The surface sweep method interiors pro swears by that makes hoovering way more efficient and leaves your home cleaner
KEEPING your home clean can feel never ending, but one savvy interiors pro has made the whole thing a breeze with her simple tips.
Taryn Maria shared 12 hacks to keep your home spotless with basically no effort, and her hoovering tip is a must if you’re sick of crumbs on the floor.
The cleaning habits helped Taryn transform her own home, she explained: “These 12 habits are things you can easily do every day, they’re gonna keep your house so much cleaner, I’ve been doing them for years, you’re going to love them.”
Clear surfaces before vacuuming
It might seem obvious, but taking an extra 30 seconds to wipe down any surfaces will ensure your floor stays cleaner for longer.
It doesn’t have to be a deep clean, in fact, Taryn said sometimes she’ll just sweep crumbs from her kitchen table straight onto the floor.
Getting the dust and dirt down onto the floor means you can quickly vacuum it up without having to worry about dealing with it later.
And the extra step is just like “muscle memory” for Taryn now, she said.
Stick to the two thing rule
“When you go from the downstairs of your home to the upstairs, you’re going to take two things that belong upstairs with you,” Taryn explained.
The same goes if you’re coming from downstairs, bring some laundry, empty glasses or anything else that doesn’t belong up there with you.
“If you’re anything like me stuff just ends up all over the house,” the cleaning whizz said.
And if you life in a flat or bungalow, you can use the same method just between different rooms or areas.
Clean bathrooms and toilets at the same time
If you have a downstairs loo, or an en suite as well as a main bathroom, Taryn suggested cleaning them all at the same time.
You’ll probably need the same products for them all, so getting them all out of the way at the same time just makes sense.
Sure, it might take slightly longer, but if you’re already in bathroom cleaning mode, take an extra 15 minutes to clean both.
Clean as you cook
“You’ve heard it a million times,” Taryn said, but it’s a rule for a reason.
When you’re cooking lunch or dinner, take the spare moments you have to wipe down surfaces, wash dishes as you use them and even organise your cupboards
It’s best to stick to little jobs, but it stops them building up and taking up more of your time later on.
“You don’t even have to think about it, you’re already in there, you’re standing around and waiting – clean something,” she said.
Have assigned cups and mugs
Rather than getting a clean mug or glass every time you want a drink, having one assigned just to you for the day will keep dirty dishes to a minimum.
Just give it a quick rinse before refilling and you’re good to go.
“That way throughout the day you’re not finding cups and mugs and glasses all over the house,” Taryn said.
Follow a simple schedule
It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but allocating vacuuming to Wednesdays, or Laundry to Sundays can mean you don’t miss anything.
“This way you don’t have to stress about cleaning, you don’t have to think about what you should to today because you already have this schedule in place,” the home whizz explained.
Open and close the kitchen
At the beginning of every day Taryn said she opens her kitchen, meaning she makes sure it’s clean and ready for the day.
She does the same thing in the evening, making sure the dishes are done and put away and everything is set up ready for the busy morning to come.
Of course, you don’t always need to do both, so if you’re not a morning person, take the time in the evening to properly “close your kitchen.”
You don’t even have to think about it, you’re already in there, you’re standing around and waiting – clean something.
Taryn Maria
Clear the fridge and kitchen cupboards before grocery shopping
Before you even think about stepping foot in a supermarket it might be a good idea to root through your fridge, freezer and cupboards to see what you already have and what has gone off.
Taryn said this habit has made both her grocery shopping and cleaning routine easier, since she doesn’t have to clean and sort things out when she’s putting food away.
“You end up shoving stuff to the back and not seeing it or eating it, it’s a whole big mess,” she said.
Replace air filters
If you have air filters in your home, remember to replace or clean them off, Taryn said.
Not only can the dust fall from them, giving your more chore to keep on top of, but keeping them clean will make the air feel much better as well, she said.
Keep pets clean
If you have a dog, or you’ve got a dog visiting your home, leaving a towel at the front door to quickly clean them off is a must.
“That way when the dogs come in you can quickly wipe their feet or whatever you need to do so they’re not tracking mud into your home,” she explained.
Create a landing pad
Cleaning hacks and tips
Here are some tips to help you clean your home like a pro:
- How to clean your washing machine in a few easy steps
- Keep on top of cleaning your oven regularly
- Clean your shower to ensure it’s always sparkling
- How to clean your microwave using cheap household items
- Here’s how to get rid of that nasty limescale in your kettle
- You’re cleaning your carpet all wrong – here’s how to get it spotless again in no time
- Unblock a toilet without a plunger
- Clean your fabric or leather sofa in a few easy steps
- If you haven’t cleaned your mattress in ages, here’s how
- Steps to cleaning your dishwasher to leave it looking brand new
- This is how to clean mirrors and windows without streaking
- Keep your toilet clean in four easy steps
- Give your TV screen a once-over
- Did you know your Venetian, Roman, vertical, or roller blinds also need cleaning?
- Deep-clean your fridge in five simple steps
“If you have a hard time putting stuff away, just have a tray or an area and you can just put your stuff there,” Taryn explained.
This means you home wont fill up with clutter, and you’ve got a space to put things you’re not ready to put away yet.
“I’ve been doing this myself just subconsciously at the bottom of our stairs,” she said.
You can use a tray or small box to keep things in, then when it’s looking full just spend five minutes putting everything in it’s proper home.
Use pockets of free time
If you’ve got two or three minutes free while you wait for your kids, or a spare minute before you need to leave for work you can put that time to good use by doing small tasks.
This means the jobs won’t pile up in to larger tasks and you can keep on top of them all.
“Maybe you’re on a call and you’re on hold, just find those pockets of time and pick a small task to do,” she said.