Let’s admit it, (if we don’t admit it to other’s we can at least admit it to ourselves), Cleaning is a chore, and some of us hate doing it! It is necessary and so we get it done but do we like it No!
For those who love to clean good on you. I don’t like it and like many, if I could afford a cleaner to come in on a regular basis and rid me of the need to clean and the stress, I would do it in a heartbeat, (recommendations accepted).
On the other hand even the filthiest slob, likes to see a nice clean, orderly and fresh smelling environment where things are idyllic. Everything in place and a place for everything. No clutter, clean.
In today’s world most of us are very busy running around from place to place, there’s work, relationships, studying, children and of course an evening out with the lads having a pint or an afternoon with the girls putting the world to rights. You may love your home and love being in it but to many, any one of the above listed and many more (that I am sure could be added to the list would be preferable to cleaning). I salute those of you who love to clean, adore the smell of bleach, don’t mind your skin stripping from the slew of commercially available products and those who put on your apron and domestic cleaning gloves with pride. Let the cleaning brigade have their moment, but that doesn’t apply to many, many of us.
Yes! we want a clean homely environment, but sometimes things get out of hand that basin in the bathroom that you were supposed to clean, just didn’t get done and days (dare I say it weeks) have passed and it still hasn’t been done. Sure it embarrasses you but that’s only in the morning and last thing at night when you have to brush your teeth. Yes the dishes haven’t been done for ages and you will get to it once you need a clean plate and you realise you have run out of clean plates. You’ll make a mad dash for the sink and get it done super quick when that new person you are trying to attract and impress comes over. It will be done in a jiffy if your mum is making that once in a while visit. or you simply close the door on the problem and pretend that those dirty dishes pots and pans you hate to clean just aren’t there!
If you do want to tackle the problem without much stress, where do you start? Let me help you!
Decide which rooms you would like to clean and in what order:
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Bedroom
- Living Room
- Hallway
- Stairs
- Outside (yes there too).
This order can be changed around to suit you, really you are deciding which area you will tackle first and which area you will leave till last. Don’t forget you don’t have to do it all at the same time. Yes I heard that sigh of relief.
Decide how much time you want to spend cleaning at any one time, you might decide to do half of the cleaning and finish the rest in a couple of days I find it easier to clean each area for around 20 minutes. You will be very surprised how much you can get done in 20 minutes and the general maintenance is easy too, I assure you.
In the Kitchen:
Put away the pots pans, plates, knives forks and glasses, that have been getting on your nerves for ages, out of sight out of mind. Put them in their place, their home.
Next I separate glasses, cutlery, plates, and pots, I make sure that everything is empty, I don’t want to block the sink. Then I run warm water over items such as the plates and soak the pots so that I can wash them and not use baked-on food as an excuse to leave them for yet another time.
I clean all surfaces in the kitchen. The solution below can be used to clean the work surfaces, cupboard shelves and doors in your kitchen. Don’t forget the cooker top! Use the same solution to wipe down your cooker top, spray, leave for a few minutes and then wipe down, you may have to do this a couple of times.
Make sure there is nothing in the fridge that is out of date, spilled or worse rotting.
Use a mixture of vinegar and water or Lemon juice and water to spray into the fridge and onto stubborn stains or dried food particles.
Clean the fridge with soapy water, alternatively you can use a couple of tablespoons of baking Soda and about 8oz (225ml) of hot water, mix the two ingredients together and use to thoroughly clean the inside of your fridge.
Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry with a dishcloth or kitchen towel this will leave your fridge looking clean, neat and smelling fresh.
I choose to wash cups and glasses first and then move on to cutlery, followed by glassware such as bowls and trays, then
plates and then pots, pans, and frying pans.
I like to rinse and then leave things to naturally dry before putting them away.
Lastly, I like to clean the kitchen floor with a mop and a bucket, if there are some stubborn areas, I like to go the old fashion way on my hands and knees to ensure the areas are covered. Using soapy hot water is usually all that is needed and some Lemon juice for a fresh scent. There is a whole range of commercially available cleaning products that you may want to try or use, feel free.
That’s it the jobs a good’un your kitchen has been tamed and is no longer a source of embarrassment.
The next article will tell you how to tackle another area of your home, one thing at a time eh!
