Cleaning tips
For a boot-camp style cleaning, Merry Maids suggest the following:
Throw the shower curtain in the washing machine. If it’s plastic, wipe it down with a microfiber cloth dipped in a mixture of 1 tablespoon baking soda, couple of drops of dishwashing liquid and one-fourth to one-half cup of warm water.
Remove items from medicine cabinets and linen closets.
Dispose of expired, hardly used products.
Wipe down the inside of cabinets with a damp microfiber cloth and dry.
Spray the inside of the tub/shower, toilet and sink with a non-abrasive cleaning detergent. Allow product to sit for 5 minutes and scrub with a microfiber cloth or a wand if tackling the toilet bowl and wash/flush thoroughly.
Clean mirror, polish faucets and wipe down counter space with mild cleaning products and a microfiber cloth.
Use a steamer to clean the floor. If you don’t have one, use floor cleaning products and a microfiber cloth, either by hand or using a floor tool to get them extra clean.
For many, spring means spending time outdoors digging in the dirt to plant flowers and vegetables. But for others, eliminating dirt and dust inside the home is a once a season priority known as spring cleaning.
Some devise a plan of attack when it comes to cleaning their homes. Today let’s start with the place where you get clean, but is neglected when it comes to cleaning time — the bathroom.
Gainesville Merry Maids’ field support manager Roxy Harris and service consultant Leann Praigg shed some light on the subject, offering six tips for how to tackle the often-ignored bathroom.
Be prepared
When you start any cleaning task, make sure you have the necessary supplies, Harris said.
Cleaning products, mops, wipes or whatever is needed to get the job done.
If you get halfway through cleaning the bathroom and you don’t have a tool or product, you may become frustrated and give up, Harris said.
This tip applies to all areas of the home, not just the bathroom.
Work smarter, not harder
Efficiency is key to cleaning your house for spring.
Begin your journey by spraying down all of the surfaces in the bathroom, such as the shower walls, the tub and the sink with your preferred cleaning product. By spraying these areas first, the products will soak into the surfaces. Then the products begin to break down the grime and dirt while you start on the rest of the room.
Use your vacuum wisely
Vacuums aren’t just for carpets anymore.
Praigg suggested using the vacuum on everything from the baseboards to curtains on the windows. Even artificial plants should be vacuumed.
It almost goes without saying, but area or bathroom rugs should be vacuumed. You also can vacuum cobwebs away as well.
Multitask accordingly
While vacuuming, take time to dust as well. Wipe down towel holders, toilet paper holders and cabinet fronts. Also clean the mirror and wash the cabinet fronts.
Organize and purge
Before you clean the floors, pull out all of the products from underneath your sink, in the medicine cabinet or out of other storage places where products pile up, Praigg said.
If you wait until you’ve mopped the floors, dirt and dust will fall on the just-cleaned floor as you remove them from their storage space.
Remove all items from the storage to give the areas a deep scrubbing. When that’s complete, dispose of expired or barely used items from the cabinets.
Top to bottom and left to right
Start your cleaning process at the ceiling of the room and move down. You will be less likely to miss a spot, Praigg said. It also helps to not spread dust.
Starting at the lights, dust and shine them or replace dead bulbs if need be.
Wash your windows inside and out, if you have them in the bathroom.
Once you determined a starting point, go continuously in that one direction until you finish, Praigg said. Don’t jump around the room and lose sight of the goal — a clean bathroom.