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Most people I meet who learn what I do for a living, make this comment to me "I bet your home is super clean". They are constantly asking me for ideas and tips to help them keep their home clean.  Its pretty simple really.  I follow a few everyday guidelines that keep my home nice, neat and clean.  Most of the tips I am about to reveal are easy and require very little or no time to do.  They will keep your home maintained between your professional clean and make your clean last longer.  Keep in mind that these tips are not required for me to clean your home but only provided to help assist you with a happier and healthier home life.

 

Showers

 

• Moisture is an enemy of your shower.  Where there is moisture there will eventually be mold. Always turn on your vent fan when using your shower.  This will allow moisture to escape. 

• After every shower I spray down my walls with a daily shower cleaner.  This only takes a few seconds to do and keeps the soap scum from clinging to the walls. 

• I also keep a dry micro-fiber cloth on hand and wipe down my glass shower door along with the trim and especially the trim seals This will keep mold from forming in the cracks and taking over.

• Once I am done with wiping down the door and trim seals, I leave the door open until the shower is completely dry.  Usually about an hour, or all day if you're heading out the door to work.  It really doesn't matter, as long as the shower is dry.

• Once a month I spray my shower down with a fresh smelling bleach cleaner.  This will keep away any mold that will build up in your grout. 

• Shower or bathmats are comfortable to stand on, but an environment for mold.  If you have these in your shower or tub, I recommend two options.  You can hang them up to dry using a plastic cloths hanger with clips, making sure to hang with the suction cups outward. You should do this after every use.  The easier but other option is to just get rid of them.  Most people don't realize just how much moisture they hold in causing mold to build up.  Mold can make you sick and when showering you are breathing the mold in through the steam and possibly causing some health risks.

• Sometimes we have a lot of stuff in our showers for bathing but have nowhere to put it.  Shower caddies are great for organizing your shower.  They keep everything nice, neat and well placed.  Consider a caddie if you keep knocking things over when you are trying to shower.

 

Vanities

 

• Every day I clean my vanity top with a disinfecting wipe.  This allows no makeup or hairspray to build up.  Once hairspray builds up on your vanity it very tough to remove. 

• Baskets offer a great way to organize the stuff you keep on your vanity.  I prefer to keep my things put away rather than on top of my vanity. However, if this is not your thing a basket is another option for you.  Baskets also work great for organizing your entire home from nightstands to kitchen counter tops or anywhere you feel you have too many loose items that need to be contained.  You will be happy with the result of how clean things look and feel.

 

Toilets

 

• I see buildup in toilets more often than I like.  To keep a cleaner and fresher toilet between my cleans just follow these tips. 

• Always flush after every use, even in the middle of the night.  Bacteria builds up easily in toilets.  When toilets aren't flushed after every use you are increasing the speed of bacteria growth at a faster rate causing hard water buildup, mold and yellow stains that become impossible to get out over time. 

• I also use a stick-on gel in my bowl.  It keeps the bowl fresher longer, as it cleans when you flush. 

• If you are considering replacing your toilet seat, always buy a plastic one.  Contractors put in painted toilet seats because they are cheaper.  A plastic toilet seat won't stain like a painted seat.  Painted seats soak up urine and over time will ruin the paint and will need replacing sooner or later. 

 

Dust

 

• Dust is the biggest problem in a home. Residual dust is dust that floats in the air after you clean and has no where to go but down. There is not much you can do about this type of dust. However there are some things you can do to control the dust in your home.

• Always remove your shoes when entering your home.  Keep in mind that everything on the bottom of your shoes is being carried through out your home when you are tracking around in your home.

• Throw rugs are a huge dust collector, especially if you have pets. 

• Never open windows in the spring.  Pollen will fly in and cover everything in your home.  If you have allergies this could be a nightmare for you.

• If you dust between my cleans, always vacuum after.  This way you are sucking up the dust on your floors that you just knocked off the furniture and this keeps it from resurfacing right way. 

 

Kitchens

 

• I only have a few tips for your kitchen. One of those is the garbage disposal.  It is important that when using your disposal always run your water as hot as possible and keep your disposal running for at least 45 seconds.  This will allow any small food particles to dissolve and be flushed away.  Otherwise an odor can build up and cause your disposal to smell bad. I also like to add dish soap when running mine for an extra added touch.

• As we all know, microwave ovens can get dirty fast.  I always suggest that you cover your food with plastic wrap or wax paper when heating food in a microwave. 

• Most people have a pile of unsorted mail on their kitchen counter.  When I check my mail, I sort it as I am walking from the box to the house and once I am in, the junk goes straight in the trash and the bills go in a mail organizer I keep in my kitchen counter.  This keeps me organized so I know what needs to be paid and when. And best of all no mail piles up!

 

Floors

 

• Generally when people buy hardwood floors the first thing the salesman tells them is to buy Bona, Bruce or some other expensive floor cleaner.  Well I am here to let you know, it's a pitch to get you to spend a lot of money on cleaners you don't need.  Most of today's floors are not designed for these types of cleaners.  They leave a film of residue on the floor, which can show footprints.

• Using vinegar on your hardwoods is not a good idea either.  If you do it once a year to remove buildup, that is okay but never use it for every clean.  Vinegar is acidic and can damage the finish on your floors as the acid eats away at the sealer until it is gone.

• A flat mop and plain water and a drop of dawn.

 

General

 

• I only have one more tip to help you maintain your homes feel and look between your professional cleans and that is to make your bed every day when getting up.  A neat bed will make your room look as if you have just cleaned it. 

 

All these tips are provided to help make your life a tad bit easier.  I know our lives are very busy and time is something we don't always have but most of these tips are things that can easily become a habit and soon a routine.  I too have a very busy life keeping up with my client's homes as well as my own and that is why I have scheduled these tips into my daily routine to help maintain my home and keep it looking and feeling "super clean".