Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain

[RetiredAt63]

Remove all the kitchen gadgets from your drawers and place them in a box somewhere in another room.  As you fetch them out and use them, return them to the drawer.  After X amount of time, throw away any kitchen gadget that hasn't been used. 

My sister actually did this when her kitchen was redone.  She ended up getting rid of about a third of the stuff.  Part was duplication, part was "neat" things she never actually used, part was her kids getting older. 

[GreenSheep]

Remove all the kitchen gadgets from your drawers and place them in a box somewhere in another room.  As you fetch them out and use them, return them to the drawer.  After X amount of time, throw away any kitchen gadget that hasn't been used. 

My sister actually did this when her kitchen was redone.  She ended up getting rid of about a third of the stuff.  Part was duplication, part was "neat" things she never actually used, part was her kids getting older.

I did this, and it's amazing how many kitchen gadgets are not really necessary. What's necessary or not will probably vary from person to person (some people love their garlic press, but I tossed mine after realizing I don't mind mincing it myself). It also made me realize how many duplicates I had. How many spatulas does one kitchen really need?! My kitchen is now much more streamlined, and it only has good quality, long-lasting things that I really use all the time in it. I'm trying to spread that idea throughout the rest of my house.

[shelivesthedream]

When we got married, I explained to my husband that I had very strong feelings about spatulas and he had to like it or lump it. We have one Rubbermaid curved spatula and one flat sort of crescenty one which I always called a palette knife but I have recently found out is not actually a palette knife. So one for scraping, one for spreading. Never will I permit another spatula into my house. Thus spake shelivesthedream unto Mr Shelives, and lo, Mr Shelives decided he had better like it. And even into this day do they remain married.

[With This Herring]

When we got married, I explained to my husband that I had very strong feelings about spatulas and he had to like it or lump it. We have one Rubbermaid curved spatula and one flat sort of crescenty one which I always called a palette knife but I have recently found out is not actually a palette knife. So one for scraping, one for spreading. Never will I permit another spatula into my house. Thus spake shelivesthedream unto Mr Shelives, and lo, Mr Shelives decided he had better like it. And even into this day do they remain married.

So let it be written; so let it be done!

And I like that your husband is Mr. Shelives, as opposed to Mr. Dream.  :)

[mustachepungoeshere]

Remove all the kitchen gadgets from your drawers and place them in a box somewhere in another room.  As you fetch them out and use them, return them to the drawer.  After X amount of time, throw away any kitchen gadget that hasn't been used. 

I've heard of this technique for clothes a million times - how did it not occur to me to do the same with the bloody utensil drawer?

I have the perfect box, too. Starting this tonight!

(Husband is OS so it's always fun when I start projects like this and he comes home to random empty drawers and I have to fill him in.)

[Fresh Bread]

Remove all the kitchen gadgets from your drawers and place them in a box somewhere in another room.  As you fetch them out and use them, return them to the drawer.  After X amount of time, throw away any kitchen gadget that hasn't been used. 

I've heard of this technique for clothes a million times - how did it not occur to me to do the same with the bloody utensil drawer?

I have the perfect box, too. Starting this tonight!

(Husband is OS so it's always fun when I start projects like this and he comes home to random empty drawers and I have to fill him in.)

Hmmm, maybe I can use this method to prove we don't need a sushi rolling mat thingy and 10 pairs of chopsticks and two corkscrews...

[Poundwise]

Sorry, this is long because of detail: Re storage, when my parents made big batches of stuff, they chilled it, then put it into the Corning-ware lined with aluminum foil which was then lined with plastic wrap, so the food was touching wrap not metal. Then they froze it, took it out of the Corning ware, and finished wrapping it for long-term storage (including labeling it because one frozen lump in foil looks like any other lump in foil).  They would end up with several frozen packages that fit a Corning ware dish.  When they wanted one they would take it out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter long enough that the wrappings would come off easily, slide it into the dish, let it thaw in the fridge, and then it was ready to go.  The containers were available because they were not being used for storage, but the frozen item could be heated easily.

Thank you, that is the ticket!  I have been freezing in foil and cooking directly in the foil, but I think your parents' way is better.

[shelivesthedream]

I just... don't want to be using all that disposable stuff all the time. *sigh* I hoped there was an amazing solution I didn't know about, but maybe I'll just have to prioritise. I might buy one Pyrex as a test, though, and see how it goes. I'll have to go through all the thousand different options on the website, though...

[mustachepungoeshere]

Remove all the kitchen gadgets from your drawers and place them in a box somewhere in another room.  As you fetch them out and use them, return them to the drawer.  After X amount of time, throw away any kitchen gadget that hasn't been used. 

I've heard of this technique for clothes a million times - how did it not occur to me to do the same with the bloody utensil drawer?

I have the perfect box, too. Starting this tonight!

(Husband is OS so it's always fun when I start projects like this and he comes home to random empty drawers and I have to fill him in.)

Hmmm, maybe I can use this method to prove we don't need a sushi rolling mat thingy and 10 pairs of chopsticks and two corkscrews...

Yes! Chopsticks!

A dozen pairs of those (never use). Two packets of skewers (never use). Two packets of straws (never use). Various plastic cutlery left over (some left over from my 21st, nine years ago!) Various bottle openers (use one). Argh.

[galliver]

In theory, you *can* do any glass from frozen to oven. In practice, it's a matter of WHEN, not IF, it will explode. There is no substance that exists that always will handle this temperature swing. Even the best original pyrex will still sometimes explodes with temp shock.

Sorry =( Just gotta plan ahead or switch containers.

Metal changes tastes majorly though, especially for acidic foods like red sauces. =(

Well, shoot.  I knew that was the case for aluminum, but I thought stainless steel was good.  I've noticed that some cheap utensils/flatware taste bad when I'm eating, which is unpleasant and probably related.

The thing I don't understand about temperature shock, now that I have read about it a bit, is this: I completely get that putting a frozen container into a hot oven would put it under strain. But what if you put the frozen container into a COLD oven and then turned it on?

Not that you need to worry about this, as the UK stuff is still borosilicate, but in the US there are complaints from people who took new-US Pyrex hot out of the oven and put it on a wet countertop, causing it to shatter.  The countertop would have been room temperature, so for soda-lime glass, this is a really big issue.

I don't know if a cold oven would warm slowly enough to be okay for soda-lime glass, but maybe your borosilicate glass would work with that.

I would think the flavor issue would be less of an issue for frozen foods (*nerd hat* because there's less molecular vibration/motion at lower temperatures, therefore less diffusion, therefore less flavor polution *nerd hat off*). Of course, the benefits of freezing might be undone during cooking...but wouldn't you cook tomato sauces, etc in a metal pan anyway? There are also lined metal options (Teflon if that doesn't bother you, more expensive ceramic coating if it does)... What would probably bother me more about metal containers is they aren't microwave compatible, should the need arise.

As an alternative not yet mentioned, maybe consider heat-safe silicone? I mostly saw bakeware, though, so it might not be a coordinated set, more like some containers for freezer-to-oven, and different containers for other purposes? And one problem I forsee is if you need to cut the food into servings with something sharper than a spatula.

Your other two options are obviously plastic (which would obviously melt in the oven!) and glass, which has a hard time with sharp temperature changes. Putting the dish in the cold oven is probably better than in the hot oven, but glass conducts heat poorly/slowly, so it would take a while to heat through as the oven warms up, and your frozen casserole would keep the inside of the dish pretty close to freezing temps...I would put my money on the outside heating up faster than the inside, creating a large change across the (not-so-large) thickness. Difference in temp causes different parts of the dish to try to expand different amounts and creates tension (different parts of the dish "pulling" at each other), which can either create or pull apart existing tiny cracks, until eventually a crack goes all the way through and the dish shatters.

[With This Herring]

I just... don't want to be using all that disposable stuff all the time. *sigh* I hoped there was an amazing solution I didn't know about, but maybe I'll just have to prioritise. I might buy one Pyrex as a test, though, and see how it goes. I'll have to go through all the thousand different options on the website, though...

Why not start out at your local thrift store/charity shop?  Buy a few there in designs that are still carried on the current Pyrex website.

Could you do the below freeze-process with ripstop nylon fabric as the liner and some standard zipper baggies?  I bet the nylon would freeze well and be washable, and if you used lengths that could wrap over the top of the food, the zipper bags wouldn't get dirty but would just seal out the air.  I've always washed those gallon freezer ziploc bags, but plastic wrap and foil are more tricky.  I can certainly see not wanting to use that much disposable material. 

Sorry, this is long because of detail: Re storage, when my parents made big batches of stuff, they chilled it, then put it into the Corning-ware lined with aluminum foil which was then lined with plastic wrap, so the food was touching wrap not metal. Then they froze it, took it out of the Corning ware, and finished wrapping it for long-term storage (including labeling it because one frozen lump in foil looks like any other lump in foil).  They would end up with several frozen packages that fit a Corning ware dish.  When they wanted one they would take it out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter long enough that the wrappings would come off easily, slide it into the dish, let it thaw in the fridge, and then it was ready to go.  The containers were available because they were not being used for storage, but the frozen item could be heated easily.

[Playing with Fire UK]

Don't keep loads of bathroom toiletries in open storage, especially if they are rarely used. They get filthy and dusty.

Where does the dust come from in a bathroom? I know towels would produce some dust. Is the answer really gross?

Yes, towels are a major contributor. The other is TP. Most toilet paper, even (especially) the soft expensive kinds, is very friable. Rip off a square, and you unleash a cloud of fine paper threads into the air. This, like towel usage, probably happens several times a day. Every few days, I can wipe a thick sheen of particles off the counter and top of the toilet tank in each bathroom.

This is the answer, thank you. We have two loos, one is always dusty (and has fancy multi-ply quilted TP), the other one much less (and has what I call regular TP and what my SO calls sandpaper). I had thought it was because the first had a soft close lid (so if you push it shut and flush it straightaway isn't closed while the stinky is being aerated) while the second had a cheap lid. I like this answer more.

Sounds like cleaning the fancy bathroom is HRH Dainty-Ass SO's job from now on! I will clean the utilitarian non-fluffy one.

[Playing with Fire UK]

I havent heard of using stickers before but the rest of what you said sounds like The Minimalists. One of those guys packed up everything he owned and covered larger pieces of furniture under sheets and only took out or uncovered things as he needed them.

Yeah, I've heard similar suggestions:
...
Hypothetically, you could use this type of system for anything in your house.

That's the one, thanks.

To all the people saying two corkscrews are unnecessary: are you limiting yourself in the number of places you drink wine. I have bottle openers in my study, games room, sitting room and kitchen. Is there anything worse in the (first) world than bringing one opened and two unopened bottles through for dinner and then realising that you need to pause your game to go get a bottle opener? You may choose to believe that I'm referring to huge, multi-person gatherings if you wish.

[mustachepungoeshere]

To all the people saying two corkscrews are unnecessary: are you limiting yourself in the number of places you drink wine. I have bottle openers in my study, games room, sitting room and kitchen. Is there anything worse in the (first) world than bringing one opened and two unopened bottles through for dinner and then realising that you need to pause your game to go get a bottle opener? You may choose to believe that I'm referring to huge, multi-person gatherings if you wish.

Goddamn you crack me up.

I only drink spirits (thank god, then, for the nine BOXES of wine glasses I received as wedding presents) but I do keep wine around for guests.

I can touch my fridge, wine rack and dining table at the same time. From there it's five steps to the lounge. It's an even shorter walk to the non-existent study and games room, so strategic bottle opener placement is covered.

[Fresh Bread]

I havent heard of using stickers before but the rest of what you said sounds like The Minimalists. One of those guys packed up everything he owned and covered larger pieces of furniture under sheets and only took out or uncovered things as he needed them.

Yeah, I've heard similar suggestions:
...
Hypothetically, you could use this type of system for anything in your house.

That's the one, thanks.

To all the people saying two corkscrews are unnecessary: are you limiting yourself in the number of places you drink wine. I have bottle openers in my study, games room, sitting room and kitchen. Is there anything worse in the (first) world than bringing one opened and two unopened bottles through for dinner and then realising that you need to pause your game to go get a bottle opener? You may choose to believe that I'm referring to huge, multi-person gatherings if you wish.

Darling, you should just drink champagne! Or wine with screw caps. It pretty much all comes like that in Aus now.

We mainly drink beer, and I too can stand in one spot and touch my wine rack, fridge and dining table. Although the table is with leg extended.

[GuitarStv]

Yes! Chopsticks!

A dozen pairs of those (never use). Two packets of skewers (never use).

These items are redundant.  If you have chopsticks, you have skewers.  If you have skewers, you have chopsticks.

[Playing with Fire UK]

To all the people saying two corkscrews are unnecessary: are you limiting yourself in the number of places you drink wine. I have bottle openers in my study, games room, sitting room and kitchen. Is there anything worse in the (first) world than bringing one opened and two unopened bottles through for dinner and then realising that you need to pause your game to go get a bottle opener? You may choose to believe that I'm referring to huge, multi-person gatherings if you wish.

Goddamn you crack me up.

Why thank you.

I can touch my fridge, wine rack and dining table at the same time. From there it's five steps to the lounge. It's an even shorter walk to the non-existent study and games room, so strategic bottle opener placement is covered.

Five steps? All this MMM exercising and bike riding has made you a glutton for punishment. I don't exercise after drinking, it's not good for my ankles.

Darling, you should just drink champagne! Or wine with screw caps. It pretty much all comes like that in Aus now.

We mainly drink beer, and I too can stand in one spot and touch my wine rack, fridge and dining table. Although the table is with leg extended.

I like you Freshwater, you have good ideas. I should drink more champagne and declutter my corkscrews.

Are Aus beers screw-tops? Ours are better opened with an opener (although can be opened using a table edge, but not when the SO is looking). My life is so difficult.

[Just Joe]

And if you are drunk enough you can open the beer with your teeth too I hear...

[Anatidae V]

Yes! Chopsticks!

A dozen pairs of those (never use). Two packets of skewers (never use).

These items are redundant.  If you have chopsticks, you have skewers.  If you have skewers, you have chopsticks.

I'm pretty sure my chopsticks are covered in a varnish that means I wouldn't want to use them in an oven or on a BBQ, and my skewers would stab me in the tongue while trying to eat...

[galliver]

And if you are drunk enough you can open the beer with your teeth too I hear...

Cheap, not frugal, after figuring cost of dentist ;)

[Cassie]

Just saw this thread again and sadly I don't know which one it is. It is not the one for dog hair. I have a 80lb shedding machine (husky/shepherd mix).  None of the 4 dogs bark at it. The other 3 are big barkers (Maltese) but not at the robot.  I looked for the manual and have every one but that one.  I paid 400 for it.

[With This Herring]

To all the people saying two corkscrews are unnecessary: are you limiting yourself in the number of places you drink wine. I have bottle openers in my study, games room, sitting room and kitchen. Is there anything worse in the (first) world than bringing one opened and two unopened bottles through for dinner and then realising that you need to pause your game to go get a bottle opener? You may choose to believe that I'm referring to huge, multi-person gatherings if you wish.

Well, that's just silly.  Here you go!
Cap bottle opener necklace
Maybe you could put a corkscrew on a chain, too.  :)

[MBot]

Don't keep loads of bathroom toiletries in open storage, especially if they are rarely used. They get filthy and dusty.

Where does the dust come from in a bathroom? I know towels would produce some dust. Is the answer really gross?

Yes, towels are a major contributor. The other is TP. Most toilet paper, even (especially) the soft expensive kinds, is very friable. Rip off a square, and you unleash a cloud of fine paper threads into the air. This, like towel usage, probably happens several times a day. Every few days, I can wipe a thick sheen of particles off the counter and top of the toilet tank in each bathroom.

This is the answer, thank you. We have two loos, one is always dusty (and has fancy multi-ply quilted TP), the other one much less (and has what I call regular TP and what my SO calls sandpaper). I had thought it was because the first had a soft close lid (so if you push it shut and flush it straightaway isn't closed while the stinky is being aerated) while the second had a cheap lid. I like this answer more.

Sounds like cleaning the fancy bathroom is HRH Dainty-Ass SO's job from now on! I will clean the utilitarian non-fluffy one.

And that dust is terrible for dark colours in the washroom

As a quick "refresh" I painted our bathroom an amazing almost-black wall colou. It had dark bronze hardware (all white fixtures and shower curtain, so it was still very bright). The wall by the TP holder was always covered in the stupid dust, and the bronze coloured hardware too. Dark colours don't work well with  that dust

When we rip it out and redo (it's moldy and poorly done by the previous owner, so this was just a solution for the short term)  it's going to be good old white or light colours.

[Linea_Norway]

Where does the dust come from in a bathroom? I know towels would produce some dust. Is the answer really gross?

Yes, towels are a major contributor. The other is TP. Most toilet paper, even (especially) the soft expensive kinds, is very friable. Rip off a square, and you unleash a cloud of fine paper threads into the air. This, like towel usage, probably happens several times a day. Every few days, I can wipe a thick sheen of particles off the counter and top of the toilet tank in each bathroom.

Dust can also come from human hair and skin particles. I can imagine some dry skin is loosened when the body is dried with a towel. And hair is a no-brainer, I loose lots of it every day.

I dry wipe the bathroom every week or so and always get a lot of dust and hair. And then I wet wipe it afterwards, only every other week or so.

A thing standing in the way in my bathrooms when cleaning them are the scales. They are also always dusty. But storing scales in a cupboard does that it is not as often as they should. So I stick to keeping it on the floor.

[Rural]

I just... don't want to be using all that disposable stuff all the time. *sigh* I hoped there was an amazing solution I didn't know about, but maybe I'll just have to prioritise. I might buy one Pyrex as a test, though, and see how it goes. I'll have to go through all the thousand different options on the website, though...

You could always use waxed paper instead of plastic wrap. I use it often because, while it's still disposable it composts readily (and also makes spectacular kindling).

[Goldielocks]

Okay,  back to my kitchen gadgets....  I don't know whether to keep or toss the following:

1)  Nutcracker.  no, not the doll, the simple little metal one joined at the end.  Doesn't take up space, but I only use it two times every three years -- But what would I sub for it?

2) Pumpkin carving set.   I will keep the two funny little knives, but the battery operated squash scooper (spins and takes out all the threads)...  we use it every year on three pumpkins.   but it is larger than a remote control... keep?  Toss?

3)  Lemon / orange juicer / reamer -- only used when I mix cocktails, but I have gotten lazy lately, (and cheap) just drinking spirits straight with ice.

4)  Serving utensils like a large fork or a spoon -- family dinners we just use regular size serving tools.  should I ditch the ones that are dedicated to serving that are only used 6 times per year?

[former player]

Okay,  back to my kitchen gadgets....  I don't know whether to keep or toss the following:

1)  Nutcracker.  no, not the doll, the simple little metal one joined at the end.  Doesn't take up space, but I only use it two times every three years -- But what would I sub for it?

2) Pumpkin carving set.   I will keep the two funny little knives, but the battery operated squash scooper (spins and takes out all the threads)...  we use it every year on three pumpkins.   but it is larger than a remote control... keep?  Toss?

3)  Lemon / orange juicer / reamer -- only used when I mix cocktails, but I have gotten lazy lately, (and cheap) just drinking spirits straight with ice.

4)  Serving utensils like a large fork or a spoon -- family dinners we just use regular size serving tools.  should I ditch the ones that are dedicated to serving that are only used 6 times per year?

How pushed are you for space?  Because you do actually have uses for each of those things, even if only a few times a year, so they are an indication of decadence rather than obsolescence.

[BrassyLass]

About a year ago I got tired of cleaning the house inefficiently and put some effort into researching how professional cleaners get done so quickly. I came across the  "many rags" method.

........

Since I started cleaning this way, my house has never been cleaner and it takes way less time. Plus, this method doesn't rely on having cleaners and tools cluttering up every room in the house.

Thank you so much for posting this! This may sound stupid, but I was never taught how to clean, so I'm not very good at it. And to be honest, "researching how to clean" is not at the top of my to-do list. :) I'm starting to see the effects of the lack of thorough cleaning, though, and it's to a point now where I am self-conscious about it any time someone is at our house.

This specific, simple how-to is perfect for me, and is just what I think I need to get started. Thank you so much!

Also, for you entrepreneurial types, how about offering a "How to Clean Your House" course? I'm too cheap to pay someone else to clean my house, but I would pay big bucks for a few sessions for someone to teach me how to simply and effectively keep my own house clean!

I was thinking exactly the same earlier this week - I grew up in a very untidy / unclean family and never learnt how to clean. It had never previously occured to me that I'm struggling to keep things clean because I actually don't know how to do it. I was wondering if I could find a local cleaner to come and teach me. Actually maybe a chambermaid would be better than a cleaner - I had a temp job once doing that and the full time people were super-efficient.

[Poundwise]

I was thinking exactly the same earlier this week - I grew up in a very untidy / unclean family and never learnt how to clean. It had never previously occured to me that I'm struggling to keep things clean because I actually don't know how to do it. I was wondering if I could find a local cleaner to come and teach me. Actually maybe a chambermaid would be better than a cleaner - I had a temp job once doing that and the full time people were super-efficient.

If you have the time, what about taking a weekend side gig cleaning houses for a few weeks?  Rather than have to ask a favor or pay somebody to show you how to clean? It's not rocket science but it is developing good habits.

When I was younger, I had a job through my school, cleaning dorm bathrooms.  I used to clean 10 bathrooms a day... I remember that once I spent over an hour cleaning some jocks' filthy shower (not required, just my personality) and they felt so bad for me that they kept offering me beer!  I also took on some independent work as a cleaning lady. Anyway, at least I can now clean my own bathroom very fast.

The trick to a clean house is: clean often. That sounds obvious. But for instance, if you only clean the bathroom once every 6 months, it is going to be a 2 hour horror of scrubbing, and then it is only clean for a week. Whereas if you wipe it down every day or every other day, you don't have to scrub or use any terrible chemicals, and the bathroom is always clean!

 It helps to set a little schedule and route for each room, i.e. I always first put cleaning solution in the toilet, then clean the sink, then the shower,  wipe sink dry with rags and polish all stainless fixtures, then use old rags on toilet last. Finally spritz the bathroom mirror with glass cleaner, wipe with paper towel or newspaper, then use the damp paper to sweep up stray hairs and dust from the floor. This usually takes me about 5 minutes if I do it every day, plus the house is always company-ready.  Twice a week I'll also mop myself out of the bathroom.

Oh, one thing I do also is I cut my bathroom sponges in half in a special way, so that sink/tub sponges are shaped like triangles, and toilet sponges are half-rectangles. That way nobody will confuse the two.

[GreenSheep]

The trick to a clean house is: clean often. That sounds obvious. But for instance, if you only clean the bathroom once every 6 months, it is going to be a 2 hour horror of scrubbing, and then it is only clean for a week. Whereas if you wipe it down every day or every other day, you don't have to scrub or use any terrible chemicals, and the bathroom is always clean!

 It helps to set a little schedule and route for each room, i.e. I always first put cleaning solution in the toilet, then clean the sink, then the shower,  wipe sink dry with rags and polish all stainless fixtures, then use old rags on toilet last. Finally spritz the bathroom mirror with glass cleaner, wipe with paper towel or newspaper, then use the damp paper to sweep up stray hairs and dust from the floor. This usually takes me about 5 minutes if I do it every day, plus the house is always company-ready.  Twice a week I'll also mop myself out of the bathroom.

Oh, one thing I do also is I cut my bathroom sponges in half in a special way, so that sink/tub sponges are shaped like triangles, and toilet sponges are half-rectangles. That way nobody will confuse the two.

These are great tips! It took me too long, after I started living on my own, to realize that cleaning more frequently is a lot easier/less gross than only doing "emergency cleaning."

The bathroom sponge idea is genius. So simple, but brilliant. Thanks!

[Goldielocks]

Okay,  back to my kitchen gadgets....  I don't know whether to keep or toss the following:

1)  Nutcracker.  no, not the doll, the simple little metal one joined at the end.  Doesn't take up space, but I only use it two times every three years -- But what would I sub for it?

2) Pumpkin carving set.   I will keep the two funny little knives, but the battery operated squash scooper (spins and takes out all the threads)...  we use it every year on three pumpkins.   but it is larger than a remote control... keep?  Toss?

3)  Lemon / orange juicer / reamer -- only used when I mix cocktails, but I have gotten lazy lately, (and cheap) just drinking spirits straight with ice.

4)  Serving utensils like a large fork or a spoon -- family dinners we just use regular size serving tools.  should I ditch the ones that are dedicated to serving that are only used 6 times per year?

How pushed are you for space?  Because you do actually have uses for each of those things, even if only a few times a year, so they are an indication of decadence rather than obsolescence.

Space is not an issue...  lol, this is a gigantic kitchen with over 30 drawers...
 The challenge (minor) is all the crumbs / smudges in the bottom of the utensil drawers, that need a good scrub out.  Full drawers are a hassle.  Each time I wonder if I should toss these objects.  and sometimes other people use them too... hm.. maybe I will just put them into a shoebox in the pantry -- and throw what remains in the box out after 24 months... but then the pantry gets full too....

Love to your hear input / advice, this thread is great.

[BlueHouse]

Oh, one thing I do also is I cut my bathroom sponges in half in a special way, so that sink/tub sponges are shaped like triangles, and toilet sponges are half-rectangles. That way nobody will confuse the two.

The bathroom sponge idea is genius. So simple, but brilliant. Thanks!

Yeah, that's a great one.  I've been living with Yellow and Blue Sponges for 30 years.  "Yellow Zone" means yellow sponges ONLY are ever used in the bathrooms.  Blue sponges are always for kitchens.   Then one time the store only had pink sponges.  I still have them because I don't know where to use them.  :) 

[Bracken_Joy]

Oh, one thing I do also is I cut my bathroom sponges in half in a special way, so that sink/tub sponges are shaped like triangles, and toilet sponges are half-rectangles. That way nobody will confuse the two.

The bathroom sponge idea is genius. So simple, but brilliant. Thanks!

Yeah, that's a great one.  I've been living with Yellow and Blue Sponges for 30 years.  "Yellow Zone" means yellow sponges ONLY are ever used in the bathrooms.  Blue sponges are always for kitchens.   Then one time the store only had pink sponges.  I still have them because I don't know where to use them.  :)

Okay, this made me laugh! It's just that little bit neurotic that I totally relate to. =D

[With This Herring]

The dishes sponge lives by the sink until it becomes a bathroom sponge with one diagonal \ drawn across it, at which point it retires to under the kitchen sink.  In time, the bathroom sponges become toilet sponges by having an X drawn on them in permanent marker (just crossing the previous line with /).

*snip listing of utensils/gadgets*

Space is not an issue...  lol, this is a gigantic kitchen with over 30 drawers...
 The challenge (minor) is all the crumbs / smudges in the bottom of the utensil drawers, that need a good scrub out.  Full drawers are a hassle.  Each time I wonder if I should toss these objects.  and sometimes other people use them too... hm.. maybe I will just put them into a shoebox in the pantry -- and throw what remains in the box out after 24 months... but then the pantry gets full too....

Love to your hear input / advice, this thread is great.

Take out drawer, dump it into wire basket (or dish drainer or whatnot).  The wire basket will let crumbs fall through to the floor to be swept up quickly.    Scrub drawer, let dry.  Dump utensils back from basket into drawer.

[totoro]

[I was thinking exactly the same earlier this week - I grew up in a very untidy / unclean family and never learnt how to clean. It had never previously occured to me that I'm struggling to keep things clean because I actually don't know how to do it. I was wondering if I could find a local cleaner to come and teach me. Actually maybe a chambermaid would be better than a cleaner - I had a temp job once doing that and the full time people were super-efficient.

Hey, if you are a learn by reading type you might try this book - I used it and it is available through my library: https://www.amazon.ca/Speed-Cleaning-Jeff-Campbell/dp/0440503744

[shelivesthedream]

I also read about a sponge system where you cut off a corner every time you 'downgrade' it.

[Playing with Fire UK]

I also read about a sponge system where you cut off a corner every time you 'downgrade' it.

This is genius. The marker pen I use on my floor cloths isn't quite permanent enough. Don't ask me how I know.

[Poundwise]

The dishes sponge lives by the sink until it becomes a bathroom sponge with one diagonal \ drawn across it, at which point it retires to under the kitchen sink.  In time, the bathroom sponges become toilet sponges by having an X drawn on them in permanent marker (just crossing the previous line with /).

We have almost the same progression, but in our household nobody would notice anything so subtle or sensible as lines or snipped corners on the sponges even if I pointed them out a hundred times!

*snip listing of utensils/gadgets*

Space is not an issue...  lol, this is a gigantic kitchen with over 30 drawers...
 The challenge (minor) is all the crumbs / smudges in the bottom of the utensil drawers, that need a good scrub out.  Full drawers are a hassle.  Each time I wonder if I should toss these objects.  and sometimes other people use them too... hm.. maybe I will just put them into a shoebox in the pantry -- and throw what remains in the box out after 24 months... but then the pantry gets full too....

Love to your hear input / advice, this thread is great.

Take out drawer, dump it into wire basket (or dish drainer or whatnot).  The wire basket will let crumbs fall through to the floor to be swept up quickly.    Scrub drawer, let dry.  Dump utensils back from basket into drawer.

Brilliant hack, thanks!!

[BlueHouse]

I also read about a sponge system where you cut off a corner every time you 'downgrade' it.

Holy cow, I can't believe I'm learning so much.  I thought I was the ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD who knew how to clean properly, but I've learned a lot of good tricks on this thread.  Thanks!

[With This Herring]

The dishes sponge lives by the sink until it becomes a bathroom sponge with one diagonal \ drawn across it, at which point it retires to under the kitchen sink.  In time, the bathroom sponges become toilet sponges by having an X drawn on them in permanent marker (just crossing the previous line with /).

We have almost the same progression, but in our household nobody would notice anything so subtle or sensible as lines or snipped corners on the sponges even if I pointed them out a hundred times!

Well, I'm the only one who uses those under-sink sponges, so it is with mixed emotions that I declare success with this method...

[galliver]

We use these fancy sponges with purple cloth covers that are soft on one side and have non-scratch plastic scrubby dots on the other. It's a splurge but I love them.

Theoretically, dish sponge becomes undersink sponge (used on stove and sink and scrubbing counters) which then gets thrown away. in practice, I've worn the last couple dish sponges down to beyond the state of the undersink sponge, so they've skipped that stage. We also have a giant pile of flannel rags made from an old sheet that are used for wiping counters, cleaning bathroom fixtures, and eventually thrown away after they're used on something nasty, like an oil spill or bathroom floor. I use paper towels on the toilet so as not to worry about cross-contamination or germ-breeding...could also use an end-of-life cloth rag though.

[Kerowyn]

Posting mostly to follow, but also to say, I use cloth rags, not sponges. (I also use dish cloths for the dishes, with scrubbies if necessary.) They get bleached after every use. No need to worry about where I've used them last... unless there is a need, and my mom just never thought to mention it...

[Linea_Norway]

Posting mostly to follow, but also to say, I use cloth rags, not sponges. (I also use dish cloths for the dishes, with scrubbies if necessary.) They get bleached after every use. No need to worry about where I've used them last... unless there is a need, and my mom just never thought to mention it...

I use microfiber cloths for cleaning the house. They are pretty good. I use different colours for the toilet. And I wash them after use. I use microfiber glass cloths for cleaning the bathroom mirrors. They dry at the same time as washing them.

[MMMaybe]

I'm renting in a place where the landlord has picked the worst surfaces. Glossy whites, lots of glass and the dreaded chrome and stainless steel. The place literally always looks dusty/grimy and you can see every water mark on the appliances and sinks etc. Despite frequent cleaning.

This is definitely a case, where the LL should have read this thread! I am tearing my hair out as I am trying to get ready for the end of lease cleaning inspection.

But today I discovered that chrome actually comes up nicely if you spray it with window cleaner! Any other tips for cleaning against terrible odds, gratefully accepted :)

[With This Herring]

I'm renting in a place where the landlord has picked the worst surfaces. Glossy whites, lots of glass and the dreaded chrome and stainless steel. The place literally always looks dusty/grimy and you can see every water mark on the appliances and sinks etc. Despite frequent cleaning.

This is definitely a case, where the LL should have read this thread! I am tearing my hair out as I am trying to get ready for the end of lease cleaning inspection.

But today I discovered that chrome actually comes up nicely if you spray it with window cleaner! Any other tips for cleaning against terrible odds, gratefully accepted :)

Do you really need to get it water-spotless for the end of lease cleaning inspection?  In my area, the standard is broom-clean.  It is not expected that things will be pristine, but that there won't be bits or dried-on spills on the floor or any major stains in the carpets and all personal possessions and trash will be removed.

If it really needs to be spotless, you shouldn't bother with most of it until a few hours before the inspection.  As you move out, clean up and close off one room at a time so that no one goes back in and puts fingerprints and water spots all over it.  In the rooms you are still using, a few hours before the inspection kick out all small children and get the older kids and any adults using cloths, a squeegee, and spray to get things wiped up.  Work methodically from far side of each room to the door, then close the door.

[MMMaybe]

Do you really need to get it water-spotless for the end of lease cleaning inspection?  In my area, the standard is broom-clean.  It is not expected that things will be pristine, but that there won't be bits or dried-on spills on the floor or any major stains in the carpets and all personal possessions and trash will be removed.

If it really needs to be spotless, you shouldn't bother with most of it until a few hours before the inspection.  As you move out, clean up and close off one room at a time so that no one goes back in and puts fingerprints and water spots all over it.  In the rooms you are still using, a few hours before the inspection kick out all small children and get the older kids and any adults using cloths, a squeegee, and spray to get things wiped up.  Work methodically from far side of each room to the door, then close the door.

Yep, it really does have to be spotless as the rental agency is pushing for a professional level cleaning. They've quoted me 250 pounds, in case I want to pay for their affiliated cleaning service to do it. (Which I won't)

But I will do as you suggest and do those bits last!

[TrMama]

Do you really need to get it water-spotless for the end of lease cleaning inspection?  In my area, the standard is broom-clean.  It is not expected that things will be pristine, but that there won't be bits or dried-on spills on the floor or any major stains in the carpets and all personal possessions and trash will be removed.

If it really needs to be spotless, you shouldn't bother with most of it until a few hours before the inspection.  As you move out, clean up and close off one room at a time so that no one goes back in and puts fingerprints and water spots all over it.  In the rooms you are still using, a few hours before the inspection kick out all small children and get the older kids and any adults using cloths, a squeegee, and spray to get things wiped up.  Work methodically from far side of each room to the door, then close the door.

Yep, it really does have to be spotless as the rental agency is pushing for a professional level cleaning. They've quoted me 250 pounds, in case I want to pay for their affiliated cleaning service to do it. (Which I won't)

But I will do as you suggest and do those bits last!

Try some microfibre cloths and a bottle of windex. The dry cloths will pick up all the dust and much of the water marks. Spray anything that doesn't come off with the dry cloth with windex and then wipe again.

Here in North America you can buy bales of microfibre cloths very cheaply in the car washing supplies isle at Walmart.

https://www.amazon.com/Zwipes-Microfiber-Cleaning-All-Purpose-Assorted/dp/B000XECJES

[pbkmaine]

I'm renting in a place where the landlord has picked the worst surfaces. Glossy whites, lots of glass and the dreaded chrome and stainless steel. The place literally always looks dusty/grimy and you can see every water mark on the appliances and sinks etc. Despite frequent cleaning.

This is definitely a case, where the LL should have read this thread! I am tearing my hair out as I am trying to get ready for the end of lease cleaning inspection.

But today I discovered that chrome actually comes up nicely if you spray it with window cleaner! Any other tips for cleaning against terrible odds, gratefully accepted :)

I use mineral oil on my stainless steel appliances. I just wipe them down with a soft cloth and a very small amount of mineral oil. It works for chrome, too.

[shelivesthedream]

I am getting stressed out by coat hangers! I and my husband both hang our shirts and jackets in a wardrobe. Obviously, as the days pass we take a shirt off a hanger, wear it and put it in the laundry basket. We then have an empty hanger for a week or two.

What do we do with it?? If I leave it in the wardrobe it gets tangled up and lost among the other hangers and it's a pain to fish them all out again when I'm hanging clean shirts. At the moment we have a box by the laundry basket that we put them in, but they just get tangled up with each other again and I hate having the box hanging around.

Is there some magical coat hanger storage solution? If it makes a difference, all the shirt hangers are simple wire ones.

[TomTX]

I am getting stressed out by coat hangers! I and my husband both hang our shirts and jackets in a wardrobe. Obviously, as the days pass we take a shirt off a hanger, wear it and put it in the laundry basket. We then have an empty hanger for a week or two.

What do we do with it?? If I leave it in the wardrobe it gets tangled up and lost among the other hangers and it's a pain to fish them all out again when I'm hanging clean shirts. At the moment we have a box by the laundry basket that we put them in, but they just get tangled up with each other again and I hate having the box hanging around.

Is there some magical coat hanger storage solution? If it makes a difference, all the shirt hangers are simple wire ones.

I have an over-the-door hook on the two laundry doors, facing to the inside. Extra hangars go there. After washing, I tumble shirts for 2-3 minutes and then hang them directly, so the hangars are very convenient.

Random example: https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Over-Door-Single-Coated/dp/B008XAY4AG/ref=zg_bs_16412751_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0Y5P3KJ584M3PBW51RQG