Easy Cleaning Hacks + Tips

This post is sponsored by O-Cedar.

I’ve shared before on how to “fake” a clean home (which is more about whipping your home into shape on the quick), and also created a video about it with SheSpeaksTV, so clearly… I like a clean home but without sacrificing a ton of time to maintain it. Since summer usually lures us outdoors more than the walls of our home can keep us in, you’d think that our place would just stay the pristine epitome of the vision in my head. In reality though, quite the opposite is true, running in to change between beach outings, martial arts classes, other events and visits to the pool can leave our space in an upheaval, let alone with a pile of dust and laundry in our wake (gross fact: dust is made up of 80% human skin, that in itself is a reason to clean!). 

In order to maintain our home this summer, I rounded up a few of my top tips (not that I’m an expert by any means, but I’ve learned a few things along the way) to help get a handle on what we all face and make it as easy and painless as possible.

Schedule yourself. Yeah, I get it, having a schedule for cleaning sounds like overkill… or maybe like too much work for the summer months, but I’ve found that spending 15-30 minutes a day is so much better than an all-day cleaning spree once a week or when you can’t take the mess anymore. Plus, you won’t feel stumped with where to start or what you should be doing… you’ll have a list to tell you what to do. You can set up your own cleaning schedule, or download a copy of ours here to get you started!

Simplify your cleansers. Sometimes cleaning can get overwhelming by just looking at the pile of products under your kitchen sink, and under your bathroom sink, and in your laundry room… and the list could go on and on. Just get back to the basics. What do you really need? De-clutter your cabinets so you can get the job on hand done as simply and effectively as possible. And a cute little bin to keep them all in and keep you moving from room to room doesn’t hurt either. 

Clean your shower while you’re showering. It might sound a little strange, but it’s easiest to clean your shower right while you’re in there! You definitely have to use a natural cleaner if you’re going to be spraying away while you’re in there though. An easy recipe for a daily shower spritzing cleaner is mixing one part vinegar, water and dish soap and then add in your favorite essential oils to a spray bottle. Whenever you’re done showering, give the bottle a quick shake and spray the shower down. Another easy option is to give your glass shower doors a quick squeegee at the end of your shower, which cuts down on soap scum build up. 

While we’re on the subject of showering, you can also let your kiddo’s baths play double duty and throw in a few toys that need cleaning to their next bath. Give them some extra soap and let them play away while cleaning their toys and themselves. Give everything a quick rinse and let the toys air dry while you towel your littles. Two birds, one stone… two jobs, one bath.

Find tools to help do the cleaning for you. Yep, they totally exist! So make your life easier with tools that pick up some of the slack. One I’ve been using lately is the O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System because it makes the job of mopping quite a bit easier since you can control the level of moisture by wringing out the mop quickly with the foot pedal. Also, check out this post for a simple and all-natural floor cleaner recipe. Another tool I’ve had my eye on for a while? The Roomba, a vacuum cleaning robot. A girl can dream right?

Clean your microwave the easy way. Place a microwave safe dish with equal parts water and vinegar in your microwave and turn on high for 10 minutes. The moisture and the cleaning solution will make is so easy to wipe clean!

Take out the trash. Store your extra garbage bags in the bottom of your trash container. You’ll save on cabinet space as well as time when you’ve got to take out the trash.

Get a helping hand. Granted, when kids help oftentimes it can take twice as long, but give them a job they can really do and let it go. When they’re young is absolutely the time to nurture their desire to help! Just this week as I was cleaning my bathroom, my littlest was underfoot and wanted to help with everything, so I gave him a cleaning wipe and let him have his way. He followed me around the restroom, cleaning and wiping as he went. Yes, he also stuck his head in the toilet to hear the echo (and no he didn’t get wet, but still… eww.), but he was thrilled to have a job to do and in all honesty, he really helped out!

Don’t get buried under the laundry. This one is so different for everyone, but I like doing a little bit of laundry every day… or at least every couple of days. For some, this isn’t an option as they don’t have in-home laundry facilities. For others, they have laundry service (which I personally think would be pretty spectacular!). For us, we’re right in-between and I’m grateful for a washer and dryer off the kitchen area. I don’t like the feeling of having a mountain of laundry to do, and I usually end up doing a load every day (or every other). I just toss it in the washing machine in the morning, move it to the dryer sometime in the afternoon and usually by evening we’ll do a quick fold and put away as a family or while watching our favorite Netflix series.

Make the beds, every day. I know I’ve said it before, but it really makes a space feel clean. It’s like putting on lipstick… it’s the gateway to making everything else look more put-together. So, even when you’re about to run out the door for another play-date, at least pull up the covers and toss a cute throw pillow or two on top. Also? I’ve heard it’s something that successful people make a habit of. Hands raised if you want to be that person!

So what about you? Any quick cleaning hacks that save you time? Share in the comments!

xo

The O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System has a built in wringer activated by a high quality foot pedal allowing you to control the level of moisture. The built in splash guard prevents overspray onto surrounding floors and walls, and the triangular mop head reaches into corners with deep cleaning microfiber strands to attract dirt and grime. The head is washable, and refills are also available. The telescoping handle extends to 48 inches and can collapse for easy storage. EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System is proudly assembled in the USA.

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