What's your number 1 cleaning hack?

[Careermummy]

Please share you cleaning tips.

Mine is not about the actual cleaning or products but it's helped me to start getting in control of my house for the first time in years:
Clean something every time you are waiting for something else. Waiting for kettle or toaster I can wipe worktops or cupboard fronts, running the bath I can clean the toilet and sink, etc.

I was unreasonably excited when I discovered this a week or so ago!

I started buying my bleach in tablets, rather than liquid - you pop them in some water and it dissolves and makes bleach.

Anyway, my tile grout is (was!) all discoloured and gross and no amount of bleach spray and scrubbing was sorting it. I'd given up.

I had a shower and the tiles were wet, I was making up some bleach for something else, and I had a brainwave - I rubbed the bleach tablet directly on the discoloured grout and it all turned white in seconds! Any that didn't got another rubbing over, then a rinse off after 20 mins or so just to make sure it had really worked.

It's properly killed it, no sign of anything coming back!

And no bleach smell wafting through the house like when you leave it to 'soak' in the normal way.

Can I ask where you get bleach blocks from @WeatherwaxLives?

Don’t start any thing you can’t finish.

don't make a mess in the first place.

Fairly standard thing but essential for me:

Turn on the dishwasher before I go to bed

Empty it in the morning while the kettle is brewing.

Everything runs smoother by doing this.

I clean my aluminium splash back with baby oil.

delegate
kids can do some chores. dh should do 50%

Pay someone else to do it for you.

Knuckle down and do it . Unfortunately it's the only way an clean and tidy home happens.

Have a routine for some things- I clean the kitchen before bed and stuck the dishwasher on. Empty whilst making a cuppa in the morning. My routine doesn't extend beyond that unfortunately!

Keep shower cleaner & a scrubber in the shower/bath. Do a bit every day. We never have to clean our shower over bath as a result.

Buy a dusting attachment for your vacuum and always dust before cleaning, even in the bathroom. That way you aren’t just wiping dust around when you use a wet rag.

If you have limescale on taps use a 2p coin to scrape it off! It's like magic!

@WeatherwaxLives

I was unreasonably excited when I discovered this a week or so ago!

I started buying my bleach in tablets, rather than liquid - you pop them in some water and it dissolves and makes bleach.

Anyway, my tile grout is (was!) all discoloured and gross and no amount of bleach spray and scrubbing was sorting it. I'd given up.

I had a shower and the tiles were wet, I was making up some bleach for something else, and I had a brainwave - I rubbed the bleach tablet directly on the discoloured grout and it all turned white in seconds! Any that didn't got another rubbing over, then a rinse off after 20 mins or so just to make sure it had really worked.

It's properly killed it, no sign of anything coming back!

And no bleach smell wafting through the house like when you leave it to 'soak' in the normal way.

I use neat bleach in an old toothbrush to clean the grout.

Invest in good equipment and products.
Why is it most (men) people don’t think twice about buying the right DIY or gardening tools for the job, and having these organised, including good power tools. Including cordless items. Yet we scrimp on spending on cleaning equipment.
I invested in a cordless vacuum, cordless power mop ( lots of hard floors), hand held mini scrubbers, then good microfibre cloths etc. I also ditched the shop bought cleaning chemicals and make up what I need from basic vinegar, isopropanol, fairy liquid, bicarb etc. I have very thing organised in my utility cupboard to hand. My cordless items are on a recharge station with timer plug to come on in early hours of morning, for 3 hours only, so everything is charged and ready in mornings if I need them .
My argument for the outlay on the equipment was my partner wanted to stop the cleaner at my retirement- I agreed only if we outlaid for the right tools to minimise effort.

Love it April 🤣

Related: how do you clean a white sink without getting that line of fuzz or dust when you stop wiping? I've tried kitchen towels, microfibre cloths and different cleaners!

@SquirrelFan The secret to a spotless bathroom is to clean and then wipe everything dry. I use (new,clean) towelling nappies I bought from eBay for this purpose. Makes getting the bathroom sparkling a doddle. ☺️

@Thissucksmonkeynuts

Knuckle down and do it . Unfortunately it's the only way an clean and tidy home happens.

This is mine too. Once I realised this life got a lot less complicated.

On clothes DP gets sweaty at work and with his tops I soak them in bicarb for an hour and removed an odour then put them on a wash like normal.

If you need to clean your oven and the door has stubborn brown marks use a line scale remover tab for the washing machine or a dishwasher tablet. Dip it in water and start scrubbing with the tablet. Gets it right off.

Lime*

Follow a routine. I use TOMM, others are available. It means there's no thinking about what needs doing each day, you just plough through on autopilot. All that mental load, just gone

Clean things before they look dirty. Then they never look dirty.

Running the dishwasher at night and emptying it in the morning is utterly indispensable here.

I also wash, dry, fold and put away (well, whoever owns it puts it away) a load of laundry every day without fail, even if there isn't quite a full load. If I leave a half load till the next day, suddenly it's three loads

Finally, nag everyone like crazy. Sorry, I mean teach your kids to clean up after themselves by nagging them like crazy. Eventually some parts of it start to stick and there's slightly less mess for you to clean up. My kids have their own TOMM-style routines for weekdays and saturdays; it's not overly taxing but it's getting them used to it, and it means I don't have to do much with their rooms. They even wash their own sheets.

Decide what your priorities are and stick to them. Routine is a bit tedious but helps loads.
Morning and evening tasks - am dishwasher, make beds, swish and swipe bathroom(s) pm - kitchen clean up, laundry on timer to start in morning (for work days). Fold previous day's laundry and put away.

I follow TOMM and bits of Flylady but adapt for my work life/ circumstances a bit.

Dishmatic in shower to clean it has been a gamechanger!

Just (try to) commit fully and keep doing it but don't let it take over your life. 30 mins per day x5 is sufficient for me. 45 mins and house is spotless! Some days i only manage 15 and that's better than nothing.

I have a couple of Eufy robo hoovers

The biggest help is regular decluttering. I donate a lot of stuff to the British Heart Foundation, who collect it.

The less you have, the easier it is to clean and the better for the planet. Buy stuff that means less cleaning such as a bookcase with doors so you don't have to dust your books.

I have a dishwasher which is a godsend.

@MoonahStone sorry for the late reply - Tesco.

These ones www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/297774936

I used to use thick bleach and a toothbrush, but honestly, this was so easy and effective!