NEWS

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a live-in maid or a cleaning service on-call? Unfortunately, most of us do not have the money for such extravagancies. For the times when you need some quick fixes to keep your house looking great during the week, here are 10 house cleaning hacks that will make your life a little bit easier.

1. Make a Vinegar-Based Cleaner – Worried about using harsh chemicals in your home? You should be, and vinegar is the answer. Make a mixture of 50% vinegar/50% water in a spray bottle and use it for all of your normal household wiping. Not only does it work better than store-bought cleaners, it destroys tough smells.

2. Use Dryer Sheets for Water Spots – Whether it is your bathroom mirror, the kitchen faucet or the shower door, used dryer sheets will make your mirrored surfaces shine.

3. Microwave Vinegar Magic – Have a tough mess in your microwave? Place a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water in a microwave-safe bowl with a wooden spoon, toothpick or other wood object to prevent boiling and set the microwave on 5 minutes. Your microwave will be steam-cleaned and ready to wipe down.

4. Get Crumbs Up Fast – Crumbs can be a major problem when you have kids (or some husbands, let’s be honest here) and you can’t wait around for the maid service to get them up. Use rolled up masking tape to easily pick up crumbs and other small annoyances.

5. Avoid Oven Messes – Cooking can be a dirty endeavor. You can avoid huge messes in the oven by lining your pans with aluminum foil when you cook. Once they cool, cleaning is as simple as wadding up the foil and tossing it in the trash!

6. Brush Fido & Mr. Whiskers – Pet hair is a major cause of dust and dirt around the house. Routine brushing of your pets can help keep the loose pet hair to a minimum and make house cleaning a whole lot easier.

7. Keep Your Disposal Disinfected – If you have a garbage disposal, it can be a haven for bacteria and smells. To remove the odors use a cut up lemon, salt and ice. Just drop in the mixture and turn on the disposal. The lemon will get rid of smells and the ice/water mixture will clean off any residue.

8. Clean As You Go – The easiest way to keep things picked up between cleanings is to make it a habit to pick up after yourself. Make it each person’s task to pick up after themselves before they leave a room and you will be amazed at how clean your house stays.

9. Clean from Top to Bottom – When you are cleaning a room, start at the top and work your way to the bottom. This will prevent you having to go back afterwards and re-clean things.

10. Listen While You Clean – Let’s face it, cleaning the house is not the most entertaining job in the world. To help keep your mind active as you pick up, listen to music or even podcasts. Podcasts are great because you can learn something new every time!

Even if you follow all these cleaning hacks, there is nothing that will keep your home from needing a deep cleaning every now and then. When that time comes, NOLA Maid can help! To learn more and get a free consultation simply fill out our contact form or call us today at 504-517-0333.