How to Keep a House Clean
By Eric Hammer
We all know how tough it can be to keep a house clean - the
messes seem to constantly pile up and we can't keep track of
where all the dirt goes to. This is especially problematic if
you have kids or pets, who may not respect your rules about where
food may be consumed or about wiping their feet when they come
in the door. However, there are some things you can do to minimize
the problems. Here's what you need to know:
Set Rules and Boundaries
First of all, while it's not foolproof, setting rules and
boundaries of where food can be brought will help tremendously
in keeping your house clean. This means that eating that bowl
of popcorn in the bedroom is not going to be allowed and you
may even have to say no food in the living room. They key here
however is that you need to lead by example. As much as you know
you'll be responsible and not spill your glass of soda on the
couch (because that never happens to adults, right?), your kids
(and even your pet cat or dog) will be much more likely to respect
the boundaries if you don't violate them yourself.
Have a ShopVac
A small handheld vacuum, often known as a ShopVac (or Dust
Buster after the original brand name for such devices) is a must
if you want to keep your house clean. The fact is that pulling
out the big vacuum cleaner for small spills and whatnot is a
pain in the neck and so when a few crumbs drop somewhere, you're
less likely to do it. This will lead to more of a mess and a
messier home. With a ShopVac, you can easily clean up the mess
on the spot and keep things clean.
Clean Up Right Away
The single most important thing to do if you want to keep
your home clean is to clean up right away when a mess occurs.
This is especially true when you find a spill of some liquid
on the floor. No matter where the spill occurred, it's going
to be easier to clean it up when it's fresh than when it dries
out later on. In fact, many stains will permanently set if they
aren't cleaned up right away or will at the least be much, much
harder to remove.
Consider a Steam Cleaner
Steam cleaners can be a godsend for people who are worried
about ground in dirt or who simply don't seem to get around to
cleaning up stains right away. They boil water and eject a powerful
jet of steam to clean up stains and break them apart. You can
even add a small amount of bleach to the water for bleach safe
surfaces (tile floors for example) for extra cleaning power.
Make a Cleaning Schedule
Finally, whatever methods you use for cleanup, remember that
if you want to keep a house clean, the single most important
ingredient is consistency. Set yourself up with a schedule where
you clean on a daily or at least weekly basis (daily is better
for a quick straightening up with weekly for a more thorough
cleanup). This will ensure that things never get so out of hand
that you find the whole idea of cleaning the house to be a thoroughly
exhausting prospect.
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