Cleaning made easy

Cleaning a home can be such an ordeal, especially during the dry season when everything tends to get dusty just a couple of hours after you have given it a good wipe-down. You wish you could close the windows but then the allure of a cross-breeze will tempt you to throw them wide open. Here are three simple hacks that can make keeping your house clean much easier than ever before. You will wish you had known them sooner.

 Dust like a pro so that you don’t have to dust more

When dusting, start at the highest point and work your way down. As you dust, particles will fall, so if you dust lower shelves before upper shelves, you will probably find yourself having to go over those lower shelves again. Create a simple cleaning solution of one part vinegar, two parts water, a dash of liquid soap, and some olive oil and keep this in a spray bottle. Use this on your surfaces when dusting. This will repel dust and keep your surfaces clean for a longer period. You can also use baby oil to bring back the shine on wooden and steel surfaces. Just add a drop or two on a microfiber cloth and polish away.

 Use a lint roller for hard-to-reach spots. You can use it to clean lampshades, upholstery, and curtains. Paintbrushes, in various sizes, can be great to clean the nooks and corners of small trinkets. When you are feeling extremely lazy to clean, put on a pair of socks on your hands and just run them over dusty surfaces like the window sill or the blinds.

 Make your home smell nice to give an illusion of cleanliness

A great smelling home can feel welcoming and nice. It lends it an air of freshness, which can give the impression of cleanliness. Take a cotton ball, soak it in essential oil, and drop it in random places, including the trash bin (underneath the liner or the bag). This is an easy and inexpensive odor-fighter that helps keep your house fresh as well as your trash from getting too pungent. We recommend rose or lavender essential oil as these ones smell really great.

 Alternatively, light scented candles or incense and keep them in various parts of the house. We don’t recommend air fresheners as these often have harsh chemicals that can mess with your hormones. Keep teabags in closets and other closed spaces that tend to give off a murky smell when they have been shut for too long. These are great to get rid of any trapped odor. If you aren’t a fan of scents, try to neutralize odor instead. Bags of activated charcoal in stench-prone areas, like the shoe cabinet or the laundry basket, can help.

 Remember there’s pretty much nothing baking soda can’t do

Baking powder is a gentle abrasive and a great deodorizer. It’s the one item that you must have in your cleaning supplies. You can get tannin stains off teaspoons and the inside of cups by rubbing them with a paste made up of baking soda and a little water. Use it to absorb food odors by keeping a napkin soaked in it inside the fridge. You can clean countertops, kitchen sinks, microwaves, and pots with a paste made of baking soda, dish soap, and water. Sprinkle baking soda on carpets, furniture, and even pet beds, leave it for 15 minutes and then vacuum thoroughly. To bring back the shine on your sterling silverwares, make up a paste (three parts baking soda to one part water) and apply with a soft cloth and then rinse.