House Cleaning Tips for Families on the Go

We’re here again! Back to September after the lazy days of summer and with it, activities galore are restarting all over the place. With new routines, weeknight commitments and homework, and busy weekends away from the house, the one thing that may fall by the wayside is the house cleaning now that everyone is back into their new weekly habits.

Not to fret! There are quick cleaning tips and tricks you and your family can do to keep your home organized, smelling fresh, and looking good. Just follow along with these easy house cleaning hacks in the next few slides ahead.

TOILET TIME

Keep an eye on your toilet. This is the dirtiest place in the house that contains hundreds of germs (blah!). At the bare minimum, do a weekly cleaning of this - even if it’s a swish of the brush with your cleaning product. Once a month, do a deep scrub of the toilet to get rid of any missed germs and grime the weekly brush swishing missed.

SHOWER CURTAIN RENEW

Keep an eye on your toilet. This is the dirtiest place in the house that contains hundreds of germs (blah!). At the bare minimum, do a weekly cleaning of this - even if it’s a swish of the brush with your cleaning product. Once a month, do a deep scrub of the toilet to get rid of any missed germs and grime the weekly brush swishing missed.

ENJOY SHOWER PRESSURE AGAIN

Over time, shower heads become clogged with deposits from hard water minerals, reducing the pressure of the water. To restore this pressure to its former glory, pour a cup of white vinegar into a plastic bag. Tie the bag around the shower head to immerse the head’s holes in the vinegar solution. Secure it with a twist tie. Let it soak for up to an hour, or overnight, then remove and wipe away the loosened deposits.

BRING BACK YOUR BATHROOM'S SPARKLE

To clean grimy grout, mix ¾ cup of household chlorine bleach and 1 tablespoon of powdered Tide with 1 gallon of water. Use a stiff brush to apply the mixture to one small area at a time. Let this sit for several minutes, then scrub and rinse.

Make sure to wear rubber gloves and eye protection, though! This will keep your skin and eyes safe from any bleach backsplash.

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

Shine up those mirrors by wiping them with a damp microfibre cloth. After this, shine it up with our amazing smart clean cloths, perfect for glasses, mirrors, and windows.

PERFECT YOUR SLEEPING BEAUTY

Freshen up your pillows and blankets and fall asleep with ease. Put your pillows in your washing machine and run them through a regular cycle. Make sure you wash two pillows at a time to balance your washer. If you are comfortable doing so, use a bit of bleach.

Duvets and comforters can either be washed or taken to the dry cleaner, depending on the type of material they’re made of.  If the duvet has feathers in it, put it in the dryer on your machine’s hot cycle once a month. The heat will kill off any mites who may be in the cover. If this isn’t possible - remember, our schedules have just been thrown back into busy routines, then once every three months will suffice.

REMOVE SCUFFS WITHOUT ALL THE BUFF

All floors have scuffs at some point. Stay on top of these by mopping with ease. Use a mop that has a Velcro bottom - not the string and squeeze type. Then, attach a clean microfiber cloth to the bottom. From there, mop away using a simple mixture of water and a small bit of dish soap. Once down, remove the microfiber cloth and throw it in the washing machine.

KEEP YOUR DRINKING GLASSES SHINING

No more hazy glasses coming out of the dishwasher. First, put the glasses in the dishwasher. To remove the built-up film from hard-water minerals add 1 cup of white vinegar to your dishwasher and run it through the dishwasher cycle. Promptly remove and touch up your glasses with the smart clean cloth. This removes those lingering water droplets to spiffy up the glass with shine. 

NO MORE SMELLY GARBURATORS

Garburators, if not cleaned regularly, are famous for producing terribly unpleasant smells. But do not put your hand in it to scrub it clean. Simply run some citrus peels through it - lemons, limes, or oranges - to remove the smells and leave a fresh scent behind.

A little extra hint: keep the blades sharp by grinding some ice in it.

DEGREASE THOSE CABINETS

Just like your cooking tools, your cupboards can get grimy when you're making dinner with those pesky splatters and splashes. Add two tablespoons of powdered Tide to a bucket of water and wash the cabinets with a microfibre cloth. Then, rinse with a well-wrung cloth and dry. If you’re wondering whether our amazing cloth shines up your cabinets, the answer is yes!

TACKLE THE MICROWAVE

A family on the go uses their microwave almost every day. Make caked-on grime easier to wipe off by soaking a kitchen sponge in water, adding a dab of dish soap to it, and putting it in the microwave. Then run it on high until the microwave's window is steamy. Let the sponge sit for 10 minutes before you open the door, and simply wipe the inside clean with the sponge.

GOODBYE MUSTY SMELLS

We’ve all heard that placing an open box of baking soda in the fridge can reduce pungent food smells, but this also works if you place one in your linen closet to prevent your sheets and towels from producing a dank smell. Just remember to change the box every one to two months.

DELIGHT YOUR DISHWASHER

It may be called a dishwasher, but it cleans so much more than just your dishes! You can clean toys, such as Legos, pet dishes, kitchen brushes or even stove accessories like greasy buttons. Your dishwasher will be so happy you’re using it to its full potential.

SHIMMERING STAINLESS STEEL SHINE

Don’t let fingerprints stop you from enjoying the beauty of your stainless steel appliances. Spray them with a dish soap/water concoction and wash them off with a microfibre cloth. Then make them shimmer by using the versatile Clean Club Calgary cloth. 

However, if there are too many marks on the stainless steel, use a bit of Bar Keepers Friend on your damp microfibre cloth instead of the dish soap/water mix. Then, rinse off the surface and shine it back up.

ZAP OVER SPILLS

If you don't own a self-cleaning oven, try using Easy-Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner to effectively remove any baked-on gunk. It is one of the best products we use to keep our ovens free of those burnt food bits from piling up.

CLEAN YOUR WALLS

We often forget that our walls need to be wiped down. To make this an easy, quick to-do on your cleaning checklist, mix 1 tablespoon of powdered Tide with warm water in a bucket. If you are comfortable with bleach, add a tablespoon as well. Use a microfibre cloth to wash the walls. To reach those high spots, simply attach the cloth to the mop and “mop” the wall. This mopping cleaner mix is also amazing on baseboards and doors.

KEEP THE PETS...NOT THE ODOURS

We love our furry family members…but they do tend to add some extra unpleasant smells. For those soft, cushy places we often find them resting - such as their dog beds, or fabric-covered couches - we can easily deodorize them with baking soda. Sprinkle the soda on the surface, let it sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum it up.

Many dog beds can also be thrown into the washing machine post vacuuming for an extra deep clean. Just be sure to read the labels of the bed to make sure the fabric can go in the machine.

NO MORE HAIR/FUR TUMBLEWEEDS

Hair! While it’s a great musical, it is frustrating to have so much of it floating around our homes like lost tumbleweeds. Whether it’s your hair or your pet’s, we’ve got the solution. Use a rubber brush on your furniture, carpet, and area rugs. Then simply vacuum up all the excess pet hair once it’s been pulled out of the material with the brush.

These are some of the most common house cleaning hacks and tricks we use to keep our own homes clean when we’re on the go. You can also find some great cleaning checklist downloads right here to create a schedule for cleaning that follows your household routine.

Of course, if you simply do not have time, but you do have the budget, hiring a cleaning company helps you and your family focus on what matters most - time together in the chaos of new routines. Connect with us for a quote.