Cleaning Tips: Keep up on the Little Things

A friend told me that she took a day off from housework one day recently. As the day wore on, things piled up around her. For her, that was confirmation that she actually accomplishes a lot each day. It's amazing all the little things that we just naturally have to keep up on in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Keep up on the little things in order to make the big cleaning jobs easier. I have learned the hard way that dried applesauce on the tile floor is like cement, milk-soaked cheerios stick like superglue when dried, wet spots on any floor collect dirt, one mark on the wall can be overlooked over and over again if not cleaned up right away, toothpaste in the sink cleans up much easier when wet, spots on clothing are easier to get out if treated as soon as possible, spilled crackers in the couch cushions just get pulverized, and spilled milk left to sit smells terrible once it is dry.

There are myriads of little things that happen in a day. As things happen, clean them up. Soak up spills on hard floors and use a mop like the Swiffer Wet Jet to finish the job. Make sure you have plenty of napkins and paper towels on hand for kitchen accidents, and keep them where your family can easily access them. For carpets, have a carpet cleaner on hand to clean up the unpleasant throw-up or milk spills that tend to happen. I use Spot Shot and there's only been one thing it didn't get out of my carpet: dry erase marker. Otherwise, it cleans up everything if you follow the instructions. For walls, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to quickly clean up marks when they happen (the erasers are not safe for kids to use!). Train your family to use a tissue or something to wipe out the sink after brushing teeth. Treat stains on clothing as soon as you can. I find that even if I spray the stain with Shout and then let it sit until I do some laundry, the stain usually comes out. And when chips get spilled in the couch cushions, don't let them sit because they'll just get smooshed, making it more difficult to clean up later. Have a dust buster or other small vacuum that is easy to use for small clean-ups like that.

If you keep up on the little things, then the deep cleaning will be a breeze. Have a great weekend!