Are you looking for a few cleaning hacks to help you clean your own home?

Look no further. Over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two.

Here are a few of the most important tips for cleaning your own home.

Key takeaways

• Take your time – be mindful
• Cleaning doesn’t have to be a ‘chore’
• Get the right cleaning products
• Don’t use scent sprayers to mask the problem
• Invest in carpet cleaning

It’s the little things (take your time)

The first thing to point out? Take your time.

I know cleaning can feel like something to brush aside. It isn’t the most exciting thing for most people (more on this below).

But take the time to appreciate the little things about cleaning, and I’m convinced your mindset will change.

For instance, here at The Little Mop, we mop mud and salt out of boot trays and polish stainless steel. These are only ‘little’ jobs, but they can make such a difference to how someone’s house feels.

Cleaning never ends – but that can be a good thing

As I touched on above, most people don’t enjoy cleaning. But I don’t know why!

Cleaning is arguably one of the most satisfying things you can do, whether you’re cleaning your own home or someone else’s.

To put it another way, we all have to eat. That’s another ‘never-ending’ job. And eating out is basically unaffordable now. So, you have to cook. Now, you could approach cooking as a ‘pff, let’s get this over with’ type task – or decide to enjoy it. Recipes can be fun and flavourful, and the process of cooking itself can be a fine art.

Cleaning doesn’t have to be as exciting as a skating trail, an adventure out in the Canadian wild, or even a dinner date – but it doesn’t have to be a hated chore either. Switching your mindset can really help when it comes to cleaning your own home.

Some cleaners work better than others

Make sure you have the right cleaning products and equipment. Earlier this month, I wrote a blog about when to use eco-friendly vs higher-strength chemicals. Basically, eco-friendly, gentle products are for daily light cleaning, and the more intense stuff is for when someone’s sick or food hygiene is part of the picture.

Make sure you have the following in your arsenal:

• An all-purpose cleaning spray
• A gentle floor cleaner (safe on your hard floors)
• Glass cleaner (vinegar works well for windows)
• Stainless steel polish
• Microfibres (standard and glass – yep, they’re different!)
• Vim (I use bleach-free) or similar for stove and oven
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Dusters
• Scrubbing brushes
• Disposable wipes
• Vacuum and mop

I’d say everything else is optional, but with this list on board, you’re setting yourself up for success with cleaning your own home.

Automatic scent sprayers just hide the problem

I never judge anyone’s home, but I do get frustrated when companies market these scent sprayers on the TV. There are, I’m sure, some instances where they’re genuinely useful – but that’s when there are exterior odours you can’t do anything about.

If you believe the advertisements, you can come home to a mucky house – but thanks to your magical scent sprayer, it’s suddenly perfectly clean.

In my experience, it’s not how it works. Scent sprayers are irritating to the lungs for some people (and probably most of us, really!). Instead of masking the smells, set yourself a mission. You need to find the root cause – and there’s usually more than one.

I promise, you will find something – and there will be something you or an external contractor can do about it.

• Smells trapped in your walls (very common – dust and wash the walls)
• Pooling water/mould (leads to that harsh, musty scent)
• Drain problems (get drain line specialists if more than one fixture drains slowly or smells)
• Dog or cat (invest in carpet cleaning and more regular vacuuming – this is an instance where automatic robot vacuums can be very useful for keeping on top of the hair and dander)
• Other odours hidden in carpets (see more below)

Invest in carpet cleaning

Your carpets trap far more dirt and smells than most people realize. Even the most thorough vacuum, equipped with multiple motor-driven rollers and high suction, will only clean the top layer.

You need carpet cleaning.

There are a few ways to do this.

First, if your carpets are really struggling, consider bringing in a dedicated carpet cleaning team. These companies have expensive machines that are far more capable than store-bought models. (If the quotes are really high, it may even be cheaper to change the carpet!)

Second, you could purchase a carpet cleaner of your own. Get one of the higher-end models if you do. You’ll find a few good options at Canadian Tire or Walmart.

This can be an effective way to do a light to moderate carpet clean in your own house. However, I’ve found that people run into a problem – where do you keep the carpet cleaner for the 363 days you don’t use it?

Finally, you could work with a local cleaner for light carpet cleaning solutions. That’s what The Little Mop offers. I’ll bring my carpet cleaner (the same model you can purchase from the store) and we’ll work away at your carpets over time. This can work out cheaper than buying your own and saves you the headache of storing a machine year-round.

An example routine for cleaning your own home

As with many things, the key is: little and often.

Here are my suggestions for how to stay on top of your cleaning:

Every evening:

• Wipe the kitchen counters down and clear the sink
• Get everything to a point where you’ll be happy to wake up to it tomorrow

Every week:

• Clean the kitchen and bathrooms
• Dust (including the walls)
• Vacuum the entire house
• Mop your hard floors

Every month:

• Deep clean the bathroom
• Clean the inside of your windows

Two to four times per year:

• Light carpet cleaning
• Move furniture and clean underneath

Perhaps these schedules are too frequent for you. Perhaps they aren’t frequent enough. They aren’t set in stone! These are just ideas to help you get started with cleaning your own home.

And if you simply don’t have the time or you can’t fall in love with cleaning, get in touch with The Little Mop.

The Little Mop is a cleaning service located near Cambridge. We serve Puslinch, Guelph, Flamborough, Dundas, and beyond. If your home needs a friendly face and a helping hand, we’d be happy to drop by for an obligation-free quote!

Get in touch with me today, and let’s help you breathe easy in your home.