Each of us, undoubtedly, has one or two friends whom we can envy: their house always sparkles with cleanliness, there are no rubble under the beds, on the balcony and on the chairs in the corner, there are fresh curtains on the windows, and they themselves are invariably friendly and not fussy and fit. And all this - despite the fact that they have a small child... What is this special talent for purity? Or an art that everyone can learn?
Not so long ago, the term flylady came into fashion among eternally busy women with families, which, ignoring the untranslatable play on words, can be literally translated as “flying lady.” It implies a whole life philosophy that allows you to be an ideal housewife, a wonderful wife and mother - and at the same time always remain in excellent physical shape and good mood, easily fluttering around the house. And even if such a “superwoman” is not your ideal, there is much to learn from this wonderful system that arose in the West. First of all, this concerns maintaining order in the house, which will be discussed in this article.
The main thing is to start!
The decision to restore order can already be considered half the battle. The main thing now is to rush into it without hesitation and without postponing the process.
So, where to start cleaning your apartment? According to the experience of Chinese sages, you need to start from the farthest room, gradually moving towards the exit. So, along with the disorder, negative energy will also leave the home.
Main stages
The main stages of cleaning an apartment are: putting things in their places, removing dust and dirt, and wet cleaning.
If you start with rooms - a hall, a bedroom, an office, then it is recommended to walk around and put things in their designated places.
Dirty clothes can be thrown into one pile, which will be removed later, dishes can be transported to the kitchen.
Then - a turn of dust. Use a damp sponge or cloth to go over all surfaces. For some furniture, polish or other special products are used.
Next, pick up a vacuum cleaner or a good old broom and dustpan and sweep the floors. All that remains is to wash them. That's the entire algorithm for the current cleaning.
House cleaning rules
Each person has his own idea of order. However, there are unspoken rules for cleaning the house, thanks to which it becomes possible to achieve a higher quality of work. In addition, if you follow some consistency, you can speed up the process of putting things in order. You should start cleaning the apartment from the bedroom, living room, and children's room. It is better to finish the work in the kitchen or bathroom, because this is where the water is changed and rags are washed.
First rule: less is more
In this case, feasible tasks are set: establishing order in areas of the premises where a large number of things accumulate. Often the apartment owner leaves certain items and clothes “for a rainy day.” In fact, it’s unlikely their turn will ever come. If some things or objects have not been used for many years, it is better to get rid of them.
You should start cleaning the room with one cluttered area. It is better not to try to cover all problem areas at once, because it will take a lot of time and the result will not be good enough. As you put things in order, free space is freed up where you can place the things you need. Put in the closet on the farthest shelf those items that are rarely used or only in extreme cases. Items in demand are left in plain sight. For this purpose, the nearest shelves are allocated.
Second rule: everything has its place
After using an item, you should return it to where it is stored. This reduces the risk of losing items of clothing, tools, cosmetics, and toys. Additionally, this rule helps speed up the cleaning process. Moreover, it is better to choose the most suitable places for storing things. For example, tools should be in a special box in the pantry. Toys should be kept in the children's room. Household items are stored in the kitchen, and you need to allocate separate drawers for them.
You should put things back in their place immediately after using them. If the practice is to return items on the second or third day, they are forgotten over time. The result is a mess that is difficult to deal with. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to develop a habit. Then things will return to their places automatically.
Third rule: saving space
You should pay attention to wardrobes, where things are often abandoned in a hurry. The biggest problem is the drawers. A large number of small things and objects are collected here. To bring order to your wardrobe, you must follow the rules:
- things are divided by season;
- different types of wardrobe items need to be stored in different places; T-shirts – separately, dresses – separately, etc.;
- Organizers are used for small items (underwear, etc.).
After washing, socks must be immediately separated and looked for a pair. The less often an item is used, the higher/deeper in the closet it should be stored. Accessories, shoes, ties, scarves should be separated. Moreover, it is more convenient to keep the last of these things on hooks on the inside of the door. Additionally, you can divide the space in the closet into two zones: for lower (trousers, jeans, etc.) and upper (T-shirts, sweaters, etc.) items of clothing.
Rule four: always have a clean kitchen
They are inspecting the lockers. Jars with spices, cereals and other products should be sorted, and the contents of the containers, which have not been used for a long time or have already spoiled, should be thrown away. The dishes are folded in a convenient order - according to the frequency of use. Unclaimed household items and equipment can be taken to a landfill, given to neighbors or taken to the country.
To clean, you need to wipe the inside of the cabinets. To do this, dishes and containers with food are removed once a month or every six months. After the cabinets are completely dry, the items are returned. For greater comfort, various devices are installed: additional hanging shelves, internal fastenings on the doors, etc. Thanks to this, there will be more space for storing items that should always be at hand.
It is better to clean and wash dishes after every meal. This takes much less time than when a mountain of plates and pots accumulates. If your home has a dishwasher, the problem of dirty dishes is easier to solve. You just need to turn on such equipment in a timely manner, and when finished, put the dishes in their places. After eating, wipe the table and remove crumbs from the floor. This is enough for quick cleaning; the kitchen floor is washed periodically.
Fifth rule: order is a habit
It is recommended to set aside a little time to restore superficial order. By regularly performing the same actions (removing dust, washing dishes, etc.), a habit is developed. Then all these movements will be carried out automatically, which will save time on general cleaning.
Additionally, you can perform several interrelated actions. For example, when watering flowers, they also wipe the windowsill. If you are washing dishes, you can clean the taps from limescale. This procedure will avoid the need for frequent general cleaning.
The final stage
If you managed to quickly achieve cleanliness in the closets, on the window sills, the glass of the windows and doors were cleaned, the carpets were knocked out, then just walk through the rooms and wipe the dust everywhere. At the same time, wash the mirrors, wash the chandeliers. It is necessary to pay attention to small details: switches, armrests on furniture. To end up with a clean apartment, at the final stage, remove the covers from the chairs and sofa. The dust should be shaken out. If necessary, the covers are taken to dry cleaning. Those that are smaller in size can be washed by hand.
Kitchen, bathroom, hallway
Looking through the tips on how to properly clean an apartment, you can note that cleaning the hallway is practically no different from other rooms.
The only difference is that more dirt on shoes gets in from the street. This means that it is advisable to also wash your shoes and shoe rack.
In the kitchen, in addition to other actions, it is necessary to wash the dishes, stove and work surfaces.
In the bathroom, using special detergents, clean the bathtub, sink, wall tiles and toilet.
"Zones of attention"
Divide your apartment into “attention zones.” Try to spend the time you spend cleaning every day working on this area. For example, on Monday you clean the carpet in the living room and wipe off the dust there. On Tuesday you do the nursery. On Wednesday, your focus is on the kitchen. On Thursday it’s the turn of the hallway: you sort out the clothes on the hanger, clean the rug, etc. Then on Saturday and Sunday you won’t have to scrub the entire apartment - it will be enough to clean the next “duty” area.
Cleaning “by zones” can be replaced by cleaning “by functions”. For example, on Monday you only dust the entire apartment, on Tuesday and Friday you only wipe the floor, on Wednesday you only vacuum the furniture and carpets, etc.
When do you need the services of cleaning companies?
Cleaning apartments after renovation and major cleaning is not an entirely simple matter and is very responsible. It is in these cases that they often turn to the help of cleaning companies.
It is very difficult to remove construction dust on your own. In this case, heavy-duty industrial vacuum cleaners and special detergents are often used.
In turn, as after repairs, major cleaning implies the same thoroughness in washing absolutely all surfaces: mirrors, window sills, radiators, external and internal facades of furniture, baseboards, lighting fixtures, pipes.
Necessary equipment
Let's figure out what you need for general cleaning in the apartment if you decide to do the work yourself.
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The most important thing is to know the characteristics of the materials of all surfaces in order to make the right choice of the reagents used.
To wash floors and other interior items, you will need brushes, napkins, brooms, and mops. You also need water containers: buckets, bowls. And, of course, the detergents themselves.
Secret 1: Calculate all the steps
First, you need to assess the scale of the work and carefully plan all the steps - this will save time and detergents. You also don’t have to constantly carry equipment around with you. A professional cleaner only needs to walk around the room clockwise once to wash all vertical surfaces. The cleaning process starts at the top, ends at the bottom and always goes in the direction “from clean to dirty.”
Note to the hostess
Many modern housewives, having studied the plan for cleaning the apartment with their own hands, do not want to accept one of the points. Namely, chemically active detergents.
There is nothing wrong with this if you follow the safety rules when working with them. You just need to avoid getting the products on your skin and wear gloves when working.
And if that doesn’t work, then there are ordinary, safe, folk remedies that help with cleaning. Their only drawback is their lower efficiency. That is, to wash something, you will have to spend a little more effort and time.
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Safe cleaning products
One of the most versatile household safe cleaning products is brown laundry soap. Its aroma, of course, is not floral, but not entirely unpleasant either. But the cleaning abilities, one might say, are at their best.
Other safe cleaning products include mustard powder, chalk and soda.
Vinegar and citric acid will help remove scale and limescale.
Also, ammonia has long proven itself in cleaning.
Cleaning is an inevitable process that you can do yourself or entrust to specialists. A clean apartment is the key to health and a positive mood!
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And a few more simple secrets that I use:
- Before you start cleaning a room or any surface, clear it of clutter and unnecessary objects. This may take some time, but the entire subsequent cleaning process will go much faster and more efficiently.
- When cleaning various surfaces, use mild cleaning agents first. And only if you cannot achieve an effect, use stronger means. This will help better preserve the surface being cleaned.
- For heavily soiled areas (microwave, oven, hood), the cleaning agent is applied and left on the surface for some time.
- When cleaning, I really like to use microfiber cloths. With their help, it is very easy to clean the surface from dirt and remove stains on glass and mirrors. For general cleaning, I always replenish my supply of such rags.
- If you want to spend less time cleaning, you need to buy (sew) a special apron with large pockets, in which you can carry all the necessary cleaning products and rags while cleaning. Everything will be with you and you won’t have to run for a new spray or some kind of sponge every time.
- To quickly and effectively polish furniture, you can use soft cotton old gloves or socks. By putting polish on your hand and spraying the surface of the glove, you can easily and quickly treat wooden surfaces, furniture, and trinkets.
- Professionals advise starting cleaning always from top to bottom and from the door, going around the room clockwise. This movement in one direction is the most effective and fastest way to clean a room. You won't jump from one subject to another and you won't miss anything. Finally, finish everything off by cleaning the floor. After finishing cleaning one room, move to another and do everything in the same sequence.
- If you want to get rid of something bulky (for example, furniture, an old refrigerator), do it in advance, before you start cleaning.
- And one more little secret that helps me a lot: I always clean while listening to music.
I hope my simple tips will help you do this “dirty” work with pleasure and a good mood, easier and with less time.
By the way, spring cleaning is not only a way to make your home clean and cozy, but also to update yourself. Putting your clothes closets in order is usually the way to add new items to your wardrobe. And this, you see, makes us women so happy.
Bye bye…
