With an always sparkling and spotless house, I used to think that my grandma was a 24/7 house cleaning machine. Taking less time and spending less money, she used to get a lot of chores done very quickly.
There’s a reason why we are always told to seek advice from grannies. You can pick a lot of great cleaning tips from these extremely wise creatures.
#1. Stop Putting Things Off
I know myself well enough to know if I have to clean the house, I always put it off for a “tomorrow” – and for your information that “tomorrow” never comes.
You see, we humans like to think we are very clever. We frequently find ourselves postponing cleaning tasks, hoping and waiting to have them all done “one day”, which is a big reason why we always end up with a house looking like a den filled with clutter and a thick layer of dust built up on all shelves of the house.
And more, waiting until the last 5 hours to clean up a bathroom until guests arrive is not an effective strategy.
I want you to take a moment and ponder how bad procrastinating can be, especially when it comes to cleaning.
If you go over the net, you’d find over thousands of efficient ways to overcome procrastination. It’d take you, what five minutes? Ten minutes tops, I’d say.
#2. Clean With What You Have
Every time I find myself buying household cleaning items, I’ve got this feeling they’ll be left unused, stored away in some cupboard.
And, that’s always true.
I find it funny how the time you decide to clean – when you are hit with a whim of inspiration – you’d either dump the idea due to lack of proper cleaning equipment or you’d waste your time and money in these household items that you’d probably never use.
If my grandmother was still here, she would have said, “forget wasting your money and use what you have available, like lemons, vinegar, salt and old rags.”
#3. Wash the Dishes After Every Meal
This idea comes from my granny, who is very, very astute (and certainly a much better cleaner than anyone in the family).
What I hate the most about housekeeping is kitchen cleaning. But, if washing the dishes after every meal can help to keep the kitchen spotless, I’d do it.
Instead of saving all the dishes for the end of the day, washing them after every meal is the right thing to do, especially if you hate cleaning.
#4. Clean While You Cook
“Whether you are making a homemade pizza or a simple Greek salad, use every moment of downtime to clean and tidy up.” This is something Nani Jane would always tell me.
It’s a very simple concept – the more you try to clean up while cooking, the less possibility of having a mountain of dishes waiting for you afterward.
Now, it took me some time – I must say a lot of time – to adopt this new technique. But, trust me, you’ll be satisfied with the end results.
#5. Use Vinegar
I recently got the grandma tag when it was my turn for household cleaning.
You’d noticed that grandmas didn’t need expensive cleaning products – they had terrific, or should I say magical, cleaning methods and one of their best all-purpose cleaners is found in your kitchen itself: vinegar.
And, here are some great ways how you can use vinegar to keep you house clean and spotless:
- Clean dingy tile floors
- Clean kitchen sink
- Clean greasy stovetops
- Clean dirty sheet pans
- Clean microwave
- Clean refrigerator and freezer
- Clean garbage cans
- And perfect for odor removal
#6. Use the Sun
What? Where does the sun come from?
Well, it seems like our grandmas showed a great interest in science classes as according to scientists, sunlight consists of disinfectant properties and has the power to kill bacteria.
So, logically speaking, you can hang bed linens, fiber-filled pillows and clothes out in the sun for a few hours. It will freshen and sterilize them.
So, have your grandma ever shared her shiniest cleaning trick with you?
