There is nothing that feels better to me than a clean home. I can be a little obsessive about it. For those of you who watched “Friends”, picture Monica with blonde hair and you’ve got me! However, I have a little problem – a shortage of time and an abundance of laziness! I’m actually not that lazy, it’s just that when I have free time, the last way that I want to spend it is by cleaning. My husband is a tidy person, but he isn’t as concerned about little spills and “tumbleweeds” of cat hair as I am, which has led to several disagreements…okay, fights. All of this means that I have had to come up with ways to improve my cleaning methods. So here is my personal Lazy Gal’s guide to a clean home. Here’s hoping it can reduce the arguments in your own home and help your abode pass the “white glove” test.
Make your own cleaning solution
I went through a time when I was concerned about the chemicals I was using around my home. It stemmed from being a pet owner who can’t seem to keep her cats off the counter. (I just make sure to thoroughly clean my counters often.) That led me to making my own cleaning products out of more mild, but effective, ingredients. In a spray bottle, combine one part water with one part white vinegar. Add a few drops of a mild dish detergent. Shake it up and you’re done – easy peasy! This is good for cleaning all kinds of surfaces, with one word of caution. If you have granite or marble counter tops, make a separate solution that is just water and dish soap – vinegar can remove the protective coating.
Get rid of mold while you sleep!
Do you have that yucky mold on the caulking around the edge of your tub that you can’t get rid of no matter what you do? I did, until I found this amazing technique that requires, wait for it, NO SCRUBBING! Visit your local beauty supply store and purchase cotton coil – the kind that is used for perms. It’s really cheap. Take the cotton coil and cut a section or sections that will cover the entire ring around your tub, or just the parts that have mold on them. Using protective gloves, soak the cotton in bleach. Put the cotton pieces on the mold – it’ll be soaked in bleach so, it should stay in place without a problem. Leave it on overnight and throw away in the morning. Voilà! Pretty caulking! Keep in mind, this is a temporary solution. A better idea is the replace the old caulking altogether.
I’m a big (ceiling) fan
Have you ever looked at the amount of dust that’s on the top of your ceiling fan blades? If you’ve never cleaned them, prepare yourself before you do. They’re going to be awful! Just dusting them can make a huge mess all over you and everything else in the room. So, here’s how to avoid all of that. Grab an old pillowcase and get on a step ladder. Carefully put each fan blade into the pillowcase in turn and use the case to pull the dust off. Throw the dirty pillowcase in the wash, and you’re done!
Get professional help
That’s right – my final tip is hire a housekeeper! This one was a game-changer for me. I felt so guilty hiring one. After all, it’s not like my house is that large, and I work a flexible schedule, so I should be able to find time to clean. If you can afford it, even having someone come once a month is so helpful in keeping your house looking great. I absolutely love “maid day” as some businesses call it. It frees my day up, they complete cleaning so much faster than I would, their products and techniques are better, and there are almost no fights between my husband and I about how often we clean.
However you decide to maintain your house, just remember that a little dust never hurt anybody. There is something to be said for being able to enjoy a squeaky-clean place though!
