Whether you live in a studio or a five-bedroom house, it’s important to give your space a regular onceover to ensure that you keep clutter, dust and grime at bay. From giving your tiles a substantial scrubbing to spritzing your mirrors with disinfectant, a good cleaning usually requires more than just your usual soap and water, and it pays to keep a number of tools within reach in order to maintain a spotless house.
Stock up your pantry with these cleaning essentials to keep your home spic and span at all times.
Tech Tools
If you’re concerned about putting extra power into your cleaning capabilities, moving towards the tech section of your nearest hardware store may just do you good. Great for tackling heavy-duty tasks, having these gadgets in your arsenal can shave a considerable amount of time from your cleaning routine.
1. Vacuum Cleaner. You may decide to sit back and relax with a Roomba (www.irobot.com) or you may prefer the traditional route with a regular upright vacuum cleaner—whatever your choice, these gadgets are essential for rooms decked in wall-to-wall carpeting, and for cleaning rugs and other fabric surfaces. Many cleaners are wet-and-dry capable too, helping you manage spills. A handheld vacuum cleaner is a good solution for those dealing with smaller spaces and is easy to bring along to places outside your home as well.
2. Major machines. While these heavy lifters can cut dishwashing, laundering and drying, and floor waxing time considerably, they can put a major damper on your electricity bill. Doing a side-by-side comparison between investing in a machine and hiring help or outsourcing your needs (laundromats are a nifty solution) is always a wise move.
Non-negotiable Accessories
Surviving without the high-tech gear is entirely possible when you want to maintain a clean home; but these must-haves are absolute essentials in any linen closet, kitchen drawer or utility cabinets, whether you’re keeping house for yourself or managing a large household.
1. Broom and dustpan. Terrific for sweeping up surfaces collecting all those unwanted dust bunnies and cobwebs, Filipinos usually stock up on both the walis tingting and the walis tambo to keep floors and ceilings pristine.
2. Mop and pail. Soaking up spills and keep high-traffic areas grime-free with some soapy water and these two handy tools.
3. Brushes. Hardy scrubs can tackle dirt creeping up on your tile grout, while softer, handheld brushes can help keep your dishes sparkling during a routine wash. Even toothbrushes can be extremely helpful in getting the dirt out of nooks and crannies.
4. Rubber gloves. Protect your hands while washing dishes and keep skin away from risky chemicals.
5. Squeegee. Not just useful for keeping windows absolutely spotless, these work well on glass surfaces and mirrors too.
6. Microfiber cloths. Great for cleaning TV screens, computers and even cell phones, these will wipe away dust without leaving any scratches on even the most delicate surfaces.
Cleaning Agents
Go through this checklist of items on your next grocery store run and make sure that all your cleaning needs are well taken care of.
1. Abrasive Cleaner
2. Baking Soda
3. Vinegar
4. Laundry Detergent
5. All-purpose Cleaner and/or Detergent
6. Liquid Soap
Have more cleaning questions for the author? Email her at chinggaylabrador@yahoo.com
Read more:
The no-fuss way to organize your make-up table
How to declutter your home, office and life
Keep your gadgets clean
Chinggay Labrador is a freelance writer and stylist, contributing articles on beauty, lifestyle and design to local magazines. Her background in architecture has her profiling trends and homes throughout the region. A travel junkie who likes to frequent Japan and Korea, Chinggay is the former editor-in-chief of Sparkling, a quarterly K-Pop publication and is also the author of Popped and Popped, Too, books based on the fun, frivolity and friendship centered on Korean Pop music.
