Tips for a Cleaner Living Space

No matter the size of your home or apartment, or how often you decide to clean it, one thing is certain: Your living space will get dirty again. Over time, it is natural to wonder if your usual cleaning routine is working.

It is natural for things to get old and begin to look dull. Even if you do everyday cleaning activities, such as making the beds, washing dishes and taking the trash out when it is full, the house will still need a deep cleaning every once in a while.

Deep cleaning is critical to having a tidy and organized space and keeping your home clean over time. Deep cleanings may sound intimidating, but they do not have to be. While spending all day Saturday cleaning the house may sound like a big ordeal, there are some tips for cleaning that will help your tasks not be so time consuming. For more information on how to tackle hard-to-clean appliances in the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the house, refer to the sections below.

Using Baking Soda

Whether you are cleaning couches, fridges or closets, you can rely on baking soda to do the hard work. It is amazing how many purposes this one cleanser can serve. Most people use baking soda to eliminate odors from refrigerators, but you can use it for many other things during your cleaning routine as well.

• Stained food containers. Getting stains on food storage containers is inevitable. To combat this, grab a clean sponge and scrub your containers with baking soda. You can also mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with warm water and create a solution. Spray the container with the solution and scrub the stains away.
• Greasy dishes. In order to clean greasy dishes, you can use dish detergent, a sponge and baking soda to help the dish water cut through the grease.
• Furniture. The furniture in your home will eventually need to be deodorized. To do this, sprinkle baking soda onto the furniture, let it sit for a while and then vacuum it off. This will neutralize any odors that were lingering on the furniture. If you own a dog, chances are your place will develop an odor that guests can pick up on. Use this same technique to freshen up areas your dog likes.
• Your closet. Whether you keep your dirty clothes hamper in your closet or use it as a place to throw your shoes, a smell will eventually accumulate. Place a container of baking soda in your closet to keep the odors away.

Baking soda should be a staple in your living space and is a great and simple start to living a cleaner lifestyle. If you are placing containers of baking soda in an area, be sure to change the container out every three to five months.

Cleaning Kitchen Appliances

Cleaning the kitchen takes more than just washing the dishes and taking the trash out. Kitchens can often be cluttered and suffer form lack of storage. If you want to clean your kitchen well, you will first need to take steps toward decluttering it in order to be able to do a deep cleaning.

You also need to clean the appliances that are in the kitchen. Here are a few suggestions on how to clean the appliances you may use most often:

• The garbage disposal. You can clean the garbage disposal with some homemade ice cubes. These ice cubes can be created by mixing vinegar and water. Once the ice is frozen, grind the ice up and pour it down the drain. This should be done once a week.
• Coffee pot. Over time, coffee pots develop a brown film that is almost impossible to remove. To get rid of this film, simply fill the pot a quarter of the way full of ice, squeeze two lemon wedges into the ice, add two tablespoons of salt and mix. This mixture will work instantly. Make sure to rinse the coffee pot after pouring in the mixture.
• Microwave oven. Cleaning a microwave oven can be a hassle if it is not cleaned often. A quick and easy way to clean the microwave is by using a handful of paper towels drenched in water. Simply place the towels in the microwave and let the microwave run for 3-5 minutes. The stains will soften, allowing you to wipe the grime with the same paper towels.
• Blenders. To keep your blender clean, you should rinse the blender as soon as you are done using it and then pour in some water and dish soap. Place it back on the motor and blend it. The soap and water will clean the blender out.

In addition to these tips for cleaning your kitchen, it may also be helpful to reevaluate the storage options available in the room, as a lack of storage can be directly related to how difficult or easy it is to clean a room.

Shortcuts to Cleaning Your Bathroom

Cleaning the bathroom can seem like a big ordeal. By focusing on one task per day, you will break down the tasks into manageable pieces. During the week, choose a day to clean out the sink, another day to clean your toilet and two days during the week to clean your shower or tub. If you follow this system, your bathroom will never get so dirty that it is overwhelming. It is also a great way to make sure that you stay on top of your cleaning routine.

Laundry Tips

Normally when doing laundry, you may put the clothes in the washer, pour the detergent in and start the washing machine. However, this order of steps is actually incorrect. When you use this system, the detergent only cleans the clothes it touches. The detergent must dissolve in the water before clothes can be added. This ensures that all of the clothes being washed get cleaned.

Another popular belief is that the more detergent that you use, the cleaner your clothes will be. This is not true. More detergent is not necessarily a good thing. When doing laundry, filling the detergent to the top of the cap will actually create more of a problem for you. When you add more soap, it creates more bubbles. Bubbles can actually leave a filmy residue that will stay on your clothes. In order to combat this, it is important that you only fill the laundry detergent cap one-third of the way.

If you follow these simple tips, cleaning your home will be a much easier task and you can focus on more exciting projects, such as fun and affordable home makeovers.