Share Your Cleaning Tips Here!

[Dawnpiplup]

Just to put this out there... I suck at cleaning LOL. I'm a germaphobe, but I also don't know how to keep a damn house tidy. So, if you guys have any good cleaning tips and tricks, post them here! Things such as getting fingerprints and smudges off of stainless steel, managing to keep your items tidy, etc. Anything would be helpful!

 

[Alienfish]

Honestly. Don't over-clean, that's a start. I know your case but yeah work on it.

Also make sure to don't leave food out, wash dishes on a regular basis, vacuum clean when needed etc. As for more concrete tips with fingerprints, depending on the device you could just use a eyeglasses cleaning cloth/paper etc. with either some detergent or soap/water/hand sanitizer etc. or on its own depending on how far gone it is.

As for keeping things tidy, organize them, clean out regularly stuff you don't use and depending on state give away or throw them away properly. Put important paper in ring binders, organize shelf lockers and mark shelves up with what's going on them. Use a (physical>digital) calendar for stuff, motivation goals etc.

 

[Corrie]

Have a home for everything and make sure to put that item back in its home. People's houses get cluttery because they fail to do that. If your struggle is too much stuff, I'd think it's time for a declutter session.

 

[amemome]

Go from top to bottom. Dust your tables, windows, etc. first and then sweep your floors. that way, all the dust you couldn't catch from the higher surfaces will fall to the ground and you can get everything on the floor at once. I have wood floors so usually I'll do dust mop -> vacuum -> wet mop. I like to keep disinfectant spray/wipes near my surfaces so I can swipe by and give them a clean when I remember to. I prioritize disinfecting the counters, especially after I use raw meats or eggs.

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

• As a general rule of thumb, start by simplifying what you own. If you own less stuff to begin with, then you will have less to clean and organize, which generally makes it easier to keep things organized.
• Make an organization system that makes sense and works for you. For example, for school-related files, I sort things by school year >> semester >> course >> file type (i.e. assignments, lecture notes/slides, syllabus, projects, reports, midterm exam, final exam).

 

[Kaiaa]

It shouldn't need to be said, but don't mix chemicals and don't mix anything with Vinegar (except water/baking soda).

If you hate doing dishes like I do, and don't own one of those fancy-shmancy "dishwashers", I suggest doing groups of things and letting them dry. Like sometimes I'll just wash bowls and silverware, leave them to dry, put them away and then wash Plates and Cups, leave them to dry and THEN the dreaded pots and pans. ALWAYS scrape off your dishes and rinse them before setting them in the sink to wash later. If you don't you'll have a very smelly kitchen! Sure you'll technically be doing dishes all day, but it's easier for someone like me to handle. Or be like me and get rid of almost all your dishes and only leave enough dishes for each person in the house (only good if you don't usually have guests). Now I hardly have dishes to wash!

If it doesn't make you (or a family member) happy throw it out/donate it. I'm sentimental so this is hard on me sometimes, but do I really need that stack of old Seventeen Magazines from high school?

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are actually magic.

Wipe your toilet down every Wednesday and do a deep clean once a week at least for a fresh clean bathroom.

My number 1 tip, if it takes less than 2 minutes to do something...then do it. It will be so quick you won't even remember you did it in an hour from now. Put your rinsed dishes in the sink, go ahead and clean off the coffee/tea table, put your clothes in the hamper instead of on the floor...you'll see a difference pretty quickly.

 

[Alienfish]

Or be like me and get rid of almost all your dishes and only leave enough dishes for each person in the house (only good if you don't usually have guests). Now I hardly have dishes to wash!

THIS SO MUCH.

My mom had this issue with mugs and cups and stuff so I've been and still are on her to clean out stuff cause we are two people and we ain't exactly having peeps over these days... so yeah.

 

[Alienfish]

Also another basic food tips, go thru food regularly and throw away old stuff that's way expired, make sure fresh foods are stored properly and don't leave flour and other baking stuff open etc. Make sure to clean food shelves properly and have at least a couple of cutting boards so you don't use one the same for everything. Regularly freeze things that can be frozen that you don't eat at once.

 

[Snowesque]

- Wearing layers almost always to protect the more expensive, outer cloths.
- Do not immediately give up on clothing stains, especially the smaller or set-in ones.
⠀Spot treating, washing, and repeating over longer periods of time can typically completely remove it or make it unnoticeable.
⠀I have had a lot a luck with OxyClean!

 

[Mezzanine]

Deleted

 

[LadyDestani]

I hate cleaning, so one of my biggest recommendations is not to let things get out of hand in the first place. I'm a very organized person, so when I'm done using something I put it back in its place right away. That helps to avoid clutter.

Don't let dishes pile up. Wipe down counters or other surfaces after each use. Quick but frequent cleanings can save time and not seem so daunting.

If you already have a lot to do, tackle it a little bit at a time. Break the job in manageable segments so you feel like you're accomplishing something without feeling exhausted or burnt out.

 

[Midoriya]

I hate cleaning, so one of my biggest recommendations is not to let things get out of hand in the first place. I'm a very organized person, so when I'm done using something I put it back in its place right away. That helps to avoid clutter.

Yeah, I was going to say this as well. Personally, I’m an organization freak so whenever I’m done using something I usually either put it back where it goes or dispose of it properly. I take care of the house and do a bit of cleaning every single day so that it doesn’t get out of hand and the workload of cleaning doesn’t pile up. It‘s just a lot easier to manage rather than waiting a week or several weeks and now you have this giant mess in front of you that you can’t really ignore.

 

[Mairen]

Something that I do is have a cleaning schedule. One day I'll do vacuuming. Another day I'll do laundry. Another day I'll wash the bathrooms, etc. I personally found it a lot easier to manage keeping a household clean if I only had 30 minutes-1 hour of cleaning to do each day rather than wearing myself out spending an entire day (or two!) of cleaning a whole house all in one go.

Some other rules I go by is to wash up the dishes every night so they don't end up becoming a "project". I'll also take 15 minutes each night just to pick things up around the house. You'd be surprised what you can do in just 15 minutes.

 

[nightglow]

I am a disorganized person so I tend to either have a super organized environment or a super cluttered environment. I can't deal with the in-between. Living with other people can be a challenge for keeping a place organized.
Having tasks for each day of the week is helpful. I would have a list of "deep cleaning" things and choose one from that list each week to accomplish. If you have as less clutter as possible in your living space that is a huge help in my opinion. I also find that a bucket and rag is quick and easy for most tasks. I often use vinegar, pine sol like stuff, dish soap, and bleach as cleaning agents. Vinegar may bother some people but the smell doesn't stay in the house long. It is a safe and natural disinfectant. Especially if you worry about your pets or whatever.
A tip for shower floors with a smooth dimply bottom is to use a long handle brush that you can use standing up with your cleaning agent of choice and small grain Epsom Salt for light friction. I won't clog your drains or scratch your floor. I usually use Dish Soap with the epsom salt with scrubbing, then after rinsing use vinegar with scrubbing for any left over calcium and it's a nice disinfectant and mildew repellent.
As for the stainless steel smudges, this is what we used at my work with a dry soft cloth before I lost my job due to the pandemic. It works pretty well and I am sure you can find something similar in a store. Windex can also work if the smudge isn't heavy or wasn't there long but this polish stuff below helps prevent rust. Just use very very very little of it or it will be greasy.
edit, a dust mop to go over the floors between the times you use a wet mop helps keep the floor cleaner and mop water not as dirty. Dust sticks to floors. That way you are less likely to have to clean a floor on your hands and knees for it to be actually clean.

 

[SoftenedHearts]

Getting dishwashing stuff that you actually like, not that's just totalitarian, makes washing dishes by hand MUCH more tolerable. I'm still looking for a good effective soap that smells nice, but I have a pink sturdy sponge, pink bottle brush where the sponge at the end is flower shaped, and pink rubber dishwashing gloves! Cleaning/washing dishes while I cook when I have the energy is also a great use of time.

Dollar Tree sells "L.A's Totally Awesome" which is a cleaning product I SWEAR by! I use it for damn near everything. It's great for stain treatment. Dollar Tree dish soap is hot garbage though.

Totally Awesome, dish soap, and water is my typical combo for stain removal. If that fails, I've found corn starch works wonders! And if THAT fails, oxiclean gel stick gets just about everything else. (Speaking of, when I have a stain, I've lately taken to just rubbing that on my clothes before throwing them in the laundry, and it's super simple.)

 

[DarkDesertFox]

I clean off my electronics daily (laptop, controllers, etc.) because I have sweaty hands. If we have some cleaning wipes I usually just run them under water and then dry them in a paper towel. I suggest never using something like a Clorox cleaning wipe on electronics without rinsing it and drying it a bit in a paper towel. I've had my electronics damaged with just using the wipe itself because it's got too much excess liquid. Also, my hands end up smelling chemically if I don't rinse the wipes beforehand and use the electronics. To avoid stick drift and squeaky triggers it might be a good idea to occasionally apply rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab in those areas since it quickly evaporates so it won't cause damage.

 

[ting1984]

The thing about cleaning is you have to learn it through experience, someone else modeling it for you, research, and trial and error. It's not something you can really learn intuitively.

My parents were indulgent and not big on teaching me chores, so most of what I learned about house cleaning, came from assisting individuals with developmental disabilities in their homes (2013-2019). I ended up getting good enough at cleaning that I became a part-time house cleaner in 2018 and cleaned several people's homes that year for small payment. I made a few mistakes still (tip: don't EVER accidentally clean with vinegar without diluting it in water first!), but I did well enough overall that I got references. My husband, dad, and father-in-law now all think I do well in maintaining a home.

 

[Alienfish]

Also for your computer/laptop etc. Clean them regularly with compressed air cans and stuff. Be careful not to get them too damp though and make sure they are properly turned off while doing it.

 

[Lococent]

In order to prevent dust and grease from accumulating on kitchen cabinets, spread out ordinary A4 sheets on top of them. Of course, they will need to be replaced with new ones, but it is much easier to do this than to wash the dirt from the furniture. Fat and dirt "settle" on the sheets, and the top of the cabinets is simply enough to wipe without effort. In general, I hate cleaning and always use the services of emop

 

[Wish]

everyone needs gel stamps for their toilet!! it makes your bathroom smell nice and cleans your toilet everytime you flush.