Handy house cleaning tips to keep the grime monster at bay

If you have grandkids, it often feels like you’re constantly cleaning up after them. No matter how much you may try, the house never quite looks the same after they’ve arrived. And while you wouldn’t dare trade their laughter and smiles for a mess-free home, the cleaning process still remains a tedious one.

Here are some handy house cleaning tips to keep the grime monster at bay and have your home looking good all day, every day.

Cleaning toys

Think your dishwasher is just for washing dishes? Think again!

You can clean all types of things in there from dirty plastic toys to toothbrush holders and pet dishes. Toss a load of grimy items in the dishwasher to save you hours of soaking and scrubbing.

Stop soap scum

The shower can get quite neglected before you decide to tackle it and soap scum is a big challenge when it comes to cleaning your bathroom quickly. A quick cleaning tip is to keep a rubber squeegee handy in the bathroom and get everyone to wipe down the walls and tub after they’ve used it to stop soap scum building on it. It takes a couple of minutes to wipe it down but saves you almost an hour later trying to get rid of the hard scum. Plus, you use less cleaning product saving you money in the long run.

Let sprays settle

Are you one of those people who’ll spray a surface and then immediately wipe it down? You’re doing it wrong.

Many products work their best if you spray it and leave it for a while. Then come in later and wipe it off. This is especially relevant for busy workbenches, countertops and bathroom walls.

Storage, more storage

I love colourful baskets to store things around the house – the bigger, the better. Storage is key to a neat and tidy home. If your entryway is overflowing with shoes or toys, a few big baskets will help keep things organised and prevent a last minute scramble to locate missing items.

Label each basket with the name of a family member so no one mixes their things up with someone else’s – handy if you have two or more grandchildren. At cleaning time, simply toss the items into the right basket to keep the area tidy.

Fridge shelves

Tired of having to clean your fridge shelves of spills? Your fridge probably ends up dirty no matter how much time you spend cleaning it. Instead of removing the shelves and running them under water, place clear plastic wrap or absorbable fridge coasters on them. Throw them out when they’ve become dirty and replace with a clean sheet. A great hack for fridges which see a lot of action!

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