Tag: cleaning
5 Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean During the Summer
Keeping the home clean during the summer can be tough. Kids are home for summer break and you’d rather have fun than clean. If you’re struggling to keep things tidy keep reading for some helpful tips.
1 – Have the kids help – create a chore chart and hang it in the kitchen this summer. Give the kids some responsibilities like cleaning their rooms, taking out the trash and washing the dishes.
2 – Encourage more outdoor play – If the kids get out of the house early in the morning there is less of a chance of creating a mess. Clean the clutter right away in the morning and try your best to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
3 – Have a designated shoe and outdoor toy area – This should be right near the door. Have everyone drop their shoes, sports equipment and beach bags at the door so dirt and sand don’t get tracked into the house.
4 – Designate laundry days – Don’t let the summer laundry pile up! If you designate a couple days a week as laundry days you lessen the risk of overflowing laundry baskets.
5 – Keep cleaning supplies in close reach – Leave the broom, vacuum and surface cleaners in a centralized location. Messes happen but you can clean them quickly and encourage the kids to clean them too by keeping the proper supplies and tools on hand.
The Easiest Way to Clean Your Microwave
We all neglect our microwaves now and then when cleaning. It’s easy to close the door and keep the mess hidden inside. If you’ve been neglecting yours, here is a quick and easy way to remove dirt, grime, and stuck-on food!
1 – Fill a microwave safe bowl with water about halfway full.
2 – Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the bowl of water.
3 – Put the bowl in the microwave and run the microwave for about three minutes (longer if it’s really dirty).
4 – Carefully (it will be hot!) remove the bowl from the microwave.
5 – Use a damp cloth to easily wipe away all of the grime and food stains.
This trick is so easy you can now clean your microwave at least once a week. Just run the microwave with the bowl of water while you’re doing other dishes and before you know it, your whole kitchen is clean!
What are some of your favorite kitchen cleaning hacks?
Organizing The Junk Drawer – At Home With Princeton
We all have one. That one drawer in the kitchen that holds LOTS of things. All of the things you don’t know where to store. Yours might be full of pens (many that are probably out of ink), scissors, receipts, coupons or trinkets you’ve collected. Whatever is inside, let’s all take fifteen minutes together today to tackle that junk drawer together once and for all!
Step 1 – Remove all of the contents of the junk drawer and lay it out on the counter so you can see what you’ve been hoarding. Don’t worry…we won’t judge!
Step 2 – Grab a trash bag and start tossing! Test your pens and pencils. If they’re broken or out of ink, it’s time to let them go. Have expired coupons? Dead batteries? Now is the time to send them on their way.
Step 3 – Clean the drawer. You might need the vacuum for this part! Get rid of the dust and debris and give that drawer a wipe down with some disinfectant.
Step 4 – Make it pretty! You don’t need fancy contact paper for this one. Have some wrapping paper lying around? Measure and cut a piece to secure to the bottom of your drawer.
Step 5 – Now that you’ve decided what’s going to stay, it’s time to organize. Put together all of your takeout menus, coupons, gift cards etc and stash them in envelopes for safe keeping. Pens (that work), pencils, scissors can be stored towards the front for easy access. Use recycled glass jar or tins to store things like paper clips, thumb tacks, safety pins, rubber bands etc. All of the items that don’t belong in this drawer? Now is the time to put them in a more appropriate place for good!
5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Pantry
When we think of spring cleaning we usually think of packing away clothes and washing the floors. Don’t forget to clean what’s behind your pantry door too! Get yours in tip top shape for the season with these great tips
1 – Start from scratch. Pull all of the items in the pantry out and put them on your counter so you can vacuum the floor and clean the shelves.
2 – Take inventory. See how many items you have, what can be donated, what is expired and decide which items are going to stay.
3 – Reorganize your shelves. Decide what is going where and stick to it. Put the kids snacks on the bottom shelf and the canned goods above. When you’re looking for what you need you’ll know exactly which shelf to go to.
4 – Consider using some baskets or plaster containers to help with your organization. If you buy snacks in bulk you can save space by emptying and recycling the large boxes and keep your snacks in a basket instead.
5 – Stick to it! Don’t let your hard work get ruined the next time you go grocery shopping. Keep your pantry in tip top shape by following these steps every couple of months.
6 Tips For Keeping Your Home Clean With Pets
At Princeton we love pets and we know our residents do too! Keeping a home clean is tough and adding pets to the mix makes the work load even tougher. Use these tips to keep your home squeaky clean for your whole family (including the 4 legged members!)
- Get your pets groomed regularly so they aren’t shedding as often on the furniture or carpets.
- Sweep and vacuum your floors daily to avoid letting pet hair build up.
- Use the attachment on your vacuum (or even a lint roller) to remove pet hair from furniture.
- Pet hair doesn’t always stay on the ground and on the couch. Make sure to dust your furniture regularly too.
- Make sure your pets paws are clean after going outside by keeping a towel by the door to wipe them.
- Keep plenty of cleaning supplies handy to clean up after messes or accidents immediately after they happen.
3 Tips for Cleaning Patio Furniture
It looks like spring might be here to stay (fingers crossed the snow is gone for the season)! Warmer weather means spending more time outdoors so it’s time to pull out the patio furniture. Depending on the type you have or what you need to clean, there are different ways to get them ready for the upcoming season.
- If you have mildew on your furniture, put some white vinegar in a spray bottle. By spraying the surface of the furniture you should be able to easily wipe away the mildew and the vinegar should also keep it from growing back.
- If your white, plastic lawn chairs are looking dingy try using bleach to get them looking their best. Mix ½ cup of bleach with a gallon of water and a little detergent. Wash the chairs with the solution and then towel dry.
- If your patio furniture is made of a more sensitive material, try using baking soda to get it clean. Wet a sponge then dip it into some baking soda. Wipe the stains with a circular motion until clean.
5 Tips for Keeping a Clean Bathroom
It’s probably everyone’s least favorite room in the house to clean, but it also needs it the most! Stop stressing about having a tidy bathroom by following these tips. They don’t take much time and your bathroom will never have a chance to get filthy!
- Choose one day a week to give the bathroom a deep clean. Put on your gloves and pull out the cleaning solvents to make your shower, tub and toilet sparkle.
- Once a week when you’re doing laundry, pull all of your bathroom linens (i.e. hand towels, rugs) and get them clean.
- Every morning take a couple minutes to wipe down the sink and faucet. Add it to your morning routine after you’ve brushed your teeth and it will keep your sink free from soap scum and toothpaste!
- Bathroom trash can be forgotten, especially if it’s hidden under a vanity. Don’t let yours overflow. Use a plastic grocery bag to line your trash can and pull the whole bag out and add it to your kitchen trash before you bring it outside.
- Sometimes we tend to forget about the floors in the bathroom too. Once a week (maybe when you’re doing laundry), pull out your swiffer or mop and wash your bathroom floors. That way you can lay bathroom rugs back onto a clean floor after they’ve been washed.
15 Things to Throw Away Today
January is a great time to refresh and reorganize things in your home. When you’re trapped inside on cold, snowy weekends why not use the time to get rid of some items that are causing clutter? If you can’t seem to figure out where to start, read below for a list of 15 items to get rid of right now!
- Newspapers and magazines you have already read
- Receipts that you don’t need
- Ticket stubs
- Any damaged clothing you can’t fix
- Expired food from your pantry
- Old paperwork or bills that don’t need to be filed
- Toiletries that are almost empty or have expired
- Manuals for electronics you don’t use or need
- Worn-out shoes
- Old or outdated computer software
- Books you’ve already read
- Toys your children or pets don’t play with
- Stained Tupperware
- Old bath towels
- Medicines that are expired or almost empty (make sure to dispose of properly)
Summer Cleaning and Organizing Checklist
We’re getting closer to the official start of summer and it’s time to start thinking about summer cleaning! Get ahead of the game by printing out this list so you can clean and organize everything in your home soon and spend more time in the sun!
- Switch out clothing to your summer clothing
- Wash and change your bedding to lighter blankets and comforters
- Change your furnace filter
- If you have window A/C units, change those filters as well
- Organize and clean out your pantry
- Wash all outdoor furniture
- Rotate or flip your mattress
- Locate and clean all summer/beach toys and gear
- Wash your bed pillows
- Wash & sweep your patio or porch