7 Time-saving cleaning hacks every parent should know

MF editorial team

29 Dec 2016

updated the 4 January 2017 à 10:01

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Ask for help
Any intense cleaning will take a lot of time and might leave you totally worn out. You can avoid this by asking your family or friends to give a hand. Another idea is to hire professional cleaning services. However, these could be expensive for you. In this case, you may opt for a teenager or a friend who could be willing to help, at a small fee. If you do the job together, you will finish faster and feel less drained by the end of the job.
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Shine your wood floors with tea tree oil
If you add about 15 drops of tea tree oil into a cleaning solution of vinegar and water, you can use this mixture to clean and polish wooden floors. Vinegar is helpful in getting rid of tough marks on the wooden floor. Tea tree oil will restore your flooring’s luster. Just fill a spray bottle with the mixture, mist the floor and wipe with a soft lint-free rug.
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Use newspapers on your windows
Most fabrics leave streaks and lint on your glass windows. It is possible to bid streaks on your windows goodbye by wiping them with a crumpled up old newspaper. It will soak excess water effectively and get rid of streaks like no other material.
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Maintain a clutter-free home
You can enjoy a clutter-free home if you designate storage places for all the items in your house. However, you also need to get rid of items you no longer need. Reducing clutter will make cleaning easier and much faster. You do not have to go through unnecessary items to reach different places when cleaning. Besides, it makes it easier to arrange your home.
Assuming you have just what you need, choose a suitable place for the different items. Paper mail, utility bills, and receipts should have a specified drawer in the kitchen or so. Also, you can keep a basket for items that need to be given away or those you want to store at the end of the day. Such baskets can also be used to separate items depending on which room or floor they will end up for storage.
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Use readily available products to remove tough stains
There are many ingredients in your kitchen you can use to tackle different stains fast and effectively. For instance, vinegar is an effective stain remover when dealing with tomato-based blemishes on clothes and other surfaces. All you need is to soak the garment in cold water and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. After a few minutes, the stain should disappear with normal laundering. Rinse and hang outside to dry. Other products for dealing with stains include salt, lemon juice, bicarbonate soda, cola, and so forth.
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Lemons to remove streaks and grime on stainless steel sinks
Do not just bear annoying water marks on your sink. Instead, cut a lemon in half and rub the surfaces with the flesh side. This should leave the surfaces shining as new. Besides, the zesty fresh smell of the lemon will leave your kitchen deodorised after the cleanup.
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Freshen your home with vanilla extract
You do not need expensive fresheners as long you have vanilla extract or any essential oil of your choice. For the vanilla extract, add 5 tablespoons in a microwavable bowl, then heat it for a couple of minutes. The vanilla aroma will fill your house and leave it smelling fresh for the rest of day.
Another inexpensive idea is to mix 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil and 1 tablespoon of vodka in a spray bottle and fill up with a single cup of water. Mist the entire house with this solution and enjoy a fresh scent in your home throughout the day.

Breeze through the weekly cleaning chores with these simple tips.

It is possible for clutter and dirt to take over your home, weighing down your emotions too. Unfortunately, cleaning can be a strenuous activity. Besides, you may lack enough time to take care of house chores especially if you are juggling between office work and caring for your family, among other responsibilities. Fortunately, with our list of 7 time-saving cleaning hacks, you can get your house in order with less effort, so you can spend more time taking care of your kids, and less time taking care of your home. Head up to the gallery to check them out!

Of course, the list of cleaning hacks is not exhaustive. In fact, different people have their own tricks to make cleaning easier. Others use unusual methods to deal with tough marks on countertops, clothes, carpets, and the floor. What is your number one cleaning trick that gives you excellent results at no sweat?

This post was contributed by Beverly Jenkins, who is proud of her staff at The Tidy Maids house cleaning service in Raleigh, NC. She has 24 years of experience in house cleaning, customer service, and business operations. She knows all the tips and tricks and do-it-yourself hacks when it comes to cleaning and her clients’ homes are the best proof for that.

Photos: Getty Images

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