How clean is your house? Could it be cleaner? Do you put so much effort into cleaning and still feel that it could be better? According to housekeeping experts, there are tricks of the trade that maids use when cleaning that most people aren’t aware of… and here’s 12 of them right here! These top tips come straight from maids in the professional service industry.

 

1. Cut The Clutter

Anytime we clean or (re)organize our desks or kitchens, we remove the obvious first, like the biggest messes. This removes the temptation of just wiping around these items or picking them up and immediately placing them back down on a wet surface, which can leave ring marks.

 

2. Bring A Toothbrush… For Cleaning of course!

We all know that a cloth or sponge or other cleaning instrument cannot reach little areas we need to get clean, so a toothbrush is a handy and inexpensive cleaning tool. Any toothbrush will do so no need to splash out.

 

3. Use Microfiber Cloths

Microfiber is the best, by far. Something 100 percent cotton will work, too, or an old pillowcase or tee-shirt. But NOT polyester or terrycloth.

 

4. Do The Bathrooms Last

Usually people like to do these first, to get them over with, but we recommend to do them last, to avoid cross-contamination.

 

5. Use Cleaners… They Work!

I love using lemon juice and/or vinegar to clean, but you may like a store-bought solution. No matter what you use, Good Housekeeping says to spray… then let that spray set. You can go clean something else in the meantime – and I’m sure there are other things to be done. By letting the spray soak in, it should be easier to clean said surface. Makes sense!

 

6. Clean The Drapes… But Not The Way You Think

Have you ever heard of people vacuuming drapes? I have! If you hit them with a towel, it’s far easier to vacuum their dust from the floor instead.

 

7. Vacuum, Then Mop

Just like we sweep before we mop, vacuuming before mopping is key, too.

 

8. Vacuum *Against* The Way Your Mother Showed You

Do you start in the corners or furthest part of the room? Vacuum into the room over the high-traffic areas and then vacuum yourself out, so you hit the most walked-on spots twice.

 

9. Don’t Forget The Electronics

Turn off the TV or monitor, then use a dry microfiber cloth and gently wipe the screen. If necessary, dampen the cloth with distilled water or with an equal ratio of distilled water to white vinegar. You may already know this, but don’t spray the screen directly.

 

10. Remember The Shower head

I tend to wash my shower head with shampoo, but to get built-up residue off a shower head, tie a baggie of vinegar around it and leave it to dissolve overnight. In the morning, rinse the shower head!

 

11. Read The Tags On Those Sheets

Don’t you hate when you think you’re putting on a fitted sheet correctly… and then you realize you are not? Did you know that the tags belong on the bottom (on the left side for a king, and the right side for a queen). Who knew?!

 

12. Be Organized

Just like the pencil holder on your desk, it’s important to have a cleaning caddie, too. A caddie keeps everything together, cutting down the amount of time it takes to get the job done.

 

Credit: SimpleMost.