Maintaining a clean, orderly home when you have children, pets, and a full-time job can feel like a never-ending war against the clock. There are ways to reduce the time and financial investment in house cleaning without compromising on the end result. Here are 10 simple and innovative home cleaning solutions will help speed up this season’s spring clean and leave your home fresh and clean.
- Speed Clean Your Oven with Oven Cleaning Wipes. Your spring cleaning routine should include a thorough cleansing and de-greasing of your oven. What was once a gunky, time-consuming process has been made clean and effortless with these simple to use disposable wipes. Try an orange scent, for it is less harsh than traditional oven cleaning products, and the oil-based formula is just as effective as commercial options for cutting through grease.
- Fight Tile Grime. If you’re still having nightmares about the last time you scrubbed your bathroom tile grout on your hands and knees using an old toothbrush, you can rest assured that those days are behind you. With products like The Grout Gator, there are stiff brush bristles that snap on in a perpendicular direction and can be adjusted to fit the width of your tile. With its four brush head attachment options, there is no tiled surface too big or small for such products, which means you can stop stockpiling old toothbrushes.
- Clean Your Microwave in three, two, one… Forget scrubbing deep-set stains, splashes, and splotches inside your microwave by hand. Instead, use a natural vinegar solution to clean your microwave more thoroughly in half the time. Fill a microwaveable bowl with one to two cups of water and one to two tablespoons of vinegar. Add just a drop of lemon essential oil to masque the smell of the vinegar. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat for five minutes. Leave the door shut for two additional minutes to allow the steam to further penetrate deep grease and grime. Carefully remove the hot water bowl, and easily wipe the inside of the microwave with a cloth or sponge. Watch the dirt and food slide right off, and sigh contentedly.
- Fight Shower Scum with a Credit Card.
If your glass shower door is suffering from caked on soap scum, put away the toxic shower cleaners and whip out your plastic instead. An old plastic card can be used to scrape soap scum off of a glass shower door. Just be sure to use an old card that no longer holds a balance or is tied to your bank account.
- Use Baking Soda to Clean Laminate Bathroom Counters. When everything else fails, baking soda can solve even your must stubborn bathroom counter stains, and it’s non-toxic. Sprinkle some baking soda directly onto the stain and use a wet microfiber cloth to gently scrub it away.
- Invest in a Vacuum Designed for Pet Hair. If you have pets in your home, you are already fighting the battle against their hair and fur. Vacuums such as the Black & Decker Cyclonic Pet Vac are specially designed to loosen pet hair from upholstery and carpet fibers. It even includes an electrostatic “Retriever” turbo brush to further reduce time spent vacuuming-up after your furry loved one.
- Quickly and Safely Clean Outdoor Windows. Don’t even bother getting your ladder out of the garage. This spring, clean your outside windows using tools like the Windex Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool. Spray the outside of your windows with water and wipe away stains using the pad attached to the end of the 11-foot handle.
- Clean Your Garbage Disposal with Ice. Toss a handful
of ice cubes into your garbage disposal and let it run. The hard ice cubes will help to break-up grease and food particles. Toss some lemon zest in with the ice to help eliminate food odors.
- Use Salt and Vinegar to Polish Copper. Salt is a natural solution for polishing tarnished copper. Make a simple solution using 16 ounces of white vinegar and three tablespoons of salt. Spray the solution onto the copper, let it sit briefly, and gently wipe clean.
- Fizz Away Toilet Bowl Grime. Freshen your toilet bowl with effervescent tablets in between routine scrubbing sessions. Drop two tablets into the bowl and let them soak for at least 20 minutes, brush and flush.
Protect Your Investment
A clean house is a happy house. This spring, use the time you saved with these quick cleaning solutions to get a fresh look at your homeowners insurance policy too. Be sure you that you have the right coverage and protection you need before hurricane season is on us again. Southern Oak Insurance can help you safeguard all of your most valuable belongings. Get a free, no obligation quote from us today.
