12+ cleaning tips you can learn from a professional cleaner

“I grew up in a very clean house and that has totally influenced the way I live. A cleaning company that employs artists? She was willing.

She’s been cleaning with Two Bettys for several years and has gotten even better at cleaning. We asked her to share with us the habits that help her clean quickly and thoroughly. Try adopting them if your routine is at half-mast:

1. when cleaning a house, think of everything as a grid.
   “I do this for small areas, like a mirror or countertop, or larger ones, like an entire floor,” she explains. “By visualizing the space divided into a grid, I don’t miss anything and I don’t go over an area more times than necessary.”
2. Always clean from top to bottom.
   “If you have to do a big cleaning, do the floors last,” she says. “That way you don’t shake dust and dirt on top of what you’ve already cleaned.”
3. She keeps some odd (but very useful!) items in her cleaning kit.
   “I usually use baby cloth diapers as a polishing tool,” she explains. “They’re great for polishing granite countertops, mirrors and windows, and they allow you to use fewer paper towels.”

He’s also a fan of microfiber cloths, but he heads to the automotive section to buy them. “They’re a lot cheaper than the ones in the cleaning section.”

And he’s discovered some dual uses for other cleaning tools in his stash. “A squeegee is great for sweeping dirty countertops or dusty stairs, since it has grip and can get into tight corners. And I like to use a plastic scraper to lift dirt stuck to the floor – it saves my fingers!”.

4. Corral the wires.
   “Electrical cords are a real magnet for dust bunnies, so I like to tie them up with zipper ties or even tack them down so they don’t build up.”
5. She relies on hooks to keep things tidy.
   “People mean well with their organization systems, but often keeping things in bins is still asking too much,” she says. “I’ve found that I’m more prone to hanging things up (and I think other people are like that, too), so I like hooks.”
6. Always clean the shower.
   For her, keeping the bathroom as dry as possible combats mold and soap scum. “I even scrub the shower curtains, or the edge of the shower door frame.”
7. It skips the hairspray.
   “Dust loves hairspray, so if I use it, I tend to spray it off. If you end up with a sticky, dusty mess in the bathroom, a Magic Eraser can help you clean it up.”
8. She has “home only” shoes.
   “Taking your shoes off at the door really helps keep dirt out of the house. In the winter, I walk around the house in slippers, and in the summer I wear flip-flops.”
9. Take advantage of downtime in the kitchen to start cleaning.
   “I love to sit down to dinner knowing that the only thing left to clean is the dishes. She doesn’t waste time watching the pot boil. While the food is cooking, she starts wiping down the counter, rinsing utensils and putting away ingredients. ”
   10. Treat stains right away.
       “The longer it goes on, the harder it is to remove. That’s the truth. Wipe up spills and grab that pre-wash stain remover as soon as you see a stain – you can spray it even days before you wash another load of clothes.
10. Keeps clutter tidy until you can throw it away or put it away.
    “Don’t devalue the smaller tasks, like sorting through a stack of magazines, fixing a pile of mail or folding a blanket,” she says. “They make your space feel clean even if you don’t have time to really de-clutter.”
11. Clean a little every day.
    “People get bogged down in the details, but it’s better to look at the big picture,” she says. “I spend 15 minutes each day tidying up, wiping countertops and doing other quick cleaning tasks, which improves my mental well-being and makes deep cleanings much easier to tackle later.”

12. Do a little housework every day.
    “People get hung up on the details, but it’s better to take the big picture,” she says. “I spend 15 minutes a day tidying up, wiping countertops and doing other quick cleaning tasks, which improves my mental well-being and makes deep cleaning much easier to do later.”
13. She listens to podcasts while she cleans.
    While she loves the fact that cleaning is the kind of physical task that gives you time to totally unwind (she even calls it “meditative”), it’s also a great opportunity for passive entertainment. “I like to listen to This American Life, Serial, Stuff You Should Know and many others,” she explains. “Workout music is also great. You clean harder and it can be considered exercise (at least I think so!).”