to ask for cleaning tips...??

[postitgirl]

Just following on from another thread where someone was saying cleaning is a skilled job... I agree. I'm terrible at hoovering. I've only put the hoover away and I see more dust and bits on the floor that I missed...

How do you all clean surfaces? My ex MIL gave me a tip (her house was spotless...) about using very hot soapy water to wipe down surfaces, even wood, if you squeez the cloth out really tight. I tried it on the piano the other day and it was very good - better than just putting dry cloth and pledge on it.

My bugbears are marks on the wall and doors - how do they get there. Think it's from my dd bringing cups of tea everywhere...

nobody wants to talk about cleaning lol

I detest cleaning so I have a cleaner.

The single biggest thing which enabled me to have a cleaner house was decluttering. It’s easier and quicker to clean and looks neater when you do.

Totally agree with your mil I always use a cloth with hot dope water, I have never bought a tin of pledge in my life , my best tip is that when you have wiped the kitchen work tops when you think you have finished down bend so you are at the same height as the work top I always see loads more stuff that needs cleaned .

I have the water so hot, I need marigolds to handle the cloth. I spray eco-friendly surface cleaner onto the surface, wipe it with the very hot cloth, and then dry it with a dry glass cloth, to remove water marks.

I do the doorhandles and light switches in this way, weekly, also, minimising the marks, getting any marks I see as I go around.

For screens, including TV's, I use a glass cloth, hot water, no detergent, then wipe with a dry glass cloth. You can get packets of the two in John Lewis, and Lakelands.

Magic sponge.

Flash magic sponges for marks on the wall.

Pledge or similar, as I was advised by a cabinet maker, is bad for your wood. It builds up over time and can ruin some woods.
I second hot soapy water wrung out from a microfibre cloth.

I hate cleaning- I cleaned the kitchen floor yesterday and was wondering what most people do about tiny bits of food that have got stuck to the edge of the flooring (so not possible to get with a dustpan and brush or mop) but I think this problem isn't an issue for most types of flooring! I ended up spraying bleach spray and using a toothbrush to scrape it up, which was back-breaking and which looked a bit grose as all of the bits of old peas and crumbs were wet!- yeuck!

Glass cloth on all shiny surfaces and hot soapy on the rest. Wipe the skirting boards, makes a difference.

I try to tidy as you go but my family are useless at it so we do a ten minute tidy where everyone just blasts it for 10.

If you've only got time for one thing, vacuum.

Wipe the bathroom daily straight after using in the morning, just becomes routine like making the bed. Makes the proper bathroom clean easier.

Open the windows while you work.

Work from top to bottom, so that you’re not knocking dust and dirt onto surfaces you’ve just cleaned.

Spray or wet your surfaces and leave them for a few minutes before wiping them. That way the cleaning product does the work and you don’t have to scrub.

Mop in sections wetting the floor, then on the second pass, use the mop and wringer to remove the water from the floor. Don’t do the whole floor or you’ll be tempted to just leave it to dry. The first pass loosens the dirt and the second gets it clean.

Dry surfaces with an old towel. I learned this from the recent hotel thread and it makes a big difference. I use old towels though, not used ones (grim)

On that principal wipe the sink and taps dry. Think of the sink as the last dish to wash.

Crashing the thread but can anyone guide on cleaning parquet please ? I don't want to get it too wet (understand not good) so use method wood floor cleaner and a flat mop but it's never really clean.

It's a small block style so lots of cracks to get wet. So to speak.