Hacks

8 Easy Hacks to Cleaning Your House because Spring Cleaning is Troublesome Enough

2017-01-09 , 12:07 pm

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and more often than not, our parents will be nagging at us to start spring cleaning before our relatives come to visit.

Feel the same way too? Don’t worry ‘cuz I’ve got something good for you! Here are 8 ways to improve the efficiency of the spring cleaning process so you can get done faster!

1. Clean on a cloudy and shady day

One would assume that cleaning windows can be done any day of the week but unfortunately, wiping your windows on a hot and sunny day will result in the residue of the soap drying up before you can even wipe it off, leaving awful stains.

So clean your windows on a cloudy day or at least on the shady side of the house given Singapore’s relentless sunshine to avoid double effort!

2. Use newspapers or microfibre cloths to dry your windows.

Our grandparents were right when they said to use newspapers to dry the windows.

The fibres within newspapers are rigid and will not separate and cause the formation of lint as compared to paper towels and normal cloths. Also, using newspapers are a good form of recycling!

But be aware that sometimes the ink may smudge onto the windows and thus microfibre cloths prove to be the most effective tool for drying windows as the microfibres are able to attach themselves to the smallest and microscopic dirt particles, leaving the windows sparkly clean.

3. Use household materials to clean your sink.

If you are in a rush to clean your stainless steel sink, household materials can be readily available to clean off the gunk on your sink.

First, sprinkle baking soda on the sink and line paper towels soaked in white vinegar for 20mins. Rinse the sink with warm soapy water and then put in a tablespoon of bleach to sanitise the entire sink.

Also, to prevent stains from accumulating on the sink, sprinkle baking powder on the stains once they form and they will be wiped away easily.

4. Use the top-to-bottom rule.

Sometimes, vacuuming and mopping the floor comes straight to our mind when we think of spring cleaning. In actual fact, the order of cleaning is paramount in increasing the efficiency of the spring cleaning process.

If you start to sweep the floors before cleaning the fans and the top shelves, the dust will undeniably fall onto the carpet or floor, making it dirty again. Hence, clean the higher levels of the house first to minimise your time and effort!

5. Remove your shoes before entering your house!

This may seem as a surprise as wearing shoes at home is not a common phenomenon in Singapore, but I have encountered families where shoes are worn into the household.

The dirt on your shoes gets brought into your humble abode, leaving trails of filth across your floor. So remove your shoes and employ the usage of floor mats at the door to trap the dirt on your feet when you enter your home.

6. Clean and renew your cleaning tools.

Dirty mops, dusty brooms and old tattered cloths will not be useful in your endeavour to remove dirt in your house.

Remember to clean your tools regularly to prevent the accumulation of dirt on them and hence using an unclean mop to mop the floor! You would just be working harder and longer.

7.Employ cleaning services.

If you are swarmed with a packed schedule and do not have time to clean your house, cleaning agencies are abundant in Singapore and they will save a lot of time with the standard of cleanliness being guaranteed.

Of course, the fees will also be steeper during this festive period.

8. Clean a little bit every day.

Spring cleaning need not be confined to just the week or two before the arrival of relatives but instead, the regular and constant cleaning and maintenance of the house will ensure that the spring cleaning process is not backbreaking.

20 or 30 minutes a day to repack miscellaneous items into boxes or to wash your air-conditioner filters will alleviate the overall workload when spring cleaning initiates.