Ways To Keep Cleaning Quick & Easy

A few months ago I couldn't understand why people enjoyed cleaning so much, I thought they were from another planet! For me, cleaning was a chore, something I would dread and force myself to tackle each day. That was until I was "Hinched!"

I hope that most of the people reading this know what I mean when I say that, but for those who don't, let me explain. Mrs. Hinch is a lovely lady over on Instagram, who created an account based on her home and decor. She then started to film clips of herself cleaning and well, she went viral! I remember watching one of her stories for the first time, she was only cleaning her shower but I was mesmerised. After following her journey for a few months my outlook on cleaning has totally changed, it's like a switch has been flipped inside of me. My house has never been cleaner and better yet, I now enjoy it! This leads me to the topic at hand, simple ways I keep my house spick and span.

1. Make lists
On Sunday evenings I like to sit down with my notepad and make a list of all the cleaning tasks that I need to do the following week. I create my lists in order of priority and by room, this makes planning the daily cleaning chores quick and easy. For example, on Monday I tend to give the kitchen a deep clean, from oven to hob, through to microwave and dishwasher. Everything is scrubbed top to bottom. Every day I'll tackle a different room, whilst making sure I do my daily tasks too, such as the toilet and kitchen sink. People think that the toilet is the dirtiest place in the home, but you may be shocked to learn that quite often it isn't. The kitchen sink, taps, kitchen counters, chopping boards and even handbags have been known to carry even more bacteria than a toilet bowl so it's very important to keep on top of everything. Even the little tasks that are easy to overlook.

2. Product hauls
Cleaning product hauls are something else that I've been obsessed with lately. I really enjoy finding products I've not tried before, especially when they are a bargain. Discovering a product you've never used before, one which works a treat is so satisfying and keeps me motivated on my cleaning journey. I have so many favourite products; Astonish for surfaces, Harpic for the toilets, Pink Stuff for ovens, Fairy Liquid for microwaves, and anything from Method and Zoflora for everything else!

3. Get the kids involved

Children can easily pick up the habits and traits of their parents, so I'm conscientious when I do anything around Noah and Ava. I want them to have a positive outlook when it comes to cleaning, to adhere to good home hygiene, especially as they get older. For example, Noah has been helping to prepare food with me lately, after showing an interest after watching a cooking with kids YouTube video. I was about to start making a roast dinner one afternoon which ended up being a great opportunity to teach him the importance of hygiene when it comes to handling food. We both wore polythene gloves while handling the chicken, was then careful to remove them and dispose of them. We then washed our hands thoroughly. He asked 101 questions in the process and now knows the dangers of cross-contamination.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share?

- This is a PR collaboration.

Keeping on top of the cleaning with Dettol

Staying on top of the cleaning is vital, especially when you have a hurricane of a toddler running wild in every single room of the house. From dirty hand prints on walls to food crumbs in your shoes they have a talent for mucking everything up. 

That being said I don't keep on top of the cleaning as much as I should. Our house is tidy but I really need to start some sort of cleaning schedule as I am easily distracted throughout the day. Playing with cars and reading book with your child wins over cleaning the oven any day but I think I use that excuse a little too much! 

This week Dettol sent over some products from their range to me to try out and I was really looking forward to seeing what products I would receive. We were sent two Dettol surface cleaners, antibacterial wipes and a no touch antibacterial handwash.

The first product I tried out was the antibacterial wipes. We already use these on a daily basis and always have a pack in the drawer in the kitchen. They are so easy to grab and use when there is just a little bit of light cleaning to do.

Next up I took the surface cleaner up to the bathroom and thought I would give it a little try on our shower which needed a good clean. I simply sprayed on and left it for a while. When I came back I could have just rinsed it off but I prefer to scrub it just to make sure I am removing any soap scum or conditioner marks. The main thing I like about this product is how you can use this spray in the bathroom or the kitchen. This is what I always look for in a surface cleaner, it has to be a multisurface.

Last but certainly not least is the no touch handwash which is now a welcomed addition to this household. I am a stickler for germs especially when it comes to cooking and cooking with meat. Ever cringe when handling raw chicken and imagining all the bacteria spreading on everything you touch, the taps, the handwash? I did but not anymore with the fantastic no touch handwash. You simply put your hand underneath and hey presto, soap! It kills 99.9% of all bacteria so really puts your mind at ease too.


Would you like to win a set of these products to try out yourself? Then simply head over to my facebook page where you will find details on how to enter. Good luck!


- We were sent these products for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.

    

A renovation clean up

We were fortunate enough to buy our very first home earlier this year. We bought it at a steal of a price because it needed an entire renovation. Fast forward 5 months of blood, sweat and tears we are finally in our house! The work is still ongoing but the house is livable and we are almost finished now. There are only two big jobs left to do and that's the hallway and dining room. Both rooms need new flooring and need to be decorated but these cosmetics we can deal with. Other than that there are a dozen little jobs here and there that still need to be done.

As you can imagine under going a full house renovation the house can get very dirty. Most of the walls in the house had to be knocked back to the brick and had to be replastered. For months we have been battling endless and relentless dust and dirt. The minute I walked into the house I could feel in on my skin and in my hair. There was rubble everywhere, pulled up floorboards, holes in the walls. We've really seen the bones of our old house. 

But the dust and the dirt, it's been a nightmare. No matter how many times I hoovered, mopped and swept up it seemed to just continue to appear, until we received and started using the a Dyson DC59 Animal which has really helped us out. It has been a godsend with it's digital motor, superior suction and with it being cordless! (It had me at cordless!) I found myself spending a lot less time vacuuming as it's such a powerful machine. 

Here are some of my top tips for cleaning up after a renovation-


Wipe down: It's scandalous how much dust is created when renovating. You see it everywhere but what's worse is that there's even more than you can't see and it always seems to come back. My top tip is to keep on top of the cleaning and wipe down with a damp cloth after every job. After each big job I would begin mission wipe down and start by dusting down the ceiling, moving onto the walls and then begin wiping down everything else in the room. I found doing this more and more frequently helped minimise the dust coverage around the house which you will be thankful for later. 

Sweep: Before you vacuum it's very important to sweep first. There's a whole array of different materials that are distributed throughout the house and sweeping is ideal for picking up the bigger bits of debris that you shouldn't try to vac up. Using a broom is also good for brushing dust off hard to reach places such as door frames, skirting boards and picture rails. 

Vac: After the sweeping comes the vacuuming as it picks up all dust that is not just impossible to sweep but to see too. Dust continues to settle days after each renovation job so you do find yourself vacuuming often. Thankfully the Dyson DC59 is a joy to use and maneuver and has saved me a lot of time and effort as it is just so efficient.

Mop: Now it's time to bring out the mop. The debris that cannot be wiped down, swept up or hoovered has got to be mopped. After the mopping I would sigh a breath of relief until it was time to do it all over again!  

I have found myself doing these 4 steps continuously these past 5 months. Sweep, vac, mop, repeat! Have you been doing any renovations lately? Or do you have any cleaning tips you would like to share?