For most people, house cleaning is not at the top of the list for enjoyable activities. It’s time-consuming, tedious and boring, and it can be overwhelming if things haven’t been cleaned for a while. By following some helpful cleaning tips, however, you can make cleaning your home easier. Today, we take a look at the most dreaded cleaning chores and ways to tackle them.
Speed Through Dishes With a Spritz of Vodka
According to a recent national survey, dishes are public enemy number one – the most-hated of all household chores! Luckily, there’s an easy way to speed through cleaning them, and it involves doing less work. Soaking dishes in hot, soapy water for 15 minutes “super hydrates” stuck-on gunk, helping it lift right off. Pro tip: add a splash of vodka to the dishwater to speed-clean greasy pots and pans – the alcohol absorbs grease particles so dishes easily wipe clean.
Clean Bathrooms Fast With Multipurpose Vinegar
To make quick work of the second-biggest cleaning peeve, break out the white vinegar. Wipe tiles and sinks with a cloth soaked in vinegar to lift soap scum and mildew. Leave for 15 minutes, and then rinse. You can also pour vinegar down the toilet to break up rings. For speed-cleaning tips, get mentally prepared, gather your cleaning supplies and dig into the task. By tackling your worst areas first, the rest of your cleaning chores will seem easier.
Reduce Laundry Labor With Two Easy Steps
Whether it’s washing and drying laundry, folding, ironing or putting them where they belong when done, laundry figures prominently on the household chore hit list. The fix: by pre-sorting laundry and using a hamper with different sections or dividing laundry into separate baskets, you can save 15 minutes. Lay shirts or pants flat on top of each other on your bed while they’re still warm from the dryer. The lingering heat will flatten clothes like an iron.
Vacuum in Half the Time With a Dryer Sheet “Pre-Treat”
No doubt about it, vacuuming can be tedious. The time-saving solution: before vacuuming, take a dryer sheet, and run it over trouble spots like pet hair-infused sofas and rugs. This breaks up the static cling that causes grime to stick to fibers, making it easy for your vacuum to suck it up.
Shopping on the Right Days
There are still ways to make grocery shopping easier: Sunday remains the most popular day to shop. So, if possible, go during the middle of the week, ideally in the morning. Also smart: make transporting groceries from your car easier by keeping an old laundry basket in your trunk. This way, you can put several bags in the basket and make a single trip.
Cleaning the Windows With Water-Vinegar Mixture
Cleaning the windows is among the most hated household chores because it can be so frustrating. But there are cleaning methods and solutions you can use to help prevent this. Instead of using a store-bought cleaner, you can make a solution of a vinegar-water mix. This solution does not contain soap, which is often what creates the streaks across the window. A 50/50 water to vinegar ratio is the ideal amount.
Leave Some Cleaning to the Pros
Gutter or chimney cleaning is something that is often forgotten about. But these are important tasks because, neglecting them, can lead to a buildup of water and snow, causing leaks and possible damage to your home. If you do not have the time or equipment to do it yourself, there are professional chimney and gutter cleaning companies to help you. Leaving gutter and chimney cleaning to the pros will save you from being physically exhausted and in possible danger.
Give Your Vent a Deep Clean
A dryer connected to vents filled with lint, dust and dirt won’t work well. If your dryer once polished off wet loads in one cycle or less, but now needs two or even three, check your ductwork. Chances are it’s not your dryer that’s faulty – just grimy venting that’s the issue. Giving your dryer duct a thorough cleaning is sweaty, messy work. While you can easily clean and maintain some areas of your dryer vent yourself, such as the lint catcher and tailpipe, professional attention to other areas of your dryer’s venting system (e.g., pipes running through walls or ceilings) is strongly recommended.
At Chimney Doctors, we are well-known for our exceptional chimney inspection and cleaning offerings. We also offer other services, including chimney relining, gutter and dryer vent cleaning, and installation of chimney caps. Schedule an appointment now by calling us at (518) 882-5009 or by filling out our online form. We serve clients in Saratoga Springs, NY.
