Wouldn't it be nice to be able to prevent filth and muck from building up before it even happens?
READ: 4 Ways To Fake Having A Clean House
You can! Try these simple strategies to clean your home prior to all of the mess.
Don't put off cleaning yesterday's spills. Instead, use old newspaper to pick up all of the excess liquids. Not only do these spills give off an offensive odor, they also seep into some of your most commonly used foods such as milk, butter, and eggs. The great thing about newspaper is it's so absorbent. Simply scrunch up a few pages, spray them with water and leave them in the back corners of your refrigerator to take in the stenches overnight. To prevent the smells before the spill even occurs, line your drawers with newspaper sheets and replace every two weeks.
While it's necessary to protect the base of your toaster with a nonstick liner, keep in mind that you don't have to take apart your toaster every time you want to clean it. While looking for a nonstick liner, remember that a nonstick liner made for a full-sized oven can be trimmed down for toaster ovens. You can do this by using the drip tray as a size guide, cutting the liner with a pair of scissors and then placing the liner on the bottom of the oven. Grease will occasionally spill, but can be easily removed with a cloth. To clean the liner, a spin through the dishwasher will do the trick.
You also can buy a non-stick liner. Bed Bath and Beyond sells a Chef's Planet nonstick reversible oven liner for about $20.
Stop trying to fight clogs with expensive chemicals or plumbing services. Instead, simply soak the drain with baking soda and vinegar. Experts have learned that chemicals in heavy drain cleaners can harm the pipes. Instead, douse your drain once a month with 1/2 a cup of baking soda followed by 1/2 a cup of white vinegar. Wait five minutes for this cocktail to foam and then rinse with boiling water. This is an easy process that can be used for any drain and is sure to keep them clog-free.
READ: 7 Steps To Deep Cleaning Your Bathroom (Which Is Grosser Than You Think)
When there is a spill or a stain, stop using potentially harmful cleansers and try the simple hot towel treatment. The longer a spill is present, the harder it becomes to remove. If you've got some ancient stains, remove the burners and dunk a few old cloths into scalding hot water and lay them flat onto the stovetop. You want to remember not to scrub stove surfaces since they are likely to scratch. Once you've let the towels sit for about 10 minutes, it will be easy to wipe the grime up.
Instead of trying to wipe down shower parts with sprays and soaps, it is best to hand dry these fixtures once you are done toweling off. When you're attempting to keep the scum from leftover soap in check, it's important to wipe off all of the moisture and residue before it completely dries and becomes hard. Keep a spare towel in the bathroom that you can use for all fixtures and corners where water has a tendency to build up. Soap scum is the combination of calcium found in water and fatty acids, which are found in soaps. Switching to liquid body wash instead of a standard bar of soap may help get rid of some of that excess gunk. Another secret to keeping the scum away? Try a damp dryer sheet.
Stop replacing that moldy rubber gasket; it's not doing you any good. Instead, try loading up the interior of your washing machine with a cleaning agent. Every wonder what that funky smell in your laundry room is? It's probably residue from all of the liquid fabric softener and detergent you have used over time. Even if it's only once a month, you need to run a load with an oxygenated-bleach cleaning pouch, which can be purchased at Soap.com at $6.50 for three pouches, and hot water. After you have done this, use a nonbleach disinfectant wipe for mildew-prone spots like the rubber gasket. You can even try air-drying your washer after each use by leaving the door open.
READ: 6 Things You're Doing Entirely Wrong With Your Washer And Dryer
How do you keep the air clean? Well for starters, stop going after those tumbleweeds with your vacuum and start brushing your pets down at least once a week to minimize your exposure to allergies and toxins that might be lingering. One option for cleaning up after your pets is the Furminator De-shedding tool, which can be purchases at Petco for $37. This tool is great for grabbing any undercoat hair that could raise the dander levels in your house. Another option for hair that is already on upholstery is getting a lint roller or a cleaning sponge at Petco for anywhere as low as $10. If you're more concerned with preventing future sheds on your new couch, everyday grooming tools are very effective.
Although it may be hard, you really need to start enforcing that no-shoe in the house rule. If you have some feisty ones who refuse to comply with this policy, then you need to insist that people wipe their feet at the door. Vacuuming your life away isn't going to cut it anymore and let's face it, who has the time for that? It's not hard to believe, but the amount of germs that stick to the bottom of your shoes and end up in your home is extremely high. A no-shoe policy can really help lower this number. One way to enforce this is to have a basket near the door with a few pairs of shoes already in it to set precedence for house rules. It might look extreme if you make disobedient people wipe their shoes off with disinfectant wipes, but sometimes you have to do whatever works. You can keep these wipes in a handy place, like the entry console. Are you worried about your pets bringing in the germs? If so, we suggest using Pet-E-Pure, all natural bacteria wipes, that can be used on paws.