Inside: Here’s my ultimate list of cleaning tips! Learn what products I use, how to get rid of stains and my tried and true cleaning methods for the whole house.
I put down the mop and inspected my sparkling floors.
I couldn’t believe how much better they looked just by changing the cleaner I used.
Like many homeowners, I had NO idea how to take care of our laminate floors when we built our new house.
But, the research and testing I’d worked on had paid off because I finally had clean, streak-free floors!
If you know me, you know I LOVE to clean. Whatever the problem area, I’ve always been able to find great tricks to keep my home and clothing in top condition.
In fact, when we sold our first home people thought it had been staged.
Nope!
I’ve just gotten THAT good at sticking to a cleaning schedule and finding the best methods and products for my busy mom life.
I know not everyone loves to clean or wants to take the time to research what works and what doesn’t.
If you’re thinking, “Yep! That’s me,” Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
I’ve put together my best and easiest cleaning tips so you can skip the hard stuff and get right to work on your home.
And, you’ll love all of my free printables to help keep you organized (grab those at the bottom of the post).
This post contains affiliate links. Please visit my disclosure policy for more information.
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING
My Home Cleaning Checklist
I often get asked how I keep my home so clean with kids, and sometimes I wonder the same thing!
I function so much better in a clean home so I’ve had to make it a priority.
I use this home cleaning checklist to make sure all the major problem areas get tackled each week.
I pick one day to get everything done so I don’t have to worry about cleaning for the rest of the week.
I make sure to sweep after dinner and wipe down the kitchen counters/table and that’s generally the extent of my cleaning after Monday. This saves me time and sanity!
If you’re able to, pick a day and power through all your major cleaning duties.
If not, break up the tasks between a few days of the week. Naptime is a great opportunity to work through the checklist!
My kids also help with some tasks. This takes a tiny bit of my load off. Here are some of the tasks my kids can do:
- Dusting
- Taking their garbage out
- Keeping their toys picked up
As your children get older, help them take on more responsibility so you don’t have to!
What supplies do you need to clean a house?
I’ve linked all my favorite cleaning supplies throughout my home cleaning guide. I use fewer products for my home cleaning checklist than you probably think you need!
I try to find the most cost-effective, safe cleaners for my home and I love long-lasting items that get the job done.
My favorite cleaning items are these cost-saving e-cloths. More on those below.
How I Replaced My Household Cleaning Products With Reusable Cloths
Good cleaning products can be pricey.
A few years ago I looked at what I spent on household cleaners and what’s IN some of these products and decided to make a switch.
I replaced almost all of my household cleaning products with e-cloths.
If you’ve never heard of e-cloths, don’t worry I hadn’t either. They’re a cheaper version of the more expensive cleaning cloths out there, and they work just as well.
Besides my toilets, tubs, and sinks, these cloths are what I now use to clean all my home surfaces.
Here are some of the things I love about them:
- The glass and polishing cloth leaves a lint-free shine on my mirrors. I could never get my mirrors this clean before!
- All they require is hot water to clean
- I just throw them in the washing machine to clean them after each use. They are guaranteed for 300 washes! That’s six years of cleaning!
- The best microfiber cloths on the market have between 90,000 and 200,000 fibers per square inch (MOST cloths being sold only have 25,000-75,000). e-cloths have 3.1 Million* fibers per inch.
- The cloth is also proven to remove over 99% of bacteria from a hard surface.
I also love that my kids can help me clean now. I’m always so nervous to let them handle any cleaning products, but with e-cloth, I can let them help me and know they are safe.
Try switching out some of your household cleaners with e-cloths. You’ll go through fewer paper towels, save money, and lessen the need for harsh cleaners.
I do still use cleaners when I need to disinfect and I’ve found out how to make the best disinfectant wipes ever! I show you how in the video below:
The Best Cleaner For Laminate
I touched a little on my experience with cleaning our laminate floors above.
I was so excited to have laminate in our new home because of how durable it is, but I had no idea how to keep it clean.
The products I initially used left them looking grimy and covered in streaks. And DIY solutions like vinegar can damage your floors.
That’s when I started researching laminate floor care and found Bona products. What a difference!
Here are some of the benefits I’ve found from cleaning with my Bona Premium Spray Mop and the Bona Stone, Tile & Laminate Cleaner:
MOP
- Bigger IS Better: The mop has the largest base plate in the industry which makes for a fast, easy cleaning experience.
- Efficacy: The Bona Premium Spray Mop combines the Bona Stone, Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaning solution, and Bona Microfiber Cleaning Pad in one easy device to provide the most effective clean. I also love how the cartridge is refillable. It means I don’t have to buy a new one every time I run out of the cleaning solution.
- Powerful Pad: The Bona Microfiber Cleaning Pad features a unique design with dual-zone cleaning action.
- Easy Click and Clean: Easy to assemble snap and click baseplate-to-pole connection makes assembly and cleaning quick and easy. The retractable handle hook allows for easy storage.
CLEANER
- It uses a specially designed degreasing formula.
- It effectively removes dust, dirt, and grime and is safe to use on hard surface floors.
- It is formulated for linoleum, stone, terrazzo, vinyl, sealed porous marble, laminate and no-wax sealed tile.
- It is safe to use on hard surface floors, as long as they are sealed or finished and unwaxed and unoiled. I also use it on my vinyl flooring in our upstairs bathrooms!
What is the best way to clean laminate flooring?
Here are some of the other helpful tips I’ve learned to keep your floors in top shape:
- Make sure to sweep before mopping. This is pretty much a given, but you should also go a step further and use the Bona Microfiber Dusting Pad to lock away dust, hair, and common household allergens before getting the floors wet.
- Less is more. You don’t need a ton of cleaning solution to get your laminate clean. Just a few sprays every few feet does the trick!
- Mop with the grain of the laminate. I learned this the hard way. One of the best ways to reduce a streaky finish is to mop with the grain of the laminate; so whichever way the planks lay across the floor.
Check out the full post for all my tricks to get clean, streak-free floors.
SPRING CLEANING
Spring is such a refreshing time of year AND time for a little extra cleaning.
I love the refresh my home gets from deep cleaning. It feels like a nice deep breath after the long winter.
But, even for those who love to clean like me, spring cleaning can get a little overwhelming.
How can I make spring cleaning easier?
I decided to sit down and organize my tasks into a printable checklist. This way, I can break the chores into chunks over several days and get the job done right.
I’ve listed about 25 items in my spring cleaning checklist, so pick 2 per day and you’ll be done in 2 weeks!
I go room by room to keep you organized as you work. (You can grab my spring cleaning checklist printable down below.)
Here are some tasks and spring cleaning tips you may not know:
- Sanitize washing machine – Just like with the dishwasher, you’ll want to sanitize your washing machine. It does a lot of hard work! You can use the same non-toxic appliance cleaning pouches I mentioned above.
- Vacuum dryer vent – You’ll want to vacuum the dryer vent in two places: where the lint trap goes as well as behind the dryer. This is a big job and requires pulling the dryer out, removing the clamp on the vent and vacuuming the actual dryer and up into the vent on the house.
- Clean out drains – Take the drain stopper out of the sink drains and remove hair buildup. You’ll want to keep the hot water running into the drain and pour down a good cleaner too. Clean the stoppers off in the tub. You should also remove your tub drain stopper to pull out any hair that’s been caught.
- Wash pillows – Spring is a great time to wash your sleeping pillows if you don’t already schedule a time to do so. I will also take the covers off my decorative Euro pillows to wash those as well.
- Vacuum fridge coils – Did you know your fridge gets super dusty? I’ll pull off the guard at the bottom of the fridge and vacuum the coils. You can also pull the fridge away from the wall and vacuum behind it. This keeps your fridge running smooth.
You can spring clean with me in the video below:
Proper spring cleaning not only gives your home a refresh, but it can also save you TONS of money.
Many of the tasks I list will help keep your appliances and fixtures efficient and prevent them from malfunctioning. No one wants to deal with preventable flooding or fires!
LAUNDRY TIPS
Laundry today or go naked tomorrow!
Laundry might be the hardest cleaning task to keep up on but HAS to be done. One of the barriers moms face with laundry is figuring out how to remove tough stains.
With 3 kids and a husband, I’ve become a pro at cleaning stains.
Here are a few of my favorite stain removal products (full list in post):
OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover Spray
OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover Spray
Spray ‘n Wash Laundry Stain Remover
Fels Naptha Laundry Soap Bar
Clorox Bleach Pen
Clorox 2 Stain Fighter and Color Booster
Dawn Dish Soap
How do you remove tough stains?
My printable checklist (grab yours below) details everything from watermelon and grass stains to poop and food dye. (Because, with kids, anything and everything will get on their clothes!)
Here are a few of my other stain removal tips:
- For extra tough stains, I’ll let them sit with the stain removers on for as long as they need to. The instructions for the OxiClean Max Force say to let it sit on the stain for up to 7 days and sometimes I do!
- When I remember, I check the clothes I’ve pre-treated before I put them in the dryer. The dryer will set that stain and make it almost impossible to get out. So if the item isn’t completely clean, I’ll set it aside and spray it with more stain remover.
- You can also use the Clorox Bleach Pen if the stain isn’t coming out. It’s supposed to just be used on white clothing since it’s bleach, but I had a shirt with a small red stain that was not coming out. I put a little of the bleach pen on it right before I put it in the washer and the stain came out. It didn’t bleach the shirt either.
See more of my laundry tips in the video below:
How do you clean without being overwhelmed?
Having a clean home is so satisfying, but it can be an overwhelming process to get through.
Staying organized is my key to keeping a clean home without all the stress.
I’ve made it easy for you, by creating a home cleaning and spring cleaning checklists and an easy stain removal guide.
As a bonus for joining my weekly-ish newsletter, you’ll get access to each of these printables (plus a few more!) Click here to download and subscribe or you can use the nifty box below.