Bringing on my new contributor and long time friend, Jasmine Ford, again for today’s post. Take it away Jasmine!
Hello, everyone! I’m glad to be back with another post, so a big thank-you goes to Camille for letting me share another article with you all!
Having lived with Camille in the past, I can tell you that she is absolutely wonderful at staying on top of chores and cleaning. She is always able to keep her spaces neat and organized. I, on the other hand, could stand to improve. Despite my love of domestic living, the art of maintaining a neat-looking space is one that I have struggled with over the years. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who isn’t so great at staying on top of chores, so I wanted to share a few products and tips that have really helped me since I’ve begun making a concerted effort to keep my living space presentable.
easy cleaning by jasnford on Polyvore
1. Toilet Brush System – The Clorox ToiletWand | Clorox and Clorox ToiletWand Review // 2. Clorox.com | Reviews // 3. Swiffer and Swiffer Duster Kit // 4. Multi-Surface Vinegar and Windex Multi-Surface Antibacterial // 5. Foaming Bathroom Cleaners* Scrubbing Bubbles
1. Clorox Toilet-Wand: My mom has always taught me that the state of a place’s bathroom is a major indicator of the overall cleanliness of the owners. Keeping this in mind, I have always been a fan of the Clorox Toilet-Wand. It’s simple and fast to use, easy to dispose of, and much cleaner than keeping a traditional toilet brush collecting germs in the corner! I would recommend using it once a week to keep the toilet-rings at bay.
2. Clorox disinfecting wipes: With a quick wipe-down, they leave your surfaces smelling like you spent way more time cleaning them than you actually did. Use them on the exterior of your toilet, your countertops in the bathroom and kitchen, and other hard surfaces. Recently I’ve even discovered that they are great at getting foundation/makeup-covered fingerprint smudges off of my white doors.
3. Swiffer hand-held duster: Here in the South, pollen and dust are ever-present problems. You can dust your house, only to find a new layer of dust settling on your belongings by the time you turn around (haha, or it seems that way at least). I keep one of these in my bedroom at all times, and use it to dust not only the dressers, but the molding on the walls and the window-blinds and- sills. Neat, dust-free moldings will make the whole room seem neater. Stray hairs contribute to dust-bunnies, so take a quick 30 seconds after combing hair to swipe stray hairs off of the floor. Even if you comb your hair in the bathroom, if you don’t get hair off of the floor, it can easily be tracked into other rooms after getting stuck underfoot.
4. Multi-surface Windex: Use this for mirrors, glass tables, and metal fixtures (like faucets)
5. Vacuum cleaner: Vacuuming regularly goes a long way in keeping your carpets from getting flattened out and smelly. Also, not wearing shoes indoors keeps your carpets much neater and cuts down on the frequency with which you need to vacuum. My mom is Japanese, so I grew up with this rule in our house and our carpets have always looked brand-new!
5. Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner: This stuff is great! It’s much simpler to use than traditional tub cleaners that require a brush, and just as effective (judging by my experience). All you do is spray it on, leave it for a few minutes, and wipe it off with a sponge, and it will have the tub looking as good as new!
Finally, don’t forget how much of a difference little details can make! A bedroom with a made bed looks much neater, even if there are other chores to be done. The same goes for keeping all of your drawers fully pushed in. If you can’t keep your clothes off of the floor (guilty!), at least try to keep them in one pile (preferably in a corner) so that the eye isn’t drawn to strewn clothing all over the floor. And If you ever find yourself in a pinch when you have company on short-notice, you can forget trying to tackle the whole house! Just make sure to focus on the areas where they’ll be, which is usually the bathroom, kitchen/dining area, and living room.
Improving my dedication to regular chore performace is a work in progress, so let me know in the comments section if you have any easy cleaning or organizational short-cuts!
