For most people cleaning the house is a big hassle. But keeping your home clean is necessary to declutter your mind.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that physically cleaning the house and looking at a spotless place later reduces anxiety and stress.
Cleaning is also a meditative activity that helps you focus your mind. Research also suggests that cleaning the house acts as a productive distraction.
Besides mental health, the health and wellness effects of cleaning your house cannot be neglected either. A clean home has fewer allergens floating in the house, keeping surfaces clean and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
The dust build-up in the upholsteries, couches, and beds can cause asthma and breathing difficulties. But, this leads us to the question: is there one authorized way to clean your house to get these mental and physical health benefits?
While there are no agreed-upon ways, there are still smart ways to clean your house. Read on to learn about it.
Declutter Your House
The first step in cleaning your house is decluttering— remove things you don’t need immediately or are redundant. The more stuff you have, the more challenging to clean the house.
One of the ways to manage extra stuff is to put them in a storage unit. So, for instance, if you live in Nashville, google Nashville storage units, and you get relevant search results.
Go through them all and choose the best as per your need. You can do the same if you live somewhere else.
You can keep many things in a storage unit, including out-of-season clothes, antiques like décor pieces and paintings, or old electronics.
Moreover, anything you think can get damaged during the cleaning process can be kept in the storage unit.
Another way to declutter your house before starting the cleaning drive is to donate all the excessive stuff to the community charity organization.
You can also hold a fundraiser in an evening yard sale and sell the good in condition stuff. Money earned through the sale can be donated too.
Scour The House and Pick up The Trash
Now that your house has nothing unnecessary, you need to gauge how much cleaning the whole house needs. The preferred way to do this is by walking around the entire house and looking at everything with an observant eye.
Side by side, pick up the trash, such as wrappers, food cans, takeaway boxes, old magazines, etc. Start putting everything in a trash bag and immediately remove the junk and trash.
Moreover, bring all the dishes, such as glass, plates, and spoons lying near the couch or on the meal table, etc., to the kitchen before doing the dishes.
Clean the Kitchen Thoroughly
The kitchen is among the places where you spend your most time. Therefore, there should be no compromise when cleaning it.
Instead of allocating one day to clean the whole kitchen, clean the stove, tabs on the fridge, slabs, and surfaces daily. It will prevent grease and dust build-up.
When oil and dust mix up, it becomes cakey and takes a lot of time to remove. Use soap, lukewarm water, and a rag to clean the countertops and stovetops.
If you have glass stovetops, use glass cleaner once in a while to deep clean the surface. If stubborn burned-on grease is on the stovetop, use a little baking soda and damp the surface with warm water. Let it stay for a few minutes before lightly scrubbing it with a non-abrasive sponge.
Do The Dishes Before They Become a Big Pile
Some people are habitual of doing the dishes after making a big pile of them on the kitchen sink. The longer you delay doing the dishes, the more time this activity will take eventually.
If you are not a fan, try the following simple trick to avoid pilling up the dishes.
For a few days, when you start doing the dishes, set the timer and see how long it takes to wash all of them. When you know the time it takes to do the dishes, convincing yourself to do them becomes easy.
Clean The Whole House Together
Pick a task and do it in the whole house. For instance, you can start by vacuuming or cleaning the floor with a broom. Do the same task in the entire house, leaving no area.
Next, you can pick up a duster to wipe the dust off the surfaces such as décor pieces, doors, furniture, windows, etc. Doing this is more effective than thoroughly cleaning one place, such as the kitchen, and then moving to the next.
If you clean each room one by one, you will put all your energy into cleaning one small part of the house, and the rest will remain dirty.
Stock up all your cleaning products
Fetching cleaning products when in the middle of something can break the whole rhythm of your work. Therefore, procure all of them before starting the cleaning drive. These tools are part of your cleaning arsenal.
Gather all the tools and take them along when you move from room to room. You must have:
- Carpet cleaner
- Laundry basket
- Dust cloths
- Trash bag
- Cleaning agent or mild detergent
- A sponge or a rag
- Polish
If you have a vacuum cleaner, ensure the cord can reach all the rooms; otherwise, use an extension cable. The vacuum makes cleaning the carpets a breeze and less time-consuming.
Buy a Feather Duster
Dusting your house can immediately make it look clean and open. However, the choice of duster can make a lot of difference. Using heavy and coarse clothe to do the dusting is not efficient.
A feather duster is more efficient and much softer. You may think these dusters belong to another era, but they are most effective in cleaning tight spots, window blinds, nooks, and tiny crevices on the shelves.
Moreover, they often have an extendable rod attached to them, so they can also increase your reach.
Conclusion
Every household has its way of cleaning the house. Some people clean the whole house altogether. Others do it room by room. So, there is no one way to clean your house. However, the abovementioned ways can streamline your efforts and make the whole cleaning more effective and faster.