Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Keeping the House Tidy with Minimal Effort

article-content-home-garden-032717

Laundry is either a large or small job, depending on the number of people in your family. If you have children, unfortunately it will be a daily chore. Nevertheless, everyone in the family should be responsible for bringing their own laundry down and even younger children can help with sorting and folding. Make sure you DO the laundry. Just getting it into the dryer is not done. Folded and put away is finished!

The kitchen can get messy fast. The best idea here is to always clean as you go. Wash pots and pans as you cook, or at least fill them with soapy water. I’ve never had a dishwasher, but if you do, always rinse and load as you cook. Wipe down counters and cabinets as you go. If you let the counter get sticky, a little baking soda and a damp cloth works well and deodorizes too. Sweep or vacuum the floor daily and mop every few days. The Swiffer mop makes this easy and quick. The microwave can be a mess sometimes but prevention here is the best solution. Always cover everything. If there is an accident, clean it immediately. Once a week, quarter a lemon and heat it in a bowl of water. The steam will loosen any stuck-on gunk and the lemon will deodorize.

Bedrooms often suffer from clutter overload. We have so many items we use every day. Use a plastic caddy for makeup and lotions. Other items like brushes and hair tools can be stored in pretty baskets. I keep a Swiffer duster in the bedroom for quick daily dusting. Hang up clothes. The most important bedroom chore is making your bed daily. It only takes a few minutes and really makes the room look put together.

The bathroom is another room that benefits from a little attention every day. Use a hair catcher and clean it after every shower. Run the water for a minute to rinse all the soap and hair products away. This keeps the shower clean and prevents clogs down the line. Keep some paper towels in the bath and wipe down all the surfaces while they’re still moist and steamy.

The rest of the house can usually be kept tidy by not allowing clutter to overcome us. Pare down on the knickknacks, all they do is gather dust. Go through the mail daily. Shred anything that has any personal information. The Swiffer duster is a great help here also. They make one that extends to reach ceiling corners and fans. Vacuum weekly.

Keeping the house clean needn’t be an all-day affair. Just a few minutes a day will keep everything ship shape. 

KATHY WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO