9 Dirty Little Cleaning Secrets You Need to Know

When I started my cleaning service many years ago, it would take me hours upon hours to clean one house. I finally realized that professionals don’t clean like you and me. They have some little secrets to help them cut down the time it takes to clean a home.  I’m going to share a few of these secrets with you so you can clean like a pro and have more time to enjoy your home and family.

1. Don’t clean what’s not dirty – That’s right, you don’t have to clean something if it’s not dirty.  I first heard this dirty little trick from a man that ran a housecleaning service and thought “typical man, he doesn’t know how to clean correctly,” but after cleaning professionally I realized this was a great time saver. You can put off cleaning something if it’s not dirty. Why waste time cleaning something that doesn’t need cleaning? Skip it and move on to something that is dirty.

2. Never spray a cleaner on the item you are cleaning – We’ve learned how to clean by watching TV commercials, but those actors don’t really know how to clean. When using a spray cleaner you’ll save time by spraying the cleaner on a cloth and applying it to the surface. You’ll use less product and will have more control of what you are cleaning.

3. You don’t always have to wash the floor – If you are using a really good vacuum with a lot of suction, the vacuum will pick up most of the debris on the floor and leave it looking clean. If it looks clean there’s no reason to mop it.

4. Spot cleaning is good enough – If you’ve vacuumed the floor but there are a few spots that seem to look dirty, just use a wet cloth and wipe those specific areas. There is no point in wasting time cleaning the entire floor if there are just a few dirty spots.

5. An eraser sponge is priceless – Having the right tools for the right job is a very valuable trick of the trade. Eraser sponges are one of those tools. You can remove soap scum from the shower quickly with this cute little sponge. Just wet and wipe it over the shower walls. There’s no need to spray a cleaner when you use an eraser. The friction from the eraser sponge will melt the scum and all you’ll need to do is rinse.

6. Use different soaps – Switch to a liquid body wash instead of using a bar soap. Body wash won’t stick to the walls of the shower and it will make the shower much easier to clean.

7. Oil shower doors – Treat your shower doors with olive or vegetable oil. The thin film of oil will repel the water and prevent water spots and soap scum from sticking to the shower door.  It will be one less thing you will have to worry about cleaning.

8. Pillowcases for the ceiling fan – If you have a buildup of dust on your ceiling fan, don’t make an even bigger mess by trying to dust it. Instead use an old pillowcase and place it over the paddle of the fan and pull the dust off. The dust will stay inside the pillowcase instead of falling on the furniture below.

9. Remove scuff marks with a magic eraser – Hardwood floors look awful when they are filled with scuff marks. You can erase those marks with a magic eraser. The friction of the eraser sponge removes the mark with one wipe. If you don’t have an eraser sponge you can try a tennis ball. It will work the same way.

Cleaning like a professional will help you keep your home cleaner and give you time to enjoy your family.  No one likes to clean but if we can get it done in half the time it might make it a little easier to handle.