Lets face it. The best cleaning hack there is, is to hire someone else to do your cleaning for you. I have done this for years, and had a wonderful woman clean our house once every 2 weeks. It is money well spent (in my opinion). But, then the Coronavirus happened and all hell broke loose. Our cleaning crew had to stop coming. Trying to keep up with the house cleaning, as well as everything else that comes along with being a mom (like having to unexpectedly become a home schooler), has not been easy. Plus, cleaning is not my favorite thing to do. I know I am NOT alone here and most of us are in the same boat.

Anyway, I have been researching all the best ‘hacks’ and shortcuts to try to make my life easier. I am lucky that my husband helps (he likes to vacuum, does his own laundry, and is sometimes motivated to de-clutter the kitchen island). One good thing in all this is, it has been a nice opportunity to get the kids helping more too. Here is what works for me, so I thought I’d share in hopes it might work for you too…

Try to follow a schedule and do a little cleaning each day.…

Pick one task each day besides your normal clean up.

For example….Monday – vacuum, Tuesday – clean bathrooms, Wednesday – floors, Thursday – dust, etc…this helps me feel not as overwhelmed and doing a little each day does not take up that much time.

Kitchen…

My kitchen gets cleaned daily. This is the room we spend almost all day in since my son was doing his elearning on our kitchen island. I spray and wipe down the counters at least twice a day. I LOVE using these products from cleancult. They are made from all natural ingredients, and they smell amazing.

We also run the dishwasher A LOT and the kids help load and unload it. The kids also help sweep and clean up after dinner, most nights.

Kitchen Cleaning Hacks…

Hack #1 – To clean your microwave – put 1 cup vinegar mixed with 1 cup water into a microwave safe dish and run it for 5-10 minutes. Once done, wipe clean with a paper towel or microfiber cloth. The mixture causes all the stuck on food to come loose and they just wipe right up.

Hack #2 – I swear this cleancult spray is the best thing I’ve found to clean my stainless steel appliances. You need to rub it in well using a microfiber cloth, but it really makes them shine. It also works AMAZING on my ceramic cooktop.

Hack #3 – This tool right here. This little thing that costs .66 cents is the best. I use it all the time to scrape off caked on food on my counters as well as my cook top. It also works well on hardwood floors. I keep it in my junk drawer in the kitchen.

Bathroom Cleaning Hacks…

Hack #1 – Easy Way to clean bathrooms – I read these tricks somewhere years ago and can’t remember where. Get a caddy with a handle, to hold all your supplies. Then take your caddy and go around to each bathroom and spray the counters, showers/tubs and sinks (see hack #2 for an awesome shower door cleaner). We have 4 bathrooms, 2 downstairs and 2 upstairs, so I usually do one level at a time. While the spray is sitting, doing it’s job, you can clean the toilets (I use these) and then sweep the floors. Then go back and wipe off the counters, shower/tub and do the mirror. Lastly, mop the floors. I use this Electric Cordless mop for all my floors and love it.

Hack #2 – Shower Door Cleaner – I tried this the other day and it worked amazing! Use a 1:1 ratio of White Vinegar and Dawn dish soap. Pour in a spray bottle, spray shower doors, wait at least 20 minutes, and then use a microfiber cloth to wipe clean. It takes some time, but they look brand new when you’re done.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must use Dawn dish soap. DO NOT use Dawn with Bleach. It is NEVER Safe to mix bleach & Vinegar together. It creates a noxious gas that can kill someone.

Hack #3 – Grout Cleaner – Ingredients: 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp dish soap

Directions: Mix together the baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Spoon mixture onto grout, wait 5-10 minutes, scrub and rinse.

Other Cleaning Hacks…

Use a lint brush to clean up animal hair off couches

Detox the garbage disposal with lemons or limes.

Clean your sponge in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to kill bacteria.

Magic Eraser’s are amazing and useful for so many things. Like getting fingerprints off walls, cleaning grout, sinks, cleaning stovetops, microwaves, and inside refrigerators, and more.

Once a month, fill your coffee maker’s reservoir with four tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with water, run it, and then run it once more with only water to get rid of any vinegar smell.

Do you have any cleaning tips or hacks to share? Leave me a comment.

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