Tag: home
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.
5 Ways to De-Clutter in the New Year
The holidays have come and gone once again and it’s time to put away the decor and organize our homes. Feeling overwhelmed with the tasks of getting things cleaned and organized? Try these ten tips…
1 – Move all of your holiday decor to one spot. Take it down and put it on your kitchen table (for example). You’ll see everything you have and be able to decide if you want to purge anything before packing it away for next year.
2 – Get lots of clothes for Christmas? Now is the time to clean out your closet and donate old clothes before hanging up the new ones.
3 – Kids tend to get lots of toys for the holidays and when you mix their new toys with old ones it can create a big mess. Now is the time to purge old toys! Donate ones that are gently-used and make room for the new toys.
4 – A lot of people want to eat cleaner when January rolls around. If that sounds like you, now is the time to declutter your fridge and pantry. Pull everything out and toss anything that is expired. Start fresh with healthier foods in a clean and organized space. Don’t put the food away until you’ve wiped down and sanitized all the surfaces.
5 – Don’t forget about your car when de-cluttering. Now is the time to clean out those consoles and cup holders and vacuum the interior. When you’re done cleaning make sure you have all of the safety essentials in place for winter (i.e., a scraper, brush, sand and all fluids topped off.)
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.
5 Easy Ways to Make your Apartment Feel Cozier
We’re in the middle of winter and who doesn’t like feeling cozy inside when it’s cold and wet outside? You don’t need an interior designer to make your apartment have a cozier feel. Try following these 5 simple steps before you curl up at home to relax.
- Have lots of soft throw blankets in your living room. Store them in baskets or on a blanket ladder for a decorative touch.
- Use soft lighting. Instead of turning on overhead lights, turn on a table lamp or use flameless LED candles to give your home a soft glow.
- Switch to slippers right when you get home. Leave your slippers by the front door so you can slip right into them and take off your snow boots without tracking in any snow.
- Decorate with warm colors. Earth tones have a cozier feel than bright, bold colors.
- Designate a spot in your home that is comfortable to curl up. Whether it’s a comfortable chair or spot on the couch, make sure you have a soft place to unwind after a long day.
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.
5 Tips for Making Spring Cleaning Easier
This past Monday marked the official first day of spring! It’s time to start refreshing our homes and thinking about spring cleaning. It can be a daunting task to get things deep-cleaned and organized, but using these tips should make the process smooth!
1 – The first thing you need to do is purge! Start getting rid of junk and unwanted items so you don’t waste time cleaning them, organizing or finding a new home for them when it’s time to start.
2 – If you have small children, find a busy activity for them to do or a place for them to go when it’s time to clean. You won’t want children making a mess in the middle of your spring cleaning.
3 – Get all of your supplies together early. Make sure you have rubber gloves, cleaning solutions, rags, mops etc ready to go so you don’t have to waste cleaning time with trips to the store.
4 – Make a playlist of all of your favorite upbeat songs. Press play when it’s time to put the gloves on and start cleaning. The music will make the time go by faster and it will keep you entertained and moving.
5 – Make a list and stick to it. Write down all of the rooms you want to clean and the order you want to clean them. Stick to the plan so you don’t get distracted. It’ll feel great to cross each task off the list as you complete it!
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)
5 Holiday Items to Buy Now
The holidays are behind us and the last thing on everyone’s mind is preparing for next year’s festivities. Before packing away your holiday boxes for storage, pick up some of these items that are sure to be on sale. When next year rolls around you’ll be so glad you did!
- Wrapping paper and gift bags – when it’s time to wrap your holiday gifts next year you’ll be thrilled when you open a storage container full of gift wrapping supplies that you scored for next to nothing!
- Holiday Cards – When the holidays are over, most stores sell their remaining holiday cards for over 70% off! Pick up a couple boxes for a few dollars next time you’re out and have them on hand for mailing in 2017!
- Artificial Christmas trees – If you’re thinking of putting up a fake tree next year or if yours needs an upgrade, buy it now! You won’t see these discounted until Black Friday next year and even then, they can typically be sold out at most stores.
- Ornaments and Decor – Usually around the holidays you’ll see ornament shops pop up at malls for the season. Once the holidays are over, they mark down all of their goods before they close up shop for the year. This is a great time to pick up some items you realized you were missing in your home this year or gifts for your friends.
- Lights – String lights are marked down over 50% after the holidays and it’s the perfect time to stock up! You can pick up a few boxes to store away for next year’s decor or replace any that may have broken after this season.