Cleaning

I’m trying to watch my waste. And we recycle a lot. So my trash can—it doesn’t get a lot of attention. An egg shell here, and some uneaten leftovers there. (I should probably start composting, I think.) It takes some time for my trash to get full, and in the meantime… it can kind of start to stink. I’ve heard a gentle sprinkle of baking soda into the can every once in a while can help, but the truth is, I need something more “set it and forget it.

I don’t know about you, but my sense of time is pretty bad. Like “I’ll be ready in 5 minutes” is almost always a lie, bad. And when I call in a to-go order, I set an alarm because I will severely over-estimate how long “15 to 20 minutes” can be. It never seemed like too much of a problem — at least not with an impatient, loves-to-be-early type of husband in the house who regularly overestimates our travel time to surprise parties.

The standard solution for dividing up roommate chores is to come up with some sort of rotation schedule, but while that works for some people, sometimes it’s just not the most efficient way (even if it does feel more “fair” because some chores are arguably better than others) to do things.

This guide takes the guesswork out of caring for your wood floors.

Between spills, errant shoe bottoms, and airplane grease, inside and out, our suitcases may not be the cleanest. This year, before you pack for your holiday trips or winter getaways, give your luggage the royal treatment so you can put your carefully packed clothes somewhere they’ll stay fresh and clean.

While the CDC recommends that “the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season,” it’s also a good idea to pay special attention to where germs in your home can proliferate and be passed around, especially if someone in your household gets sick. Flu germs can live on hard surfaces for 24 hours, so target these hot spots in particular.

Getting the toughest room out the way first will help jumpstart the rest of your housekeeping responsibilities.

When my friend Emily and I first met, I knew we were meant to be BFF’s after hearing all her wonderful tales of growing up in a big old victorian home. I was just 18, but already desperately in love with great big old houses, so of course I gravitated toward people who lived in them. One tale in particular she told, was the story of how each year her entire family would load up all the carpets in the house and take them to the carwash to be cleaned.

When faced with a messy bedroom, sometimes it’s easier to just shut the door than to climb the mental mountain of starting to actually pick it up. Disorder begets disorder and entropy is an easier, downhill path to take (especially when only you will see the room). But what if you were to flip the script and use an orderly room to motivate you before you put even a single errant item away? First, make your bed. Tighten the sheets, smooth the coverlet, and fluff the pillows.

Nothing strikes terror into the hearts of millions like one simple word: bedbugs. Thankfully, new research published yesterday reveals how to avoid bringing the creatures home with you, and therefore infesting your apartment. Instances of bedbugs have been on the rise, in part because of increased international travel. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has found that there are some things you can do to prevent the pests from coming home with you.

Snaking the drain is one of those nasty jobs that we put off, and just deal with a clogged or slow draining sink or tub because we don’t want to bother with calling the landlord, or figuring out how to do it ourselves. Like so many things, after we actually do it, we realize it’s just not a big deal and wish we’d done it sooner. It’s also satisfying —and gross.

On top of handling wrinkled clothes, this trusty tool can tackle lots more housekeeping tasks.

I don’t need a Buzzfeed quiz to tell me that the Mean Girls character I most identify with is the “she doesn’t even go here”-girl. I just have a lot of feelings, OK? I talk to my plants like they’re people. They’re named after people, for goodness sake. And I can’t let go of a chair or a car on Craiglist without feeling like I’m abandoning a member of my family. “Is he going to take care of Heidi the Honda?

It’s no secret that the key to cleaning success is to do a little bit every day. Of course, there are the things you already keep up with daily or regularly—like doing the dishes, taking out the trash, or wiping down the kitchen counters—but it’s the tasks beyond that that can so easily fall by the wayside if you don’t have a plan that fits in with your already busy schedule.

Minimalism may be all the rage, but that doesn’t mean maximalism is out by any means—some people would just rather live with more space and others, with more stuff. It’s all a matter of preference. One of the perks of minimalism, however, is how much easier it is to keep your home clean. It’s less about the practice and more just common sense—not owning a lot of stuff means there are fewer things to clean, along with fewer opportunities for clutter to pile up.

We collected a dozen smart tips that will make your next painting project spotless and splatter-free.

You know my favorite thing about being a human? (Sarcasm alert.) It’s that thing how when your home is really messy, your brain finds it overwhelming and hard to process and almost paralyzing. So then your body can’t muster up the energy or willpower to actually clean it. And so the place just gets more messy and your brain is more overwhelmed and it’s harder every day to actually tackle the mess. Yeah, that’s super fun, right?

There are two kinds of people in the world: people who think changing sheets is NBD and the rest of us, aka anyone who doesn't have their bed floating in the middle of a vast room.

Want to be more mindful while you’re cleaning? You’ve probably got a good handle on the items you can toss into your recycling bins—paper, plastics, glass, aluminum, etc.—but there are also a lot of specialty programs that allow you to recycle other household items to reduce waste and even help people in need.

Whether or not you love your furniture, it pays—quite literally—to keep it looking great. If you have a sofa or chair you love, the benefits of making sure your investment lasts a long time are obvious. But even if you’re not sitting on your forever couch right now, keeping it in great shape will make your piece a more appealing second-hand buy for the lucky shopper who finds your well-maintained sofa on Craigslist for a steal.

Story time: When we first started talking about this at Apartment Therapy, my immediate reaction was, “Machine washable rugs exist?!?” so if you’re reading this thinking, “wait, really?” you’re not alone. (If you did know this already, you can probably still learn a thing or two, and those of us who didn’t know appreciate your patience with us.

Looking to DIY your cleaning products? Your favorite lifestyle and cleaning bloggers can help. Seriously—just a quick Pinterest search for cleaning recipes will lead you to tons of popular DIY cleaning sprays and solutions from top bloggers. Many of these cleaning recipes use essentials you probably already have on hand at home. Whether you copy them or put your own DIY spin on them, here are some popular cleaning recipes from bloggers who know their stuff.

If you pride yourself on keeping a tidy home, there’s stuff around the house you want to do. Like buying an organizer for the junk drawer. That right there is like a drug to Monica Geller types. But no matter how much you enjoy cleaning up, there are still some chores that are, well, chores. Cleaning the fridge coils is one of those things.

With the combination of dampness, soap scum, and grout and grooves, the place where we get ourselves clean isn’t always the cleanest place itself. However, having a few of the right tools in place makes it easy to create a do-it-now cleaning habit so you can keep the bathroom fresh perpetually. Use Fabric Shower Curtain Liners: Soap scum is any bathroom-cleaner’s nemesis. Getting it out of plastic shower curtains is impossible and, frankly, not worth the time even trying.

If you’re a messy person looking to making cleaning and organizing a little less painful—and, you know, incorporate it into your regular routine—who better to get advice from than people who face the same challenges and have found ways to make it work? We asked self-admitted messy people to share their shortcuts and what helps them (along with combing through a few super helpful Reddit threads—this one and this one, to be exact).

I live in Florida and I know very well how bugs can ruin both special outdoor events and perfectly ordinary daily moments. Just last week our s’mores summer kickoff was cut short by suuuuuper pesky gnats that insisted on hovering near our eyelashes and noses and we’ve endured more than one car ride with mosquitoes buzzing around in the van while my daughter screams in fear of being eaten alive (they do seem to feast on her especially, poor thing).

I have always hated to iron. So imagine my surprise when a co-worker told me that the most relaxing part of his day was coming home, drinking a beer or two, and doing a little ironing. As someone who deeply detests ironing, I would never have dreamed of anyone finding it relaxing. As the daughter of two strict teetotalers, I would never have dreamed of mixing drinking and household chores. This was my first introduction to the wonderful world of drunk cleaning.

An immaculate bathroom is hard to find. Considering how much time you spend in your bathroom everyday, keeping it clean and fresh can have a real impact on how you feel. Unfortunately, even after you spend hours cleaning, bathrooms have a tendency to get grimy fast.

No matter where you live, laundry is probably a big part of your routine. In fact, according to a new study by Nielsen, globally 67 percent of people said they do laundry at least twice per week, and another 31 percent said they do laundry every day. But despite similarities in how often people around the world clean their clothes, there are some differences in how they do their laundry (if they even do it themselves at all).

What would you do if you had an extra room in your apartment? Save it for a guest room? Transform it into a home office? Make yourself an at-home gym? For these fashion lovers, their extra room is used for storage — of the style variety! These homeowners and renters carved out a fashion-only room for specific reasons.

Can a silicone sponge replace your basic disposable kitchen sponge for life, or does it sound too good to be true?

Back when I Kon-Mari-ed my cleaning supplies, I dutifully refilled my homemade baking soda dispensers (jars with holes hammered into the lids) and my re-purposed white vinegar squirters (empty dish soap bottles) so I’d have one of each in every bathroom. I use these ubiquitous homemade cleaners to scrub and disinfect all our sinks and toilets — or so I thought.

Many good things in life take time and money, but every now and then you can cut some corners and take a few minutes to improve a room in your home without a significant investment. This weekend, make your bedroom a better place with these easy (and completely free!) changes. Clear Your Nightstand(s): Is your bedside table functional, or is it bogged down by used earplugs, loose change, unread books, and half empty glasses of water?

At the grocery store, I’m the queen of store brands. I don’t have such discerning taste that the Publix-brand paprika or yogurt seems any lesser-tasting than the name brand on the shelf with a higher price on the label. (And you know that often the store brands are exactly the same as the name brand, right?) But there ARE times when I’m willing to splurge. It doesn’t only have to do with quality—although that’s certainly a part of it.

There you are, minding your business and painting your nails, when suddenly you make one false move and your favorite shade is splattered on the rug. Nothing like a big, crunchy, tangerine-colored spill in the middle of your white carpet to really pull the room together, huh? Good news: You might still be able to get your carpet back to normal—it’ll just take a bit of elbow grease. Don’t panic, just follow these steps.

Melissa Maker wears many hats. She’s a YouTube star, author of a new book (out today!), and the founder of a boutique cleaning service in Toronto. Through years of cleaning other people’s spaces, she’s discovered the best ways to clean her own—and she’s sharing some of her best tips with Apartment Therapy. The shoemaker’s kids never have new shoes.

You probably do the dishes often—even more so if you lack the luxury of a dishwasher—but how often do you clean or replace your kitchen sponge? (Or any sponges in your home, for that matter?). The dirt on sponges (pun intended) is that they can get really gross, really quickly—more gross than you might realize. According to Huffington Post, it’s the dirtiest thing in your home, even worse than toilet seats and garbage cans.

We’ve all been there. It’s Friday night and after a long work week, you make it home just in time to remember that you’ve invited your friends over—gasp!—in an hour. Your sink is full of dirty dishes and you haven’t swept in days, so naturally, panic ensues. But before you pick up your phone to cancel or postpone, perhaps consider a new a plan of action.

Bring back the glory days of your 1990s childhood in one fell swoop with this effective—but also really, really fun—way to clean. It starts with a few handy household ingredients, which become mixed into a substance similar to Nickelodeon Gak (remember that stuff?). You can use the resulting goop to reach crumbs in hard-to-clean crevices all around your home (plus your office and your car).

So, you accidentally shrunk your favorite sweater. You’ve mourned its loss—and searched desperately for an identical replacement to no avail—and now it’s time to make sure you never make the same laundry mistakes again. In order to become a true laundry master, there are some major things to know—like what those weird symbols on your clothing labels mean, what settings to use, and why you should never ever overstuff your machines.

A few coats of nail lacquer can polish off your personal style, but aside from adorning your fingers, nail polish can actually come in really handy around the house. You probably already know that a little dab of clear polish can stop a run in a pair of stockings, but did you know it can fix broken tile and keep screws from coming loose?

Considering all of the different cleaning sprays and solutions available on the market, we’re surprisingly trusting of the ones we bring home. That’s why the pros have always sworn by “spot-testing”—where you sample new products by testing them out on a small area to make sure they won’t cause any damage or discoloration.

You already know hydrogen peroxide comes in handy for cleaning up cuts and scrapes and even for whitening your teeth, but there’s a lot more to it than that—it’s also great to have on hand for cleaning your home. It’s inexpensive, you can find it at just about any pharmacy and grocery store, and it can do just about anything. From disinfecting toys and countertops to keeping your shower mold and mildew free, H2O2 has your back.

Happy Friday! Weekends on the Cure mean two things – that it’s time to pick yourself up some new flowers and that you have three days to complete your assignment. So, armed with lovely blooms, you have some extra time to tackle this weekend’s focus room, the kitchen. Now, before you run away screaming, just hear me out. The goal is to get your kitchen to a cleaner, better state by Sunday night, while not burning out on the overall Cure on your way there.

Is your cleaning mantra “When in doubt, douse it in bleach”? While you might feel confident your house is sanitary and squeaky clean, you can’t always trust that your health isn’t suffering—the problem with many household chemical cleaners is that they’re actually toxic to your health. Instead, you might want to try borrowing a greener, cleaner recipe from your grandmother.

My Facebook feed is a battleground right now, overtaken with competing analyses of the world today, the state of politics in America, and what’s going to happen to us all now. Which is why, when a friend liked this unassuming little anecdote about a late night run-in with a Roomba and some poop, I clicked over for a little respite. Fifteen minutes later I was still laughing. Here’s how Jesse tells it: So, last week, something pretty tragic happened in our household.

As hard-working as that holiest of appliances is, it can't do it all. Or, rather, it shouldn't.

Thanksgiving is in three days. And you’re hosting. If you started planning weeks ago, you’re in great shape to pick up and get to the real work of having guests and preparing a very special feast. If you’re only getting around to preparations now, don’t despair! Here’s a list of practical things to take care of so your mind and heart are free to enjoy what matters most. Do a quick clean of the guest room (dust and vacuum).

As we’re heading into the season of potlucks, cookie exchanges, and cocktail parties, let’s remember that our friends and family are coming over to spend this special time with us, not to judge our homes. Even if we’d like everything to be “perfect,” we only need to tackle a few issues to make our homes welcoming and inviting.

Even if you happen to be a Monica Gellar type—someone who spends their free time dusting and sweeping—spending an entire afternoon indoors cleaning is still way less fun than, well, just about anything. It’s really no wonder that so many people make a habit of putting off cleaning until it’s absolutely necessary, i.e. until you’re suffering from either out-of-town visitors or out-of-control allergies.

Keeping your home clean and put-together is hard work. Throw a full-time job, kids, and/or pets into the mix and it’s dang near impossible. Yet somehow you manage to pull it off. Whether it’s because of daily wipe downs, weekly chores, or even monthly cleanouts, you’re making it happen—even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Chances are your place is a lot less cluttered than your headspace, and most importantly, it works for you.

Chores aren’t fun, and unless you’re lucky enough to get along with all your roommates, having the conversation to divide them up might not be easy, either. Good news: Apps can help, and you can add a little variety into your cleaning routine by trying some fun DIY takes on chore charts, and by turning your chores into a bonding activity.

Beautiful cleaning supplies are so underrated. Just allow me to list for you a few of the perks of splurging (and some of these are certainly a splurge) on some seriously stylish tools. One, if you have limited storage, you should buy gorgeous brooms and brushes that are chic enough to leave out in the open on hooks in the entryway or on a shelf in the kitchen — I mean, these handmade beauties are practically art.

Moving in with your significant other isn’t all sunshine, rainbows and picking out throw pillows. It’s a struggle to learn to live together. Think about it: You’re two different people who grew up in different houses around different people, and you’re coming together under one roof for the first time—bringing with you two totally distinct sets of home habits.

In my post, 5 Apartment Therapy Tips I Use All the Time, I noted that keeping fresh flowers around the house inspires me in unexpected ways—it lifts my mood and helps me keep a neater home. Makes sense? Sounds hokey? A little of both? Turns out there’s some science behind this! We’ve included buying flowers in the Cure assignments for years. Maxwell has promoted this simple practice as an easy and affordable way to add beauty to our homes and lift our spirits.

Since moving out to the prairie a few years ago, I’ve had a hard time finding full-time employment. I have, however, taken over our family’s housework almost completely (I do not mow). It seems to take forever because housework is boring, but truthfully, I have no idea how much actual time I contribute to the household each week. So, I decided to find out once and for all how much time I actually spend cooking and cleaning.

Despite all the love we have for beach hair, beachy cocktails, and creating a beach house vibe at home—even in the middle of Denver—the beach needs to stay at the beach. Frolic on the sand all you want, but then try these nine tips for keeping sand out of your home and at the beach where it belongs. The number one thing I came across whilst Googling “how to get sand off feet” was “baby powder.

Have you ever heard of a “sandless” beach blanket? Well, we hadn’t either until recently. When I first introduced the idea, my fellow AT staffers threw out words like “sorcery” and “urban legend” but mostly, it was a barrage of ???s. No one could wrap their head around it, so we had to take it to the test lab (my local beach) and find out if, in fact, someone could stay sand-free on the shoreline while using one.

Abbreviated summer hours are a great perk in any workplace; they offer you the chance to get out of the cubicle and kick off your weekend early to enjoy some of the great weather. Or—hear me out on this—you could take advantage of the extra free time on summer fridays to get a head start on housework.

Nobody likes to throw away money. Even though kitchen sponges are, like, 50¢ a piece, there are still some small, simple habits you can do to squeeze more mileage out of your most hardworking kitchen tool. Ta da! Instantly, your tools last twice as long. Chances are, a smaller sponge can still tackle all your normal use with finesse. In fact, it might make it easier to get into tight nooks. Get yourself a sponge holder that will keep your sponge upright and let air flow all around.

I grew up without a dishwasher in the house, so nobody really ever taught me how the whole thing was supposed to work. After a few years on my own in dishwasher-equipped apartments, I’ve got the big lessons down (it only takes one occurrence of covering your entire kitchen floor in 2-foot-deep suds to know that dish soap and dishwasher detergent are not the same thing). But there are lots of finer points of machine-washing life that even experienced homekeepers might not know.

There’s a reason they call cleaning up a “chore.” Nobody wants housekeeping to take up their whole weekend, so we all go looking for shortcuts to clean house in half the time. But here’s the truth: The secret to a speedy cleaning routine is just that – routine. You need to establish a system of rules that gets the work done not just quickly, but efficiently.

Spring is here! All over the Northern Hemisphere there are telltale signs that spring has sprung: Trees are showing their first green of the year; flowers are appearing in our neighborhood gardens, rooftops, and window sills; and across the lands if you listen carefully you can hear the whirring of vacuum cleaners and the beating of dust from a thousand hallway runners. Yes, for many of us with the season of new life comes the annual chore-fest we’ve come to know as Spring Cleaning.

If I were ever to receive a visit from a Victorian-era time traveler, the first thing I’d show them is the refrigerator. It’s a modern miracle that we can keep milk from turning for nearly a month, but what you might not know is that your fridge and freezer can do so much more. If you have the room to spare, try dropping a few of these non-food items in your fridge or freezer.

You don’t need fancy, expensive tools to keep your home clean. In fact, it turns out you can get a whole lot done with just a toothbrush (preferably not yours… or that of anyone you love).

Kerstin & Andy’s Colorful and Happy Family Home in Australia With snow, salt, mud, and the other sloppy aspects of winter, it’s all too easy for the entryway to become a mess. Whether your door deposits you right into your living space or you’re lucky enough to have a mudroom, there are some things you can do to make your entry as winter-friendly as possible. Handmaid Tales Shoe storage First things first: boots.

Before you mindlessly pack up all of your holidays decorations, and store them out of sight for the year, take a moment to toss things that have no business sticking around. You’ll be happy next December when you don’t have to wade through three storage bins full of glitter and gold. Get rid of these five things, and maybe you can even get it down to one small box. Instead of holding onto lights that no longer light up, get rid of them.

It took me a long time to get here but I finally moved into the tiny apartment of my dreams, and I’ve been enjoying outfitting it with all the perfect things. But my favorite thing that I’ve bought for my home is not my beautiful new velvet sofa or my gorgeous antique Moroccan rug. It is a vacuum cleaner. It might be reaching a bit to say that a handheld vacuum cleaner has changed my life, but it has definitely changed the way I clean — and I’m not going back.

The difference between an organized fridge and a messy, stinky, ugly one is simple: Focus, discipline and a strong foundation of good ideas. We’ve collected ten excellent guiding principles for keeping your refrigerator clean, healthy and happy, and they’re all right here for you to implement at home. Set your refrigerator’s temperature to 40°F (5°C) or below. If it doesn’t come with a label, give it one. Add dates for extra credit.

I was reading a few sentences of an article recently that said something about September being an extra spider-y month, something about male spiders coming out to flirt with females? I didn’t really read the whole thing because who wants to really know that much about spiders? Here’s what I do know: I don’t love them, particularly when they like to call my bedroom home and dance on my face at night.

From the knocker on your front door to the extra-special necklace you brought home from the craft market, brass and copper goods are showing up everywhere. Over time, these shiny treasures will start to tarnish, and we heard that ketchup can help get them back in shape. But does it really work? we gave it a try… Ketchup Small bowl Buffing cloth Small brush 1. For small, dainty pieces of jewelry like chains and earrings, it’s easiest to submerge them and let them sit for a while.

If your furniture is in the same spot it’s been since you moved in, it might be time to shake things up a bit. Rearranging your room’s layout has a way of freshening up a space and giving you new life at home. There’s also a handful of benefits to a layout shake-up that you might not have ever expected… That sofa that hasn’t moved in millennia?