Dealing with everyday messes quickly is a must when you’re a parent. After all, kids love to spill things or leave stuff lying around, and it needs to be dealt with ASAP. It’s important to have some cleaning tips on hand for when the messes do happen, rather than figuring out how to deal with a spill after the fact in cleaners Romford.
So, to help you out, here are our top cleaning hacks for everyday messes.
Cleaning Hacks Every Parent Needs
1. Washable Covers Are Your Best Friend
In a perfect world, kids wouldn’t spill things. But considering they do (and will), the next best thing is to have washable covers on your important furniture. You don’t need to buy clinical plastic covers for your sofa – a blanket will do the job fine.
A cover will absorb most of the spill, giving you enough time to whip it off before it soaks through. Similarly, make sure your cushions have removable covers, and extend this logic to the floor by laying down rugs.
2. Keep Shoes Out of the House
This isn’t a literal statement, but make sure no one wears shoes past the front or back doors. You’d be amazed at the amount of dirt this stops from being tracked across carpets and floors. Considering dirty floors are an obvious source of everyday mess, this will cut down on a lot of work.
Have a shoe rack by the front door where people can swap their shoes for slippers. Also, have outdoor shoes near the back door if necessary, which your kids can wear in the garden.
3. Tidy as You Go Along
Also known as the “no empty hands” policy, this is a game-changer in terms of dealing with everyday mess. When leaving a room, always take something with you. It could be some rubbish to bin, dirty plates, or something that needs putting away elsewhere.
Everyday mess builds up quickly but is an easy enough job to deal with. Tidying up other things as you go along is just as helpful, such as wiping down a worktop or getting your kids to tidy their toys.
4. Prioritise Your Cleaning Time
Some cleaning jobs are more important than others, so list them by priority. For example, kitchens and bathrooms go near the top because it’s necessary to keep them hygienic. Jobs like dusting can go further down, as it doesn’t matter if these get skipped.
Doing this helps you to decide what needs doing every day, so you can more efficiently use your time. Then, ensure the high-priority daily jobs are done before you go to bed and you’ll feel a lot better when you get up in the morning.
5. Make Use of Stackable Storage
For things like kids’ toys, books, etc., get some stackable storage boxes and clearly label them. You can divide them by room, by child, or by some other organisation category. The hack is to have clearly designated storage for everything so it can more easily be put away.
And this is where the hack lies: mess is inevitable, but the amount of time you spend tidying it should be as little as possible.
6. Have a Spot-Clean Routine Ready
Spot cleaning carpet and upholstery will get most spills and marks out if you act quickly enough. Aside from the worst offenders (such as wine, dark juice, blood, etc.), you can deal with most things using washing up liquid.
Start by blotting the spill with a paper towel or dishcloth. Try to absorb as much of the moisture as possible. Then, mix some washing up liquid with hot water and blot the spill rather than rubbing it. Keep going until you’ve lifted the stain.
If this doesn’t work, there are lots of DIY methods you can use. However, the most effective will always be a commercial stain remover, so be sure to keep some of this in your cupboard.
7. Keep Cleaning Supplies Where They’ll Be Used
This hack only really applies to kitchens and bathrooms, as they need some level of cleaning every day. It might be obvious, but keep a bottle of cleaning spray in each room so it’s on hand when you need it. Remember, you don’t need specific products – an all-purpose cleaning spray will be fine.
Doing this means you can, for example, spray down the toilet while you’re in the bathroom. Leave the product to sit, wipe it off, and you’re done. Doing this drastically reduces the amount of work you need to put in.
8. Use Spare Time
While there’s no such thing as spare time, you should aim to fill any waiting you do with a cleaning task. For example, wipe down a fridge shelf while the kettle is boiling or organise the dishwasher while you’re cooking dinner. This might be obvious, but utilising down time in this way saves you from spending specific time cleaning.
Final Thoughts
Everyday cleaning hacks basically boil down to streamlining your cleaning and having methods ready before you need them. Provided you do this, you should find keeping your home tidy is much easier.