per Kiya's request:
my last job being an apartment manager, i learned a lot of quick and efficient ways to clean. (also, i am OCD about cleaning) here's a list of tips, tricks, and my favorite cleaning products.
all around best cleaner:
simple green is the best. it's only sold in the automotive section. non-toxic, safe for pets and kids.
floors: a stiff brush and a little higher dilution of simple green to water. it's awesome for grout and tile.
baseboards/walls: i use the 10 to 1 dilution on this. just be super gentle because cheap paint WILL come off (first hand experience speaking here).
****This is not a disinfectant, so after i use this product, sometimes i'll do a once over with lysol disinfectant wipes or Clorox Clean-up with bleach. which brings me to my next fav. product.
great disinfectant:
it smells exactly like bleach, but i love the smell of bleach. kinda reminds me of the baptistry at the temple.
counter tops, inside of the microwave, inside the fridge, bathroom. love it.
hard water/rust/lime/etc. stains:
pumice stones are my fav. they even make them in cool shapes now that are more ergonomic (big word alert). great for toilets and rings around the sink. not in that order. gross.
CLR is awesome for nasty soap scum on the showers. i like to spray this stuff all around the shower, let it sit while cleaning something else. come back 20 minutes later, scrub a little, rinse, then use that clorox clean-up once over. if the toilet is super nasty, i'll spray this stuff in the bowl, let it sit, flush, then scrub up with the pumice stone.
tips and tricks:
as far as smells go, i Febreeze A LOT.
i also love Scentsy products. i change my scentsys all the time and i think it keeps the scent strong.
there ya go kiya!
my last job being an apartment manager, i learned a lot of quick and efficient ways to clean. (also, i am OCD about cleaning) here's a list of tips, tricks, and my favorite cleaning products.
all around best cleaner:
floors: a stiff brush and a little higher dilution of simple green to water. it's awesome for grout and tile.
baseboards/walls: i use the 10 to 1 dilution on this. just be super gentle because cheap paint WILL come off (first hand experience speaking here).
****This is not a disinfectant, so after i use this product, sometimes i'll do a once over with lysol disinfectant wipes or Clorox Clean-up with bleach. which brings me to my next fav. product.
great disinfectant:
counter tops, inside of the microwave, inside the fridge, bathroom. love it.
hard water/rust/lime/etc. stains:
CLR is awesome for nasty soap scum on the showers. i like to spray this stuff all around the shower, let it sit while cleaning something else. come back 20 minutes later, scrub a little, rinse, then use that clorox clean-up once over. if the toilet is super nasty, i'll spray this stuff in the bowl, let it sit, flush, then scrub up with the pumice stone.
tips and tricks:
- kitchen
- sink: i use that clorox clean-up in my sink and thanks to my friend brock, i've started using a TINY amount of baby oil on my stainless steel to make it shine. works like a charm.
- oven: for those without self cleaning ovens (i'm included in this sad group), i think steel wool works best. all that oven spray crap leaves the most frustrating residue and makes me gag (literally) from the smell. sometimes i'll boil a pot of water, turn the oven on to low and set the pot of water inside. it'll help loosen the grime a bit. also, fyi, all oven doors lift off. PLEASE don't bend over the door. it makes me sad when people don't know this.
- ****side note, every few months i like to pull my oven knobs off, soak them and clean the nasty grease that lurks behind them.***
- microwave: might be common knowledge, but oh well. put a glass bowl with water inside, turn on high for like 3 minutes, everything will wipe clean. i do a quick once-over with clorox clean-up.
- drawers & cabinets. vacuum everything out first. you'll love me for it. once you get crumbs, dirt or hair wet... you'll never get it out.
- fridge: my biggest OCD. i hate dirty fridges. i like to clean my fridge every time i grocery shop. i wipe everything down (inside and out) with the clorox clean-up. if you have serious issues, you can use q-tips in those little crevices...i might do that...
- bathroom
- chrome: i clean all my chrome first with the clorox stuff, then windex. i just like it to look shiny and streak-free. :D
- ***also, i clean my toilet paper holder A LOT. it gets super dusty and people forget about it. ***
- toilet: the hinges are super nasty. i use qtips and straight bleach. hahahahaha! i may or may not have spent more time than i would like to admit cleaning toilet hinges. i also like to take qtips around the caulk line around the base. that's SUPER gross.
- everything else
- baseboards: i vacuum all baseboards before cleaning them. it's just 1000 times easier getting the dust up. i use simple green on the base boards because i think it works best. i personally like to clean my baseboards once a month. i think clean baseboards make your house look so much cleaner.
- dust: i use the vacuum for this too. i vacuum ceiling fans, air vents, light fixtures, etc. so much easier.
- windows: i vacuum blinds and the track of windows first (see a recurring theme?). i'm all about simple green in the tracks with qtips. i also spot clean blinds with a rag and simple green.
- light switches/outlets: qtips and simple green. finish with clorox clean-up.
as far as smells go, i Febreeze A LOT.
there ya go kiya!
5 comments:
wow, thanks for kiya for making you do this, cause this is totally awesome to know. I've been in the market for something like simple green for a while now and have never heard of it. thanks!! I'll be bookmarking this post for sure. : )
p.s. totally curious in what ways your OCD/cleanliness will change when you have kids? I was about as OCD as you are with my house but now it's taken a turn for the worst. : ) my baseboards are filthy, and the only thing I have energy/time to clean are the things that are a health hazard to my kids if they're not, ie: bathtubs, floors, etc. my windows and my fridge and other things like that are so gross. and while it totally bothers me it's easy for me to let it go cause I know that I need to preserve my energy for my crazy toddler. : ) maybe i'll hire you to come clean for me?! Anyway....super interested to see how that will all pan out for you. ; )
I had to laugh when I read your comment Bethany because I was thinking the EXACT same thing. I would LOVE for my house to be this spotless...but I would much rather my kids remember me playing with them rather than cleaning all the time. I do have a weekly list where I clean something every day, like Monday is my laundry day, etc. And I try to do the dishes everyday as well as pick up every night for 15-20 mins. This post makes me want to go clean everything though. I will definitely be getting that simple green cleaner! Thanks for sharing Liz!
you are seriously crazy. I used to clean toilets for a living and don't have as much knowledge as you. This post is a great example of why I love you. You are cray
Liz, you are genius. Literally Liz knows what she's talking about, guys. I asked her about her cleaning tips months ago because her house always smelled clean...like ALWAYS! Her tips helped IMMENSELY. My favorite is the clorox bleach spray. I bought that and use it on everything. My house smells better than it has ever before. So yes, thanks a ton, Liz. :)
Liz's cleaning tips=the best I've ever been given. I asked her for tips a few months ago because her house is the one house I can always remember smelling clean all the time ...I mean like ALWAYS!! I esp love the clorox bleach spray!
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