Summer means sunny days, gorgeous nights and the occasional humid or dry heat. Depending on where you are in the country, it might be your favorite (or most hated) season. One thing we can all agree on is that committing yourself to a deep cleaning when it’s over 100 degrees outside is just no fun…but you can’t stop tidying up entirely. With that in mind, we’ve put together some easy summer cleaning tips to make your days a little less stuffy.
Wipe Down Surfaces
This is especially important if you live in an area with high humidity (or in a room constantly exposed to humidity, such as the bathroom). In fact, if we could only give you one of our quick cleaning tips, it’s to wipe down your surfaces with a damp cloth at the end of each day to ensure things like water spots and mildew don’t set in.
Enlist the Kids
The kiddos are home, and you know what that means…free cleaning help! Let them assist by putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, and placing dirty dishes in (or near) the sink when they’re finished eating. You may even be able to get your older children excited about helping you vacuum or wipe down surfaces.
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Young children aren’t always great at putting things away, but take this opportunity to teach them where things belong. One of our favorite household cleaning tips is to start an evening ritual of putting toys away before bedtime.
Hose Down the Doormats
School’s out for the summer, which means your kids are around a lot more, if not all the time. They’re running in and out of the house, bringing in dirt and germs from who knows where. Make sure they wipe their feet each time they enter the house, and remember to hose off the mat at least once a week. While not strictly a house cleaning tip, it’ll save you a world of hurt in germs and muddy footprints.
Wash Your Outside Furniture
You can do this at the same time you clean off your doormats, or make it a separate project. Depending on what state you live in, local water regulations may discourage a full hose down. If this is the case, save water and use a sponge on your outdoor furniture and equipment at least every other week. Your tables and chairs will be getting a lot more use in the warmer weather, which means more dirt will cling to them. Keep that grime from building up!
Scrape Your Grill
Barbecue season is upon us, and that means you’ve got to keep your grill in order. Make sure your grill is off, but still warm, and go to town on it with a wire brush. This will keep bits and pieces of meat, sauce and all the other stuff that can accumulate on your grill from building up into a difficult-to-remove mass. Trust us, it’s far better to scrape for a minute or two instead of chipping away at crusty remnants of previous meals for half an hour.
We hope you’re enjoying your summer so far, and will find some use in our home cleaning tips. If it’s still just too hot to even think about cleaning, give us a call at 1-800-THE-MAIDS and ask us about cleaning services in your area. We’ll handle the dirty work while you beat the heat!
