That’s why lately (in the last few years, ever since I started using it more often) I’ve acquired a number of kitchen cleaning hacks that have helped keep my space looking nice and clean. (even though I probably missed some spots, if you looked closely)

The key is to never do everything all at once, but instead allocate days (or weeks or months) to different parts of your kitchen (or categories). For example, you could have an easy cleaning schedule that looks like this:

• Clean the garbage can once a month
• Deep clean your microwave and oven once per quarter, so every three months
• Do a self care day for all your wooden tools (utensils, cutting board, you name it) every six months

This way, it won’t be overwhelming, and you will still get things done. Moreover, not everything named below has to be cleaned every day or week, so you can definitely spread it out, so it doesn’t seem too much to do. 

So, what are these cool kitchen cleaning hacks I’m talking about? Well, I’m going to help you clean things you probably haven’t cleaned in a while…OR EVER. (like I did with the cutting boards, until recently)

Some might be obvious (microwave, garbage can), while others might not be (wooden utensils, toaster). 

Either way, you HAVE to clean the following 7 things, because you use them everyday and they do accumulate germs (some more than others). 

So let’s start cleaning!

Actually, before you start, make sure your cleaning supplies are on hand. Things like dish soap, baking soda, paper towels, a spray bottle, rubber gloves, a microfiber cloth, your fave commercial cleaning products.

Here are 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks for things you aren’t cleaning often enough (or ever):

1. Clean and sanitize your garbage can

This is actually one of the most important and most urgent tasks on the list, because that place can get really dirty, really fast. Like, for example, if something spills from the bag or the bag rips when you take it out, and pieces fall back in the can. 

So, how to clean a garbage can? 

• First, remove any bag from it, it has to be empty. (duh)
• Then fill it with hot water, in which you can add soap and/or vinegar. 
• I suggest letting it soak for at least an hour, but 15-30 minutes should also do the trick. 
• Empty it out, then wipe it with a towel or let it air-dry, if you can.
• After it’s all dry, you just put a new garbage bag and you’re done!

2. Clean the microwave with lemons

Your microwave is probably dirty AF right now. It probably has grease stains, and dried up tomato sauce stains on the sides. It NEEDS to be cleaned. 

How to clean a microwave:

• Pour the juice of one lemon in a bowl of water and microwave it for 3 minutes.
• Wait for another 3 minutes.
• Then wipe down the interior of the microwave with a sponge. You can even use the water-lemon solution to wipe the interior, just make sure it’s not too hot. 

3. How to clean a toaster

I learned my lesson the hard way when it comes to toasters. I realized toasters retain crumbs and get dirty after a small roach invasion made my life miserable for a couple of weeks, and one of the infestation areas was the toaster area. So don’t make my mistake, and learn how to clean a toaster: 

• Unplug it. (duh)
• Use a toothbrush or something similar to dislodge all the crumbs inside the machine.
• Then shake the toaster over a trash can, or in the sink, and try to get as many out as possible. 
• Also remove and empty the crumb tray at the bottom. 
• The last step is to wipe the exterior with a cloth dipped in water or diluted vinegar. 

4. Clean your wooden utensils 

Did you know that too much water in the wooden kitchen tools can create mildew? That’s why it’s recommended to not soak them or put them in the dishwasher. 

If you want to clean them properly, do the following:

• Hand wash the wooden utensils with hot water and soap. 
• Hand dry them with a towel.
• Cut a lemon in half or quarter, then rub the wooden tools with the lemon to reduce bad smells. 
• If you really want to pamper them, rub a light layer of vegetable oil on them. 

5. Clean and organize your fridge

If you see this step and think to yourself “Oh, I already do this weekly/monthly”, then good for you. That means less work 🙂 

But if you’re lazy or haven’t even thought that the fridge needs cleaning, too, here are some easy steps:

• Empty your fridge, and while you’re doing it, throw out expired items or that you will definitely not consume in the future. 
• Wipe down the whole interior of the fridge with a sponge or some all-purpose cleaner and a cloth.
• Dry it with a clean towel.
• Put back the food, as nicely and organized as you can, so you can make your life easier (and prettier) in the next few days.

6. Your cutting board needs attention, too

Similarly to your wooden kitchen tools, the cutting board needs some cleaning (and love), too.  Here’s how to clean a cutting board:

• Sprinkle the board with chunky or coarse salt.
• Cut half a lemon, then squeeze the juice over the board.
• Use the other half of the lemon to rub the board (use the flesh side on it).
• Let it dry in a sunny spot, like outside, or facing a window.
• Wipe it down with a cloth or napkin, to get all the salt off, then rub some coconut oil on it.
• Let it dry for another 15 minutes, then wipe down the excess with a cloth or napkin. 

TA DA! 

7. How to clean the oven

This is not a difficult process, but it does take time. Let me tell you how to do it:

• Open the door and remove the oven racks.
• Mix ½ cup of baking soda with a little water until a paste is formed.
• Rub that paste on the oven’s “stubborn” spots.
• Let it sit overnight.
• Then the next morning, with a damp cloth, wipe away everything you can (paste, crumbs, dislodged greasy bits, etc)
• Spray some all-purpose cleaner (or water) all over the over, then wipe everything down with dry cloth until there are no bits left and everything feels and looks clean. 

So here are the 7 kitchen cleaning hacks that will help you keep a clean kitchen over time. What’s your least favorite task out of all these 7? Let me know in the comments!

The post 7 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks For Things You Aren’t Cleaning Often Enough (OR EVER!) appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

That’s why I’ve developed some habits over time that have helped me keep a tidy house. Most of them are easy to do, but they do require work, especially at the beginning, until the habit is actually formed and it is part of your routine. 

For me, it’s really a “tidy home, tidy mind” mindset. Because I know I get frustrated and overwhelmed when the house is too messy, so I need a clean space to feel organized and in control. That’s why I implement the tips below all the time. 

Let me help you! Here are 5 easy tips & tricks on how to keep a tidy house:

1. Stick to your cleaning schedule.

You might think this is counterintuitive or that it shouldn’t belong here, but it’s actually the most important thing.

If you create a simple, easy to do cleaning schedule (like mine, check it out), it will be easier to do, faster, and more efficient. Moreover, because the schedule involves a bit of cleaning almost every day, your house will feel clean and tidy all the time. 

So if you want to know how to keep a tidy house, start by writing your main cleaning tasks and divide them by days, so that it’s easier. (Here’s an idea to get you started) Then work on forming the habit of cleaning. It will make all the difference, trust me. 

2. Never leave clothes or bags on the floor. 

This is not an issue I have, because I’ve never ever left my clothes on the floor (of the bedroom, dressing or any other place). I’ve always been a rather tidy and organized person. But I’ve noticed not all are like me. So I feel like I should mention it.

If your clothes are dirty, put them in the dirty clothes bin. If you’ve decided not to wear that skirt today, please don’t leave it on the floor. It will get dirty, you will have to wash it again, and that’s not ok. Just put it back on the hanger. Or at least leave it on your bed. You’ll have to put it back in the closet if you want to sleep on it…..right?!

Similarly, I recommend not leaving shopping bags on the floor for days. Actually, this is something I used to do as a teenager. I was too lazy to get the clothes out and put them on a hanger or to be washed, so I would just leave them there. And then the room would get 5% more messy. Don’t be like teenage Diana. 

3. Clean up the counters.

Cleaning up the counters, or tables, for that matter, should not be a weekly thing. It’s actually my most important tip when it comes to how to keep a tidy house.

In order for your home to feel clean, you need to clean up after yourself as often as you can. That means:

• Putting the groceries and the shopping items away when you get home, as soon as you can.
• Tidying up on the spot a place that feels crowded or messy.  
• Putting books, pill bottles, cables, etc, back to their original spot (drawers, shelves, and so on)
• Storing away all kitchen utensils and tools after using them (like the crockpot or the washed pots and pans)

If you leave it all for Saturday morning, you will be overwhelmed and will possibly delay it even further. So start doing it bit by bit. Right now, the crockpot. Twenty minutes later, the pan. 1 hour later, put the sweets back in the snack drawer. And so on. 

4. Always wash the dishes. (or put them in the dishwasher)

I know most of you will say it’s impossible to do all the time. To form a habit out of it. And I understand. But you have to do it- your morning self will thank you for it. 

Personally, I started washing my dishes after every meal because of a cockroach situation. Since they are attracted to food leftovers, I wanted to avoid any scenario in which they would show up, so I started to dutifully wash the dishes. And it worked, partially; I got rid of them by doing this, but also by using a good cockroach spray.

So the tip is easy. Wash your dishes before or after you eat. I like to wash my knives and utensils whilst waiting for the food to cook, and the plates after dinner. This way, I wake up to a clean kitchen. 

If you have a dishwasher, then you are in luck. Just stick them in there after dinner, it won’t take long.

5. Get a robot vacuum. 

This might not be for everyone because it involves investing some money into it. But let me tell you, my robot saved my life. Well, it made it a whole lot easier, that’s for sure. 

You want to know how to keep a tidy house, especially the floors, with little effort? Get a robot vacuum.

Before THE VACUUM, I would clean the floors once a week, and it would be my most dreaded task, mostly because it felt like a workout, and I don’t particularly enjoy workouts. 

After THE VACUUM came into our lives, I switched to using the vertical one once a month, for a proper clean. Because the robot vacuum is enough to clean my 2 bedroom apartment. 

It’s automatically set to run three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and the cleaning session lasts for about 45 minutes, mostly because my living room rug is very fluffy, so it takes longer to clean it. 

The robot vacuum helps keep the floors clean and the dust off, and I don’t need to do a workout every week. Win-win. Here’s the robot vacuum I use, it’s the Roborock S5 max. 

So here we are. 5 tips & tricks on how to keep a tidy house. I hope they helped! What do you do to keep your home clean all the time? Let me know in the comments!

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, at no extra cost to you.

The post How To Keep A Tidy House All the Time appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

My cleaning schedule has definitely fluctuated over the years, ever since I started living on my own. 

I used to live alone for a long time, and I hated cleaning, especially the daunting and time consuming tasks, like deep cleaning my appliances or moping every week. 

That’s why sometimes I would hire someone to help clean the house once a month, just to do a thorough once-over. 

I didn’t have the time or the patience to do it. I was working my ass off, going out almost every other night, and to be honest, one person doesn’t really make such a mess in a home, compared to 2, or 2 and baby, for example. 

Once I met my boyfriend and we moved in together, the mess was gathering at a faster pace, and so was the dust and the dirt on the floors. So I had to start doing some of the chores myself. Well, actually, mostly myself, but he does help with some things (“yes, please, vacuum and take out the trash”). 

The daily tasks are mainly mine (although he does the dishes from time to time). The every other day tasks are split: I do laundry and pick up things, while he takes out the trash. On the weekends, for our weekly cleaning, he vacuums and mops the floors, and helps me change the sheets, while I do the rest. 

Now that I look at it, 75% of the cleaning is on me. Hmm….gotta have a talk with him 😉 

Anyway, I just wanted to share my cleaning schedule with you guys. It’s easy to do, takes care of most things, although I probably missed some tasks, especially when it comes to the monthly and bi-annually one. I hope it helps you organize your cleaning routine. Definitely feel free to save the picture and print it out. 

My Cleaning Schedule

Daily Tasks

• Make the bed. Easy and is one of the first things I do in the morning. After washing my face and teeth, of course. It also helps that I don’t have decorative pillows or other blankets…..I just move the comforter over the pillows and I’m done. 

• Do the dishes. Manually or at the dishwasher. I don’t have one, so I wash them by hand. This is a pet peeve of mine. I have to have my dishes clean at the end of day, or even better, after I eat. But unfortunately I have an icky reason for it: kitchen bugs. I can’t seem to get rid of them. Having everything clean definitely helps, so I do the dishes every day. 

• Wipe down the countertops & tables. This, for me, ties in with the previous task of the cleaning schedule, as it helps to keep the kitchen clean and free of bugs and mess. Especially important to do after I cook or prepare dinner. Also, if you leave everything on the table, by the end of the week you will dread it and you will have more to do. Make your life easier and just clean up the tables every day.

Every other day

• Take out trash. Don’t stuff it down until the lid doesn’t close. Just take it when it reaches the top, and especially if it contains a lot of food scraps that could go moldy or could start smelling bad after a couple of hours. That’s my reasoning. (Pro Tip: You might think this is weird, but to avoid taking the trash too often, I store my food scraps or leftovers in a special bin that stays in the fridge until we are ready to take out the trash. Or, if you can, composte the leftovers)

• Do Laundry. I feel like this is a love or hate situation. Personally, I actually like doing the laundry. What I hate is ironing. And I say this because, where I come from, we iron some of our clothes, mostly the tops. So I despise doing that. But the laundry is fine. If you can’t do it or don’t have enough clothes for an every other day routine, definitely do it once a week, it will save up time in the end, and you will always have underwear and socks 🙂 

• Pick up loose ends around the house. This task, again, saves time when it comes to your weekly tasks. Just pick up the clothes you left on the floor last night, or the bills you put on your kitchen table when you came home today. When the weekend comes (or your weekly day to clean), you won’t have as much to do. Plus, your house won’t feel so crowded and messy during the week. 

Weekly schedule (usually on a Saturday or Sunday)

• Vacuum the floors. This cleaning schedule task always gets me because, for me, this is cardio. I have an old vacuum and it takes some effort to wiggle it around my house (no, sorry, I don’t have a Dyson yet). I don’t particularly like vacuuming, but hey, I consider it a workout and I do love to see my floors so clean.

• Mop the floors. Pretty explanatory. Also, the same remarks from the vacuuming part. Except I sometimes skip a week of it, if I’m feeling down or tired or lazy. Ups!

• Dust. This is a very important step for me, as I am slightly allergic to dust (I think). So I make sure all the furniture and tables and countertops are well dusted at least once a week. Don’t forget about the coffee table, the nightstands, the TV, the laptop, and so on.

• Clean the bathroom(s). This is, again, a bit of a cardio activity for me. I usually wipe down with disinfectant or a special solution: the toilet, the shower, the sink and the mirror. I also mop the floor.

• Change the sheets. Probably my favorite activity. Who doesn’t like the feeling of new sheets, am I right? I always ask my boyfriend to help, as the mattress is too heavy for me to easily lift by myself. 

• Change the towels.This usually differs from person to person. I usually keep them for a week, but some might do it more often. To each, his own. 

Monthly cleaning schedule

• Clean out the fridge. This might be something you haven’t thought about, but you need to do it. First, because there is usually a box of something or a bottle of something that has expired months ago. So second, you are wasting space for an item that doesn’t belong there and doesn’t serve you. And third, you have to wipe it down- there can be spills that can, in time, for germs and/or will be hard to get out. 

• Deep clean appliances. Another task I am not particularly fond of. But it has to be done. The oven and the kitchen stove are particularly important, especially if you cook a lot, but don’t forget the microwave, dish washer and the toaster.

• Deep clean the windows and mirrors. You might not do this every month (shh, I don’t), but from time to time you have to. Make sure you don’t forget the corners and the window sills, they get really dusty, too. 

• Wash couch blankets & pillows. If you’re a homebody, like me, the couch is a sacred place, so it NEEDS to be cozy and clean. That’s why you should wash your blankets and pillow cases at least once a month, you’d be surprised how dirty they get. 

Bi-annually checklist

• Wash the curtains. When was the last time you added this to your cleaning schedule? I admit, it’s definitely a long time since I did mine. I actually have it in mind to do this spring, or whenever I have the time to take them down, wash, dry, etc. It’s a process, especially if you have a big house, so just do it in chunks. Today, the living room ones. Tomorrow, the bedroom ones. And so on. 

• Deep clean the carpets. I’m not talking about vacuum-ing them. I’m talking professional cleaners or a good rub with a special detergent. They need it, trust me, especially if you have pets.

• Deep clean the trash can. I debated putting this bi-annually or monthly, so it really is up to you. Deep cleaning the trash can is important in order to avoid bad smells. 

• Thoroughly dust every surface. And I mean EVERYTHING. The doors. The cabinets and the top of the cabinets. The light fixtures. Behind the stove and the washing machine. Underneath the furniture and/or bed. Just go around the house and see what you haven’t touched or seen in a while. 

Let me know in the comments what your cleaning schedule is. Also, are you doing it all yourself? Or splitting the tasks with your partner / husband?

P.S. If you want to save even more time, check out my quick morning beauty routine!

The post My Easy Cleaning Schedule appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.