleaning supplies together so you can grab the bucket/caddy/whatever before you set the timer.
And to keep things tidy in-between commando bouts, clean as you go. Plate and fork goes in the dishwasher, not the sink. Dirty clothes in the hamper/laundry bag, not on the floor. If you see toothpaste in the sink after brushing your teeth, wipe it up before it hardens. Etc. etc.
I use lysol wipes for almost everything! Washing counter tops, floors, wiping toilets/sinks, doorknobs, drawer handles... you name it! They're very easy to use and super efficient. It saves me time when I don't have several hours for deep cleaning, and leaves surfaces much cleaner than if I had used a wet rag.
This tip cleans out clutter, cleans your floors, and saves you money.
Find all of your old tshirts and undershirts that have been taking up valuable drawer space. Cut the tshirts along the two side seams until you can unfold it into the front a back laid out flat.
Now cut as many of your own swiffer pads as you can. You can use a paper towel on your swiffer to make a template of how big you need to cut. When done, place all of your new reusable siffer pads in a large reusable grocery bag, and then place a second large seal-able ziplock type bag in with them. This will be your dirty swiffer pads bag that you'll throw the used pads in until it's time to throw them in the laundry.
For hardwoods and laminate floors, this is how I get them spotless:
1.) Using an old sprayer bottle, I make a batch of homemade floor cleaner with the following: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda,1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
and a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.
2.) Do a sweeping pass to remove large debris and dirt.
3.) Spray the floor with a decent mist of the cleaner, and then use a large floor sized
squeegee to pull up the cleaner. This step pulls up an amazing amount of dirt and
debris missed when sweeping. This also allows your homemade swiffer pads to
clean a larger area because you're starting from a cleaner floor
4.) Do a final pass with your homemade swiffer pads to give the floors a nice shine
and remove any lingering dirt.
Interesting. There's definitely some items I wouldn't buy there though I heart the dollar store.
I love the Magic Eraser, it cleans everything!
Get rid of the chemicals!!! Making simple, multipurpose cleaning products is cheap and works great, and isn't harmful to you, your kids or your pets.
I like to clean with baking soda
I love to use an old toothbrush to get in hard to reach cleaning places
Get a roommate who loves to clean or hire a maid.
Microfiber towels and water is all you need to tackle most cleaning tasks. Use two different colors for countertops and floors and toss them in the laundry when they get too dirty. Wring out water as much as possible when cleaning treated wood surfaces. I learned this trick from a longtime GRA (guest room attendant) in Vegas who believes cleaning products actually attract dust, which makes sense. How else could cleaning product companies profit if their cleaner actually worked?
I recently bought a roomba vacuum at Bed, Bath and Beyond (using a 20% off coupon), and I have to say that it's absolutely awesome. Though not the most frugal purchase, I have it set to vacuum every day, and it ends up picking up a full bin of dirt each time. It not only saves me time, but I honestly feel like I have a cleaner house because of it.
I love vinegar and baking soda. Both alone and together, they're inexpensive and none-toxic and do a great job of freshening up, scouring, removing stains and just about everything else.
A cleaning tip I always follow is to go one small task at a time. If I look at the bigger picture (such as having to clean an entire house), the task quickly becomes overwhelming. Breaking it up in my mind into much smaller, isolated tasks allows me to be motivated by more mini-victories and pretty soon everything is done!
Baking soda is my first choice to clean anything. Also, I'm a huge fan of letting things soak. Fill a pot encrusted with gunk, let it soak a while, then clean. Much easier!
I recently learned the trick of microwaving vinegar and water to clean your microwave easily. I might have been living under a rock - but if you don't know it yet, this tip is a life changer!
Put a bowl of water with a little white vinegar in your microwave for about a minute. Then just wipe off all the gunk easily!
To make spring cleaning a breeze, I open all of the windows and let in some fresh air and pump up some great upbeat music an go room to room with my spray bottles of vinegar & water and Dr. Bonner's Castile Lavender Scented Liquid Soap!
My favorite cleaning tip is to use natural products like baking soda...they really get the job done!
Make my own cleaning products with vinegar, baking soda, water, Dr. Bronners, and essential oils. The DIY soft scrub is the best: http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/04/homemade-soft-scrub.html.
Great advices! From my own experience I can also suggest making some extra cash on TaskRabbit.com I haven't tried it myself yet, but I know people who use it for their own benefit and are happy about it. The best thing about TaskRabbit is that you can choose only those tasks that perfectly match your daily schedule and preferences. And one more suggestion about selling - I know that lately it becomes hot (and profitable as well) to sell thrifted clothing on Instagram. Some women significantly contribute to their family budget digging for thrifted treasures in local thrift stores and then re-selling them on Instagram. There's also a possibility to connect IG account to Inselly.com (that's a marketplace for instagramers) and create a full-blown e-shop on their platform. So this way of making some extra cash is also worth testing!
My favorite tip is to enlist the help of others. My daughter (age 4) loves helping.