Contrary to popular belief, Chinese New Year is not all fun and games.
Now, do not misunderstand me; Chinese New Year is a festive occasion alright.
After all, who could possibly say no to all those delicious goodies and puffed-up ang pows?
However, just like everything else, CNY’s got it’s own cons too. And I’m not talking about awkward conversations with your relatives.
Rather, it’s the physical part.
Spring cleaning.
Yeah, I know. If only they took that part out.
But seeing how we can’t siam spring cleaning (just like how we aren’t able to siam NS), we just gotta suck thumb.
Although admittedly, you don’t have to suck thumb blindly. With just 10 simple alterations, you can make the entire spring cleaning process more streamlined, less tedious and generally way easier.
Ready to make spring cleaning a breeze? Let’s go!
Hack No. 1: Start from the top
Now, now, I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t that pretty basic?
Which is where you’re wrong.
While there’s no doubt it’s as basic as it gets, you would be surprised how many people opt to start from the bottom instead, all for the sake of convenience.
The hack
It’s common sense: when you clean higher surfaces, dirt and dust will fall on lower surfaces.
Start from the top so that you don’t have to do a second job. Clear all your ceiling fans, high-level furniture first, before turning to the floors.
Work smart, not work hard. – Sun Tze 2018
Although working hard does burn more calories. – Also Sun Tze 2018
Hack No. 2: Clear all your bathrooms in one shot
While multi-tasking might qualify as a 2017 fad, the fact remains that it’s 2018 now. And you know what they say:
New year, a new way of doing things.
The hack
Focus all your attention on one aspect, gather all your cleaning equipment and wage war on the dirtiest faculties in your household:
The toilet(s).
Recommended steps:
- Clear counters
- Spray counters, tubs or basin with cleaner.
- Allow them to sit while you scrub the toilet bowl.
- Wipe down the outer toilet surface.
- Return and wipe down the counters, rinse the tub before moving on to the mirrors.
- Leave the floors for the last.
By getting the toilets out of the way first, you’re saving precious time that could have been spent interchanging equipment, recalling whether you scrubbed down on that wall before and generally multi-tasking between the toilet bowl and the kitchen counter.
Got them stubborn, tough stains on your toilet bowl? Don’t worry.
X-Pect’s All Purpose Cleaner with Anti Bacterial‘s pretty much got you covered in that area!
Retailing at only $1.95 at myCK Dept Store, this baby works on all non-porous surfaces, and is sure to remove all those tough stains!
Hack No. 3: Use vinegar
Lest you’re unaware, vinegar normally looks like this.
And lest you’re unaware, it’s normally used as a cooking ingredient.
So where does a food condiment come into place in this holy spring cleaning manual, you wonder.
Well, lest you’re unaware, vinegar is actually a pretty nifty trick to get all those ugly-looking water spots outta the way.
The hack
Get a healthy dash of vinegar and make the entire process easier!
Here’s a step-by-step guide to aid your well-deserved efforts:
Note: if you have a granite counter top, please be careful as there have been reports of vinegar eating into the material.
Incidentally, vinegar can be used for many other cleaning purposes too. For example, it could be mixed with baking soda to clean out your oven, nice and easy.
Cool, huh?
Hack No. 4: Get cheap yet sufficiently proficient equipment
Spring cleaning is an arduous process, whether you like to admit it or not.
But unbeknownst to mankind, there’s actually something that smooths things out.
Money.
It’s not really rocket science; money gets you hi-tech equipment, hi-tech equipment gets the job done faster than low-tech equipment.
However, I’m not here to encourage you to shell out those bucks for a less tiring cleaning fiesta. You can save those dollar bills for Ang Pows or Pineapple Tarts instead.
Rather, I’m here to tell you about some hi-tech cleaning equipment…
That comes pretty darn cheap.
Don’t say bo jio ah!
Living Hue Spin Mop
Apart from the ability to maneuver 360°, this beauty has a bottom drainage system, built-in soap bottle and a storage box for those nimble cleaning tools!
Best part? From now till 22 Feb, it’s retailing for just $39.90, and comes with 2 Refill for FREE!
Floors might seem the easiest to sustain, but do not be deceived.
They are actually the dirtiest. And that’s taking all your weekly mops into account too.
If you pry just a bit further, you will find stains you’ve never seen before, and stickiness in places you’ve never traversed to before.
Fix all of that with myCK’s Floor Cleaner with Anti Bacteria!
Retailing at only $3.95 for 3000ml‘s worth, this is one magical product you need for those stubborn floors!
Spring cleaning isn’t the cleanest thing on Earth, but you don’t exactly have to dirty your hands either.
Protect your dainty little hands with myCK’s Multi Purpose Wiping Cloth, which is more than capable of attacking them dirty surfaces. Plus, it’s washable and reusable, and can be attached to a wiper stick!
AND did I mention that it’s cheap? 50 pieces go for only $2.60, which makes it a paltry $0.05 per sheet.
Budget cleaning at its best, people!
Hack No. 5: Play those motivational songs while you’re at it
There’s a reason why gym junkies blast those hi-beat, crude lyric songs when they work out.
It gets them pumped up.
And while cleaning isn’t exactly a gym sesh, it’s mentally and physically exhausting enough to qualify as a sub-gym sesh.
The hack
Play a one-hour playlist in the background to get you all motivated and thinking, “Hell yeah I’m gonna whack that shit and eat ma pineapple tarts!”
After all, it’s been scientifically proven (?) that being pumped contributes to a better performance, and a better performance leads to quality results. – Guy eating Potato Chips 2018
Our recommendation:
Crush those 3 sets of toilet scrubbing, before finishing it off with a super set of basin scrubbing!
Hack No. 6: Use them lemons
There’s a saying, “When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade.”
To which a wise man once preached: “Don’t waste them on some fancy health drink! Use them to clean your home!”
Incidentally, that man was Ballack Orama, former President of the US (Unclean Sink).
And he’s right; lemons might be sour af, but they make excellent cleaning tools.
Example? Your microwave.
Additionally, they can be used to
- Clean your wooden cutting boards
- Remove stains from butcher block countertops
- Make an all-purpose kitchen cleaner
- Scrub stubborn stuck-on food off dishes
- Polish spotty knives
- Clean the blender
Heck, they can even be used as deodorizing agents for your garbage disposal and smelly old plastic containers!
Spring cleaning has never been so… lemony!
Hack No. 7: Get more manpower… for cheap
If there’s anything serving two years of National Service has taught me, it would be this: gauge your resources, and allocate them well.
And guess what? That notion is more than applicable in the real world too!
Or to be more specific, your annual spring cleaning party.
There are two ways to go about this:
- Get your friends and family together for a pre-CNY “party”, lock the door after the last “guest” has arrived and “convince” them to finish the spring cleaning “party” before they can leave.
- Ask your friends and family sincerely for their help.
Based on previous experiences, I highly doubt the proficiency of option 2, so your best bet would be option 1.
Spring cleaning party, let’s go!
Hack No. 8: Baking Soda
If you were to judge from the name alone, you would naturally assume baking soda to be some form of… baked soda.
Naturally, it’s not (although it’s a totally cool idea).
Rather, baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is present in crystalline form in nature but is ground to a fine powder for application in cooking. It’s one of the most popular leaveners (substances that cause baked goods to rise) in baked products.
But here’s the thing: like vinegar, it can be utilised for purposes outside of cooking.
And it’s safe to say that this hidden gem is more than capable of speeding up your entire spring cleaning process.
The hack
Baking soda could be used to
- Remove stains from plastic food containers
- Refresh a foul-smelling fridge
- Scrub down kitchen surfaces
- Deep-clean extra greasy dishes and pans
- Deodorize musty upholstery
- De-clog a drain
- Eliminate garbage can odours
- Scrub a messy grill
- Wipe down dirty patio furniture
- Brighten dull jewellery
It can even be used to freshen up your smelly shoes! (Although you’re advised to tap it out when you’re about to wear it unless you want some cocaine-looking shit on the sole of your foot.)
And that’s not even scraping the surface; there are actually way more positive uses than that! (I can’t list them all because you’ll get bored.)
Who said cleaning is a tiresome and expensive process? With baking soda, your spring cleaning will be a literal breeze.
Let’s make spring cleaning great again
Spring cleaning might be an arduous process, but let’s face it:
Having a fresh and clean home just feels… shiok.
And you don’t even have to burn 1069 calories huffing and panting while you’re at it. With the aforementioned 8 tips, you’re well-set for a tireless, effective and fast clean-up (alright, maybe save for one or two dodgy points).
So good luck, and let’s make spring cleaning great again!
Incidentally, if you’re in need of some effective yet affordable spring cleaning equipment, you can check out myCK Dept. Store’s ongoing promotion!
In light of the upcoming Chinese New Year festivity, myCK will be slashing up to 50% off their daily low price home essential products from 29 Dec to 22 Feb!
Check out this whopping 1-for-1 deals!
As well as star buys!
Additionally, with a min. purchase of $15, myCK customers can enjoy the following promotions!
And last but definitely not least, stand a chance to win $3,888 Cash with every $38 spent in a single receipt!
T&Cs apply.
So what are you waiting for?
Get shopping for the new year already!
This article was first published in goodyfeed.com and written in collaboration with myCK
