19 Quick Cleaning and Tidying Tips

1.) How to clean oil off pans and baking trays in no time.

Don’t use water at first! Simply clean oil off pans by using dish soap and a scrubber first. Then rinse off with hot water. Sparkling pans in no time.

2.) Quickly change your trash bag.

Keep your trash bags at the bottom of your garbage can. Then they are always handy to quickly change the bag when you need to.

3.) How to get mud of shoes with the least effort.

Wait until the mud dries before cleaning it off shoes. Bang shoes together to get some of the mud off. Scrap off any additional mud with a stick or a screwdriver (to get in between any narrow spaces underneath the shoe). Brush off the mud around the shoe (I use a nail brush). Then rinse off the final bits of dirt with water and a brush to get it really clean.

4.) Don’t let soap scum build-up.

Keep a cloth and cleaner handy and take a few seconds to wipe down your sink every day, This prevents soap scum from building up and makes it much easier to clean your bathroom. Also, wipe down the bath or shower tray after each use. It’s the build-up of soap scum that takes effort to clean. Taking a few seconds to wipe this away after every shower or bath. It saves you lots of time in the long run.

5.) Use a squeegee for the shower screen.

If you have a glass shower screen, always use a squeegee to wipe away the water drops at the end of every shower. It takes seconds and stops unsightly drips from drying on your shower screen, making keeping it clean a cinch.

6.) A dishwasher is not just for dishes

You can use your dishwasher to clean all kinds of things. Your garbage can lid (if it’s dishwasher safe), the drawers and shelves inside your fridge, your microwave dish, the extractor fan filter above your oven and kids’ bath toys.

7.) An Effortless Way to clean oven racks.

Another great use for the dishwasher is to clean the silver oven racks inside your oven. Put them in your dishwasher and run them through a cycle. After this,  wash them in your kitchen sink. The dirt will come off with no scrubbing required.

8.) Dish soap for clothes stains.

Spot treat stains on clothes with some dish soap. (Fairy liquid is the best to use in the UK). Leave for a minute or two and then wash as normal. It’s great for removing tough stains. Be careful not to use too much though, otherwise, you will have soap suds coming through your washing machine.

9.) Have a stair basket

Have a basket at the bottom of the stairs. When you tidy, put items that need to go upstairs in there and next time you go upstairs take them with you to put away. It saves lots of extra trips upstairs when you’re tidying.

10.) Declutter in small spurts but often

Clutter can make cleaning more time-consuming as you have to tidy and move stuff out of the way before you clean. Spend 10 to 15 minutes here and there decluttering small spaces. Keep a bag of stuff you have decluttered in the garage or car so you can take it to goodwill or give it away next time you go in that direction.

11.) Keep your bedding in the corresponding pillow covers.

Fold your duvet covers inside a corresponding pillow case. It makes finding the bedding you need easy. It also takes up less space to store.

12.) Follow the one touch rule

When you have finished with something, follow the one touch rule. Make sure you put it away. It saves you time in the long run. So when you get in, instead of throwing your coat over a chair and kicking your shoes off, hang your coat up first time and put your shoes in the cupboard. Doing this all the time saves so much tidying.

13.) Follow the five minute rule

The five-minute rule is that if something takes you 5 minutes do it there and then. If you can quickly tidy a draw or a room in 5 minutes, just get it done. If you notice a smear on the window and it takes less than 5 minutes to quickly clean it, do it while you notice it.

14.) Clean a room clockwise and from floor to ceiling

Whenever you clean a room, pick a spot. Clean from there clockwise and from the top to the bottom. It will save you repeating bits of the room, saving you time.

15.) Keep extra cleaning products and tools upstairs.

If you can have a set of cleaning products for upstairs and downstairs. It means you’re more likely to clean when you see something dirty, as there is less effort needed to quickly clean. If you can afford it, you could even get appliances for both floors. It’s easier to quickly vacuum if you already have a vacuum ready and waiting upstairs.

16.) Invest in a robot vacuum cleaner

Next time you need a new vacuum cleaner, make it a robot vacuum cleaner. I just put mine on at the end of every day and then get on with something else. They’re extremely affordable and worth every penny.

17.) Make your bed as soon as you get out.

The first job, I do every morning is make my bed. It takes seconds, gives a feeling of accomplishment and the bedroom is tidy straight away.

18.) Stand your pillows up straight

If you want the 5 star hotel look, stand your pillows up straight. This is what many 5 star hotels do and it makes your bedroom look polished.

19.) Keep your counters clear

Kitchen counters and bathroom counters are much easier to keep clean when they are clear of clutter. Put the clutter away in cupboards and deal with it when you have your next decluttering spurt. It makes it easy to wipe down the kitchen and other areas and it will instantly look tidier.