Virginian Leader, March 18, 2020, Page 7

Try these cleaning tips:•Use the basket method

to declutter.•Declutter each room

from top to bottom before moving to the next room.

Ca r ry a “ c l ean ing caddy” with you so you don’t have to search for cleaning products in each room.

•Set a timer and work as quickly as you can.

•Finish each task before starting another task.

•Clean the most-used rooms first.

•To get a messy house clean quickly, use a daily cleaning routine to finish in 30 minutes.

•If you have more time, follow a weekly cleaning routine to clean your house in two hours.

With these cleaning tips and ideas to declutter faster, you can have a clean house in just a few minutes!

1. Make Every Move Count

That means work around the room once. Don’t backtrack. It also means you must carry your equipment and supplies with you, so you don’t make dozens of aggravating trips back and forth across the room. Walk around the room once and you’re done, except for the floor.

2. Use the Right Tools Probably the major

time-saver of this list: give your specialized gad-gets to your enemies. You need real tools that cut time to shreds. Most of all, you need a cleaning apron to hang tools on and store cleaning supplies in as you move around the room. The cleaning method depends on it, and soon you’ll feel lost without yours.

3. Work from Top to Bottom

Dirt follows the laws of gravity just like everything else. When you start at the top and work to the bottom, you won’t be constantly re-cleaning surfaces that have become sullied with dirt from above.

4. If it isn’t Dirty, Don’t Clean It

For example, vertical surfaces are almost never as dirty as horizontal surfaces. Upper shelves and molding have less dust than lower ones. Often all that’s dirty about a surface is a few fingerprints, so don’t clean the whole area.

5. Don’t Rinse or Wipe a Surface Before It’s Clean

You’ll just have to start over. In other words, when you’re cleaning a surface, don’t rinse or wipe just to see if you’re done. If you were wrong, you’ll have to start all over again. Learn to check as you’re cleaning by seeing through the gunk to the surface below, then you can tell when it’s dislodged and ready to be wiped or rinsed – once!

6. Don’t Keep Working After It’s Clean

Once you’ve reached the clean surface below, Rinse or wipe and move on.

7. If what You’re Doing isn’t Going to Work, then Shift to a Heavier-Duty Cleaner or Tool

You’re going to get very good at knowing what tool or product to use without having to throw everything in the book at it. You’ll be learning to anticipate what to reach for before you start a task, so you won’t have to shift.

8. Keep Your Tools in Good Shape

Dull razors scratch – they don’t clean. Clogged spray bottles puff up and make funny noises – they don’t spray.

9. Repetition Makes for Smoother Moves

Always put your tools back in the same spot in your apron. You can’t spare the time to fumble around

Cleaning tips to make cleaning easier and faster

for them. And you can’t afford to leave them lying around in alien places for the dog to carry away. You’ll quickly get so ex-pert that you’ll become aggravated if the tool you expected isn’t in the right spot when you reach for it. Progress, progress.

10. Pay Attention Almost everything

else will fall into place if you do. Don’t think about the revisions in the tax code. Or any-thing else. In Latin: Age quod aegis: Do what you are doing.

11. Keep Track of Your Time

Get a little faster every time.

12. Use Both Hands Your work force is half

idle if one hand is doing all the work. Finish one step with one hand and start the next step with the other.

Or, wipe with one hand while the other steadies the object.

13.If there are more than one of you, work as a team.

Kitchen To clean your kitchen

in less than 15 minutes (30, if you’re scrubbing the floor), follow these steps!

1.Start by washing, drying, and putting away all dishes.

2.Get rid of any paper piles and clutter.

3.Put away all small appliances that aren’t es-sential or don’t belong on the counters. Remember the three item rule!

4.Quickly wipe the counters and appliances. To make stainless steel appliances sparkle without actually having to scrub or polish them, use this spray.

5.Sweep.6.Scrub or mop the

floors. If you’re in a really big hurry, skip this step and just spot clean the floors, if needed.

7.Take out the trash.How do I clean a liv-

ing room quickly?The hardest part about

cleaning a living room, es-pecially if you have kids, is decluttering.

Use the basket method to quickly declutter. Once the living room is clut-ter-free, follow these steps to quickly clean.

1.Clear the couches. Put away blankets, orga-nize (or put away) throw pillows, and make sure the couch cushions are arranged correctly.

2.Pick up the floor and make sure the kids’ toys are put away.

3.Clear shelves.4.Dust.5.Vacuum or sweep the

floor. To clean a bathroom quickly, start by clearing the sink (and getting the toys out of the bathtub, if needed).

BathroomsTo do your weekly

specleaning routine in the bathroom, follow these steps:

1.Spray the shower or tub.

2.Put toilet bowl clean-er in toilet.

3.Wipe the sink.4.Scrub the toilet and

wipe the outside.5.Wash the shower/tub.Spray the kids’ bath-

tub first, then the mas-ter shower with clean-er. Then,use an c loth to clean the sinks and toilets, I wash the sinks in the master bathroom, then the sinks in the kids’ bathroom, and finally use the same cloth to wipe the toilets.

After cleaning the toi-lets, toss the dirty cloth in the laundry!

Spring is a time for dealing with all the rem-nants of winter, the dreaded spring cleaning of your home but don’t forget your pet! With warmer weather just around the corner, do you know how to prepare your pet for spring? Here checklist for the upcoming season:

GroomingWith the weather warm-

ing up you will start to notice your pets (cats & dogs) shedding much more. Out with the old heavy, fuzzy undercoats and in with new sleek fur. As the weather changes your pet is losing its winter coat, even inside-only cats will do this. To help cut down on this shedding, regularly brush your pet’s coat with a de-shedding tool.They work incredibly well at taking out the undercoat from both cats and dogs, even shorthaired breeds. To better loosen the hair, give your pet a bath and really scrub them with your hands against the hair growth. Once dry, give them a good brushing and you will be amazed at the hair that comes off.

Remember: people shampoos and condition-ers are made for people not pets and can actually harm

them (They have sensitivi-ties that we don’t!).

Here are some tips to help with your spring grooming:

1.If the coat looks dry, apply a gentle pet condi-tioner.

2.For dry and flaky skin use an oatmeal based pet shampoo.

3.Salt, snow and cold can cause paws to crack, ap-ply a moistening ointment if necessary.

4.Check and make sure ears are clean and have no sign of ear mites. Do not use Q-tips, the best option is liquid ear cleaners.

5.Brush, Brush, Brush! But be gentle when work-ing out those pesky knots. Brush against the grain to remove hair and with it to smooth out the coat.

6.Don’t forget to trim your pet’s nails. If you are not comfortable doing them yourself, take them into a groomer or vet and have them done. You can also check your local store for nail trimming days!

Washing Your Pet’s Toys & Bedding

The winter also brings a fair bit of dust into our homes, and with keeping windows shut your pet’s favourite items become stale. Bedding and fabric

toys can be run through the washing machine, while leashes, collars and plastic toys should be hand washed in hot, soapy water.

Seasonal AllergiesJust like people, many

pets get seasonal aller-gies. Pets have very similar symptoms for allergies: watery eyes, runny nose, coughing, itching or sneez-ing. These symptoms are inflammatory based, the same as in humans. Luck-ily, there are things we can do to ease our pet’s allergies.

PestsWarm weather also sig-

nals the beginning of pest season. Fleas, ticks, biting flies and mosquitos are starting to come back for the season and with them bring annoyance and ill-nesses for many pets (and people!). In many areas, if not continued year-round, it is time to begin heartworm prevention. Your vet will be able to give you the best type and dosage for your pet. Commonly, these pre-ventatives also help with other pests too.

Fleas and ticks can carry many parasites that can seriously harm your pet, so it is important to treat this at the first signs.

Tips on getting your cat or dog prepared for spring weather

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Clean fasterUse this tips to make your cleaning day easier and

more efficient.