You can spend hours researching cleaning hacks on the internet, but effective techniques are hard to find. While some of the ideas seem cool, they aren’t always practical, leaving you right back at square one.
We have good news for you. In this post, we take a look at some trusty cleaning hacks that work for practically all moms. Check them out below.
Dust First, Vacuum Later
Dusting first makes sense when you think about it. As you’re brushing, all those dust particles make their way off your surfaces and down onto the floor. If you brush second, your vacuuming is pointless.
Put Plastic Toys In The Dishwasher
Washing all your kids’ plastic toys and items individually is a massive effort and could take all day if you did it properly. However, placing all the items in a dishwasher is considerably easier.
Of course, you still need to be careful. Not all toys are washable by machine. Similarly, some will be adversely affected by the heat and will start curling up at the sides the moment the temperature rises.
If you decide to use the dishwasher, test your strategy on low heat first. Then slowly increase cycle times.
Disinfect Sponges In The Dishwasher
Joy dish soap might be a great product, but sponges have a dirty little secret: their propensity to harbor germs. In fact, the average dish sponge has more bacteria in it than a toilet.
Unfortunately, getting sponges super clean by hand is a challenge. Germs take up residence in all the small air pockets and bubbles, making them hard to dislodge.
Again, dishwashers can help. Because of the way they work, they are often able to clean sponges far more thoroughly than hands alone. Plus, it makes it easier to make your cleaning equipment hygienic. After a hot cycle, you can kill more than 99.9 percent of germs lurking in the sponge, making it smell so much fresher.
Dust Your Crown Moldings With A Cloth-Covered Broom
Using a regular broom on your crown molding seems like a great idea until you actually try it. Unfortunately, crown molding is quite delicate, so brush bristles can scratch it.
Putting a cloth over your broom can make a tremendous difference in the brush’s gentleness. This way, it is just like you are wiping down your crown molding by hand with a cloth, without any need to climb a step ladder.
Start Using Catch-All Baskets Around Your Home
Catch-all baskets won’t appeal to everyone, but they can come in handy in high-traffic areas of your home. If there are items that you want to scoot out of the way immediately, you just dump them inside and then sort them all out later when you have time.
This way, you give yourself a little leeway in your cleaning schedule. You don’t have to stay on top of everything all the time for decent-looking rooms. Rather, you can dump items you no longer want in the basket temporarily, giving you a grace period before cleaning really needs to begin. It’s a simple hack, but an incredibly effective one.
Use A Wrinkle-Release Spray
Imagine if you could just spray your clothes to get rid of all the creases instead of ironing them. It sounds impossible, but thanks to new technology, it’s a reality.
Some brands now sell so-called “wrinkle-release” sprays. You just spray your fabrics and the wrinkles magically disappear.
If you run out of commercial versions, you can make your own. Just combine some hair conditioner with white vinegar and water and then mix it all together in an old spray bottle
Use Dryer Balls To Reduce Static
Dryer balls look cute, but they are also extremely practical. Just place them in your dryer along with your clothes and let them deal with all the static for you. Dryer balls also function as a great fabric softener, making your clothes distinctly more comfortable when you put them on.
Buy Just One Or Two Types Of Socks
Matching your family’s socks up with each other is a challenge, particularly if you have more than two kids. As the number of combinations expands, so too does the time it takes for you to pair them off.
The trick here is to buy just one or two types of socks from the same brand over and over again. This way, if you lose the odd sock here or there, it doesn’t matter. Moreover, you can stop wasting so much time trying to match one type of sock with another.
Get A Shirt Folding Board
Some people are able to fold shirts expertly with their bare hands, but most aren’t. To avoid folding, many of us simply hang shirts up in the closet.
These days, though, you can get semi-magical devices called shirt folding boards. These lets you accurately fold shirts every time without forcing you to choose the precise lines along which you’ll fold.
If you want to save money, you can make shirt folding boards out of regular cardboard. It’s a great way to give kids valuable skills in life that should serve them well when they get jobs in the future.
Give Musty Towels The Baking Soda Treatment
All of us left our clothes in the washing machine overnight at one time or another, only to discover them smelling musty the next morning. At this point, most people will throw their hands up in the air and simply initiate another cycle. However, you can save money by using regular baking soda.
Baking soda is a cleaning superstar because of its ability to remove laundry soap buildup. Plus, it doesn’t have a strong smell, meaning that it leaves your clothes smelling fresh.
Use The Power Of Steam To Clean Your Microwave Oven
Microwave ovens are extremely convenient, but they are also prone to food debris buildup. What’s more, stains can be hard to remove.
To make life easy for yourself, add some water and white vinegar to a bowl, put it in your microwave, and then leave it running for a few minutes to generate steam.
Kori
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