Thursday, March 5, 2009

House Cleaning Tips

This is probably why house cleaning tips are the hottest topic of conversation among home makers. If you hate living in squalor, then housework is a necessary evil. If you need an even better reason to start keeping up with you housework, try this – surprise guests! If your home is anything like mine, unannounced visitors can pop in any time and catch you and your messy house off-guard. To avoid the embarrassment, here are some simple but effective house cleaning tips.

These five easy to follow house cleaning tips can make your home a lot cleaner and you life a lot easier.

House Cleaning Tips # 1: Analyze the problem and wok out a solution.

Find out what best suits your home and your family. Much depends on the number of people living in your household and their ages, the number of rooms in your house, allergies and other health issues that people in your household might have, and the overall tolerance for clutter among member of your family. Find out exactly how much time you need to spend in order to maintain your house in the condition that you would like it in. Trying to clean everything everyday is an exercise in futility. Some of the best house cleaning tips I have ever heard, helped me reduce work, not pile on more of it.

A house cleaning checklist is really helpful to systematize the process of house cleaning. I have been given many house cleaning tips from my friends, but by far the most useful tip was about software that helps you create a house cleaning checklist and schedule. Software like Let's Clean Up! Is a marvel when it comes to scheduling housework. 

House Cleaning Tips # 2: Establish a house cleaning schedule and stick to as much as possible.

The longer you put off house work, the harder it will be when you are finally forced to step up and do it. When the dirt piles up, house cleaning can be overwhelmingly difficult and you might have to call in the professionals and deal with the embarrassing situation of having strangers clean up your unkempt house. A house cleaning checklist and schedule will make sure that you never fall too far behind on your house work.

House Cleaning Tips # 3: Get rid of clutter.

Showcasing little souvenirs, figurines, knick-knacks and other miscellaneous objets d'art, can be very fashionable, but it does create clutter and some cleaning problems. Try to keep the clutter to a minimum if you value order and cleanliness above fashion.

House Cleaning Tips # 4: Dust is dangerous!

Dust is not only unsightly, but it can actually be a serious and dangerous health hazard. Most people are allergic to dust or dust mite. Dust mite are micro organisms that live off the skin flakes contained in dust around the house. If that sounds disgusting, you just found another reason to clean up around the house! So even if you don't mind the dust cleaning up regularly is a must to get rid of the dust mite. If you have fallen behind on your dusting for a long time, it can be difficult to vacuum the house the first few times. But don't lose hope. Each time you vacuum the house, you will find that the amount of dust gets smaller and smaller.

House Cleaning Tips # 5: Keep the bathroom clean.

If you are squeamish about cleaning the bathroom, keep reminding yourself that the importance of a clean bathroom simply can not be over emphasized. Usually bathrooms need not be cleaned everyday. For most families, a two or three week cycle is suitable. However, make sure to clean the bathroom when the soap film on the floor is still reasonably thin, as this will make your job a lot easier.

The house cleaning tips given here can be really helpful in maintaining a healthy and hygienic living environment, but of course it all boils down to your discipline and willingness to follow the house cleaning tips. There are many more tips such as these to be found online, and if you have some house cleaning tips of your own, the internet is a great place to share them.

Stanislaw Pena is a home based business entrepreneur. For some terrific tips on how to organize clutter and for more house cleaning tips click here

Organizing Your Kitchen Cleaning Supplies

If you are having one of those days when the time just hangs on your hands and you have nothing to do and nowhere to be, it might be a good time to organize your kitchen cleaning supplies. The first step would be to empty the cupboards in your kitchen and gather all your kitchen cleaning supplies in one place. If you are one of those people who like to cram things under the sink, don't forget to gather the kitchen cleaning supplies from there as well. The space under the sink looks like a convenient place to stash away less frequently needed kitchen cleaning supplies, but it can get very messy and disorganized, making it very difficult to find the right kitchen cleaning supplies when you need them. Difficulty in finding the supplies is one thing, but anything stored under the kitchen sink is likely to expire or get ruined. 

Once you have gathered all the kitchen cleaning supplies from under the sink and the cupboards in your kitchen and bathroom, it is time to go over them one by one. Throw out any damaged or expired product. You could also throw out all the kitchen cleaning supplies that you have not used in a long time. Many people don't realize that kitchen cleaning supplies do have a shelf like and they lose their effectiveness after a period of time. So there is no point in hanging on to the really old products. Toss them out and don't look back. If you still feel compelled to store something under the kitchen sink, reserve the spot for a few of the most frequently used kitchen cleaning supplies. Glass cleaners, paper towels, dish washing liquid and an all-purpose scrubber and disinfectant could be the more frequently used kitchen cleaning supplies. As for the other kitchen cleaning supplies, make sure to store them away from food stuffs in a cool, dry place. If you happen to have young children or pets around the house, it is a good idea to store kitchen cleaning supplies in a cabinet with a childproof lock, as some of the cleaning products can be quite toxic

Cleaning your kitchen

The greatest chefs in the world, would be lost without their kitchen cleaning supplies. An unclean kitchen environment can be a great health hazard. Cleaning your kitchen might be an unpleasant and distasteful duty, but it is a necessary one all the same. Keeping a clean kitchen is an important step to prevent your friends and family from acquiring any illness through contaminated food. Your kitchen supplies are not merely for organizing and storing, but also for using. Use them to clean your kitchen regularly. Make sure that your kitchen is a hygienic and healthy place to cook.

While cleaning the kitchen it might be useful to make a distinction between cleaning and sanitizing. To clean something is to make it free of dirt. But sanitizing an area involves disinfecting it and removing all traces of harmful bacteria and other disease carrying agents. Areas of the kitchen that come in contact with food, such as table tops, counter tops, dishes, the inside of the refrigerator, the dish racks and the dish washing machines should be thoroughly sanitized. Floors, wall and other areas of the kitchen can be cleaned. 

Cleaning is a straightforward process, and all the equipment you will need is some soap and water. Sanitizing on the other hand requires specialized chemicals or heat of over 180 degrees to kill the bacteria. Since heat is not a practical option in most homes, a disinfectant can be used instead. The kitchen counter top, dishes, containers and cutting boards must be sanitized without fail. In fact, when it comes to cutting-boards, it is ideal to use different boards for different food items. You could use boards of different colors to identify the boards that go with particular foods. If this sounds like a bit much, at least consider using two boards, one each for uncooked foods (beef, chicken and other meats) and foods that need no cooking (fruits, cheeses) before consumption.

Organizing your kitchen supplies before you start cleaning your kitchen can make it a lot easier. It is also a good idea to switch of the telephones to avoid distractions. If you also throw on some peppy music, you can actually have a little fun cleaning your kitchen!

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