Mess and clutter can cause a real annoyance when it comes to home maintenance, but it is spots and stains that you really want to avoid. Spots and stains can last a lifetime, and can really impact the look and feel of your home if they are not avoided or acted on when they first appear. Before you stain yet another couch or notice spots on your new rug – here are some ways to mitigate this occurrence and to simplify your home maintenance. Let’s get into it!
Quality Products
Any old cleaning product on sale at the supermarket should not be tasked with taking care of your home, especially when it comes to managing spots and stains. Do some research about what ingredients are most effective, and buy a spot cleaner online that is reputable and able to take on the surfaces and materials found in your home. You also want to be sure that your appliances are just as reliable so that the products have the best chance of being used as they are designed.
It is also worth noting that there are specialised appliances that treat spots and stains and others that just create baseline cleanliness. Get familiar with reading blogs, user manuals and the ingredients in cleaning solutions so that you are using the right options to avoid stains and permanent marks. Not all cleaning products are made equal, so scrutinise what you bring into your home, or you may have more than stains to contend with.
Identify The Root Cause
Spots and stains don’t just appear around the house by accident; there is always a root cause. For most households, that might be pets or children, and if you are honest – you probably already came to this conclusion. You can simplify your home maintenance by designating pet areas and choosing surfaces and materials that are dark and can take on some pet mess and marks that come with having a pet. Similarly, you can also buy some special clothes for your little one to wear when eating that captures dropped food or have durable blankets on the couches for your kids to jump onto – dirty feet and all! Your lifestyle doesn’t need to change too much to avoid stains from these culprits. If pets and children are part of your future, be sure you are looking at furniture and home decor with that lens when you are adding or replacing items in your home.
Another root cause could be your outdoor infrastructure and how weather and outside grime is making its way into your home. If your spots and stains are found near entry and exit point, you might be able to swiftly rectify this with a mat or outdoor solution that stops the outside coming in. Also, a kitchen is always a root cause and you can consider installing kitchen splashbacks as they are much easier for maintenance.
Create A Cleaning Schedule
If your home maintenance issues stem from poor accountability, then you might benefit from creating a cleaning schedule. A cleaning schedule does not equate to more cleaning, in fact, it will allow you to be strategic with your time as you allocate rooms, times and priorities so you don’t just aimlessly wander your home overwhelmed with the work that needs to be done. A cleaning schedule will also ensure that your stain-prone areas are being looked at thoroughly and frequently, so you can nip anything in the bud before it stains permanently.
There are lots of downloadable cleaning schedules online and on Pinterest, so find one that translates to your home design, problem areas and the number of people in your home and give it a trial run to see if it sticks. There are also some great cleaning schedule apps and task management solutions that might also be a good fit, with push notifications that alert you to what task is next and which areas to check in on for stains and spots. Who said planning your cleaning had to be boring?
Consider A Cleaner
If you would prefer to just maintain a baseline of cleanliness rather than start from scratch each week, then getting a cleaner might be a great way to do it all. Having someone come in to clean your floors, carpets, bathroom, and kitchen will make the rest of the tidying and maintenance that much more manageable. It will also give you back hours of time that you can spend either on recreation or taking on deep cleaning tasks. Most cleaners are flexible to you designing their task list, so you might even have some rooms, areas and issues that you want to hit head-on by your cleaner.
If your home is particularly stain-prone, you can ask your housekeeper if they offer additional services like carpet cleaning, furniture cleaning and other tasks that are deeper in nature and more likely to eradicate these marks and stains.
Declutter
It’s incredible how long we hold onto things that no longer serve us, from that awkward couch to the decor reminiscent of a different time in your life. Home maintenance is not just about cleaning, but it is also about ensuring that your home is functional. Take the time to audit your home and assess whether your home furniture and decor are still adding value to your home or just a magnet to mess and chaos. If you live with others, then this step will need to be done as a group so carve out some time for all residents to weigh in on what stays and what goes.
If you can’t see the link between clutter and stains, think about the many coffee cups, plates and other bits and pieces that collect on these unnecessary surfaces and have the potential to cause slips and splashes all over your home. By clearing out the items you no longer need, there is less chance of hidden stains.
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If you think that having a clean and beautiful home comes easily to some, you would be wrong. There is always more happening behind the scenes, but setting yourself up with quality products and appliances will certainly make maintaining your home a lot easier and the other tips discussed here.