I’ve never been one to avoid hard work or shy away from a difficult project, but that doesn’t mean I won’t find ways to “work smarter, not harder” whenever I can! (Working smarter in certain areas frees up more of my time to devote to the projects I’m always finding for myself.) ;-)
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There are plenty of ways to adopt the mentality of working smarter, not harder when it comes to cleaning your home. With just a few seconds of extra effort, it’s fairly easy to keep your home clean longer than it would normally!
To show you what I mean, today I’ll be sharing 11 simple ways that a bit of “preventative cleaning” can help you keep your house clean longer. And if you know of any similar cleaning tips that aren’t listed here, please share them with us in a comment at the end of this post! :-)
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Related: 11 Clever Cleaning Shortcuts That Will Save You So Much Time
11 Easy Ways To Keep Your House Clean Longer
1. Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy
Stock a couple of small caddies with microfiber cloths, then store them in high-traffic areas like your kitchen and bathroom. You’ll be more likely to take a moment to wipe up a mess if you have a clean cloth within arms reach!
2. Clean Glass Doors With Rain-X
Treat your glass shower enclosure with a water repelling spray like Rain-X to keep it clean longer. Any variety will work well, but Rain-X also makes a spray specifically for shower doors that can also prevent soap scum buildup and hard water stains.
3. No Shoes In The House
Instituting a simple “no shoes in the house” rule is one of the easiest ways to keep your house clean. Shoes track in dust, dirt, and debris, so keeping shoes at the doors can mean much less floor cleaning for you!
Keep shoe racks at the main doors in and out of your house as a helpful reminder.
4. No Food In The Car
Alright, so technically your car isn’t part of your home… but if you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time in the car too! And an easy way to keep your car cleaner is to have a “no food in the car” rule.
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I’m not saying this rule is as easy to institute as the “no shoes in the house” rule, but the same principle applies here! If you don’t bring food into the car, you won’t have to deal with crumbs, spills, and other messes.
5. Use Tin Foil For Easy Cleanup
Post-meal cleanup is quick and easy when you line your baking sheets, casserole dishes, and other hard-to-wash items with tin foil before using them.
Just remove the tin foil, rinse the dish clean, and it’ll be ready to use again. That means no more 30-minute post-dinner pan scrubbing sessions!
6. Use Pillow & Mattress Protectors
Bulky items like pillows and mattresses take time and effort to clean. You can make it easier on yourself by getting some washable pillow protectors and a washable mattress protector!
That way, you can just remove the protectors and wash them whenever you wash your sheets. Your pillows and mattresses will stay clean and hygienic, and they’ll last a lot longer too!
7. Rub Wax Paper On Stainless Steel
Many people with stainless steel fixtures in their kitchen swear by the power of wax paper! Rubbing wax paper over stainless steel leaves behind a thin, waxy barrier that helps repel water spots, fingerprints, and dust.
8. Prevent Dust With A Dryer Sheet
No matter how often you dust your baseboards, the dust always returns sooner than you’d like it to. But you can extend that dust-free period by wiping your clean baseboards down with a dryer sheet.
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The dryer sheet will leave behind a thin layer of residue that repels dust and dirt, which will keep them clean longer! You can also use this method on furniture, decor, and more.
9. Clean As You Go
No one enjoys those marathon post-dinner cleanup sessions! One way to make dinner cleanup easier is to do more cleaning while you’re actually cooking.
Even doing simple things like rinsing out dishes as you use them and wiping up spills as they happen can make a big difference!
10. Always Check For Clutter
Every time you leave a room, do a quick check for clutter or anything that isn’t where it should go. If you see things you can replace on your way to the next room, take them along with you.
Clearing clutter a few items at a time will keep your house clean longer, and it only takes a few extra seconds to do it!
11. Close Your Shower Curtain
When you get out of the shower, make sure to pull the curtain closed to help the liner dry completely. Leaving the shower curtain open traps moisture in the folds of the liner, which could lead to mold and mildew growth (yuck!)
Do you do any “preventative cleaning” in your own home?
Best way I’ve found to dry my fabric shower curtain liner is to hang it up by one corner. I put a hook high up on the wall opposite the showerhead, in the corner. I clipped a cafe curtain ring to the bottom corner of the liner on that end. After shower, I spread the liner out along the rod then grab the ring and hang that corner from the hook. It sounds (and looks) odd, but it provides superior air flow to the shower and everything (not just the liner) dries a lot faster.
I keep chickens and raise organic vegetables, so I’ve got MAJORLY filthy boots but I still need to run in and out of the house all day. I have a coarse boot mat at the bottom of the stairs and a weird dirt magnetizing moisture trapping rug at the top going into the kitchen. I quickly scrub my boots on the bottom rug, wipe them on the top one and can get into the house without leaving a mess. I also keep a pair of rubber boots right outside the door for quick trips to the yard. Funny switch around… Read more »
I found using grill mats works well instead of foil and is reusable and dishwasher able. Trying to reuse as much as I can. Parchment paper is a great alternative.
Great ideas are usually the easiest and I have one for you as well. When dusting the china hutch and contents, I use a Tablespoon or two of fabric softener, in clean water and a microfiber cloth.. The softener keeps dust from landing on all my antiques and actually keep them cleaner, longer. I live in Arizona, and dust is a major part of living here. But with this, I have found I can go a month or so before having to dust my antiques. I also use it on my dining table and chairs plus the furniture in our… Read more »
Great tips, Alicia! Thanks for sharing! :-)
Just a funny, but when I read the headline, my first thought was to get rid of the pets, children, and husband!
Very funny, Michelle… I think we all think that once in a while! :-)
I hear ya, Michelle! And I’ve been trying for 36 yrs to get my husband to take off his shoes when he comes in the house, but so far no such luck! He works construction, so mud, dusty clothes, and plain old dirt are always a problem! Buy I am gonna try the wax paper trick, to keep the faucets ahiny, I’d never heard that one, buy it makes sense. Now back to the shoes……
After showering, use a squeegee to run down the water off the glass or curtain.
I use the squeegee on the tiled walls.
We try not to wear shoes in our house to help keep our carpet looking clean longer., We do bend it occasionally when people are visiting our home who have joint problems or my work shoes which are easier to get on if I sit on a couch before leaving. I also agree about the parchment paper. Certain foods are easier – cookies, etc are easier to bake using parchment paper.
I also have for years been wiping down the shower in our main bathroom for years after showering. I use an old towel for this. Where I live it makes a big difference, when you live in an area with high humidity. It helps to keep mold from forming.,Also, most people where we live have dehumidifiers to prevent mold from forming in their basements and on walls.
Oh oh oh!!!! I had a light bulb moment reading the Rain-x shower tip! My kitchen window is (no surprises) over the sink. Our water is Very Hard. I can not STAND how fast the water spray spots up the window- it looks disgusting! I’m going to dig out the Rain-x RIGHT NOW and see what it can do for my nasty window! Thanks!!!
I wish I could enforce the no shoes rule. My husband puts his shoes on first thing and wears them all day. He refuses to listen to reason. Drives me insane.
Me too and I don’t know if he is just being stubborn or he really doesn’t believe me when I say it keeps the floors cleaner because shoes bring in dirt and debris from outside. I always thought it was common sense until I moved in with him!!
What about using a Welcome mat inside the door to rub the dirt of?
How about cleaning the shoes before they make it into the bedroom or wherever they spend the night? I think Marie Kondo does this.
I do this as well,it makes sense,
It isn’t just dirt that gets tracked in but pesticides and other nasty things that are not good for you. It helps with allergies when you don’t wear your shoes all over your house too. Maybe telling the resistant husbands that might help!
The easiest way (if you can’t get him to remove his shoes) is to have a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and have him spray his shoes and rub them on a doormat !!
Thumbs up on the no shoe rule. We haven’t allowed shoes in 40 years. The flooring not only stays cleaner, it lasts longer because it is not getting abused. Those with small kids….think about this…..do you want your little ones crawling or playing on a floor that is contaminated with the junk that comes off of shoes that have walked who knows where!
So glad you brought this up: Think about the public toilets folks use. Think about all those toxic chemicals people use on their sidewalks. Now imagine those germs and chemicals being tracked into your home.