House Cleaning Tips

Hoovering. Dusting. Polishing. Mopping. Bleaching. Wiping. Scrubbing. Does the list ever end? We all like living in a clean and tidy home but keeping it that way can feel like a never-ending chore. Here at Priestley Estate & Lettings, we have compiled some of the best cleaning tips to help save you time and money.

Planning

Schedule cleaning as you would any other job, professional cleaners plan every job, right down to the minute. Nobody would employ a cleaning company that promises to arrive “some time over the weekend when we can be bothered” Take a tip from the professionals and set up a regular weekly cleaning schedule.

Teamwork

Two people make a bed four times faster than a single cleaner working alone. Working in teams means the chores are automatically split, saving you time whilst still getting the end result of a sparkling house. Where family circumstances allow, make cleaning a family affair. Family members are more reluctant to mess up a clean house when they have been part of the effort!

Motivation

Put music on while you clean, have a sing along or a boogie whilst dusting guarantees to make cleaning much more enjoyable. If music doesn’t work for you, try inviting over the in-laws or some work colleagues for a meal, having a deadline of people coming over who you want to impress, will help you get motivated to don the marigolds.

Clean from top to bottom

Clean the house, room by room, from the top down. Gravity affects everything, even household dust, so dust first then hoover. Save the floors for last to keep from having to clean them twice. Use an old toothbrush to clean hard to reach spots, cupboard handles and the area around plugs and taps.

Fight musty smells

An open box of baking soda placed near your sheets and towels can prevent a dank linen closet. Baking soda is also good for sprinkling on pet’s beds and leaving for ten minutes before hovering away. You can also use it to freshen up your trainers after your gym class by sprinkling some inside your shoes (and even your gym bag while you’re at it) just make sure to shake it out before you wear them next. Use your morning cup of coffee to eliminate odors in the fridge. Simply place coffee grounds, new or used, in a bowl on a shelf. Replace them every two months for a fresh, slightly caffeinated smell.

Soften your towels

“If you’ve got hard water, mineral buildup could be the cause of your scratchy towels. To lift deposits, wash the towels in the hottest water possible, and add 1 cup of ammonia and nothing else,” says Good Housekeeping homecare expert Heloise.

Brighten your windows

Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and pour into a used spray bottle. Spray on and wipe away with an old newspaper instead of paper towels, they work great and you’re recycling.

Microwave

Make the inside of your microwave easier to wipe down by adding a chopped up lemon to a cup of water and heating it on high until the microwave’s window is steamy. Let the bowl sit for fifteen minutes before you open the door and clean away any grime with ease.

Pet hair

After you’ve finished washing the dishes, don’t remove your damp gloves. Have a wonder through the house where your pets spend most of their time, the damp gloves will quickly pick up wayward fur.

Wipe down your purse

It’s crazy to think how some of the things that we touch daily, we rarely clean — your purse and handbag included. Nearly half of women’s bags have fecal bacteria on them, so clean them with a wet cloth or disinfectant wipe.

Recycle

Try re-using old clothes as alternatives to buying new cloths to clean with. Use an old, unmatched sock on your hand when you have to dust the house. You can run your hand along chair rails, crown moldings, and doors and pop the sock in the washer to reuse when needed.