If there's one thing we do often, it's cleaning up and organizing the tips, tricks, and advice circulating on social media. As a Solved Manager here at Homes & Gardens, I spend almost every day discovering and testing your greed. In fact, they're so popular and such a growing phenomenon that a whole new career path has emerged online: becoming an influencer in the cleaning industry.
This also leads to many unnecessary cleaning trends and ideas. Today, after personally spending thousands of hours writing, testing, and editing our cleaning and organization articles, I can spot a device from 100 paces away and identify concepts that are more of a hindrance than a help.
So let me talk you out of the purifying beliefs you need to get rid of now. This will make cleaning noticeably easier and help you apply the best decluttering and cleaning tips that are worth your time.
The 5 beliefs for letting go
1. Minimalism is the key to cleanliness.
(Image credit: Miele/Quiet Mark)
When people tackle a large decluttering project, minimalism can often be the way to go for a successful declutter. This is a common mistake. The reality is that minimalism isn't for everyone, and it's not the only way to optimize your home.
Hebe Hatton , interior director at Homes & Gardens, says: "I think minimalism is often seen as the end goal. However, for many people who have never been and never will be minimalists at heart, trying to forcefully become a minimalist can actually bring more stress than determination.
Our interior designer says yes, but adds, "I don't even claim to be a minimalist anymore." In fact, I've embraced maximalism , or rather "midimaism," where minimalism and maximalism meet , which perhaps best describes me .
Hebe explains that minimalism doesn't fit her design style or lifestyle. "I like things, meaningful and useful objects and everything else," he says. "When it comes to decluttering my home, I don't take a reckless approach and need a rational, sensible reason to declutter, whether it's a change in season or a closet that's overflowing. This way I keep my home more organized and only fill it with pieces that I love or use.
2. Aesthetic storage is crucial
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Function rather than form suits many areas of the house. While I keep my open kitchen shelves organized with matching baskets and a set of airtight jars (available at QVC ) in my cupboards where no one is looking, I reuse containers to reduce my impact on the planet. These elements don't fit together, but they serve their purpose and that's more than okay.
Whatever container you choose or reuse, be sure to avoid BPA plastic and store snacks, opened dry goods, and leftovers in sealed containers to prevent indoor pests from wreaking havoc on your pantry or kitchen.
I also wash and use jars from the supermarket to store rice, dried legumes, coffee and tea leaves on my open shelves. To reduce visual noise that could cause clutter due to their incompatible dimensions , I paint their lids a single color and have found this to be a cost-effective solution that does not promise excessive consumption. I use leftover paint to reduce waste.
Professional organizer Cori McDougald of Meat and Potatoes Organizing says, "As we walk through a home, we often find lots of containers or previous purchases that work just as well as new organizing products. Don't be afraid to get creative and reuse items you already have. However, be sure to label them so everyone in your house knows where they should go.
3. Natural cleaning products don't work
(Image credit: Alamy)
Bleach, commercial cleaners, and harsh detergents definitely have their place in my cleaning supplies . However, I've learned that the natural cleaning products hidden in the pantry like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice are almost always just as effective for the job at hand as their more effective counterparts.
Karina Toner , professional cleaner and operations manager at Spekless , agrees. She explains: "Its ability to remove dirt, eliminate odors and disinfect surfaces can often rival that of commercial cleaning products." For me, the main difference is in how they work , not in the results they produce. Natural cleaners tend to require a little more effort and you may need to scrub a little longer, repeat the process several times, or allow a longer exposure time before you see the full effect.
"For example, vinegar and baking soda can remove stubborn soap scum, as can a strong bathroom cleaner, but you may need to let the solution sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then scrub to achieve the same results."
Plus, these eco-friendly cleaning products are more sustainable for the planet and your wallet. My favorite natural options are cleaning with vinegar , baking soda , and essential oils .
I make my own DIY cleaning solution sprays , detailed below, and they are incredibly versatile.
- Essential Oil Cleaning Spray: 5 to 10 drops of pure essential oil in two cups of water with a small amount of dish soap such as Dawn from Walmart as a surfactant to help it adhere to surfaces. I use it to clean counters, windows, stainless steel, tiles, doors and cabinets, dust and even my velvet sofas; This mixture melts even the stickiest kiddie slime (which is made of glue) and leaves not only the surface but also the room smelling good.
- Vinegar Cleaning Spray – Use an even mixture of at least 5% white cleaning vinegar (available on Amazon ) and water. I use it for stubborn dirt, limescale, adhesive marks or scratches on windows and mirrors. It is also great for killing bacteria and deodorizing despite its pungent smell; Don't worry, it dries completely odor-free and eliminates unpleasant smells.
- Baking Soda Paste – This paste gets a big honorable mention. I use it alone to freshen my clothes, deodorize carpets, mattresses, sofas, shoes, refrigerators and trash cans. To make a mild, abrasive cleaning paste, mix it with water until thick.
Karina Toner is a strong advocate of natural cleaning products. She says: "Thanks to natural cleaning products, I haven't seen dry, hard water stains on my shower glass in years. After every shower, I first wipe away excess drops of water. Then I spray on my homemade vinegar and water solution and let it sit for about 10 minutes while I get dressed. Finally, a simple wipe with a microfiber cloth has kept my shower glass always spotless.
Karina continues: "In addition to personal experience, several scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of natural cleaning products. Some studies have shown that vinegar can kill many household germs, including certain strains of E. coli, and baking soda is widely known for its deodorizing properties. These results prove that natural products are not only inexpensive and practical, but also represent a powerful, reliable and safe alternative to commercially available cleaning products.
4. Your house must be perfectly organized
A bright, uncluttered living room that still has personality and signs of life
I grew up in an extremely messy house that only really got cleaned up when guests came over. And at this point it was all hands on deck to hide any signs of life and the fact that people were living there from the guest with a robust cleaning checklist that left no wiggle room. When I moved in, I laboriously cleaned my own house, whether guests came or not. I didn't even leave my notebook and pen on the coffee table and honestly it was tiring and I never felt at home.
After I became a mother and my daughter was old enough to run and play around the house, I fell in love with what my husband and I affectionately called "Squaff Proof." Squaffin was his nickname and seeing his little toys, trinkets and other lost belongings here was confirmation that he had been in every corner of our house, living his little life even when we weren't looking. I loved finding his rebellious Lego constructions in the bathroom of my suite or his favorite cardigan thrown over a dining room chair.
It was a testament to life, a little life that we loved so much, and I didn't want to erase it over and over again. I started feeling the same way about my husband and then about myself. We continue to keep our house clean and tidy, and especially clean with a cleaning schedule that suits us, but it no longer bothers me when my daughter's teddy bear lies face down in the corner of the sofa for a day, like it does at ours was the case. slide the doormat next to the kitchen door.
And if something unusual is out of place when the guests arrive, that's not a bad thing at all. I think if they love us the way we love them, they will enjoy our company and enjoy the evidence that we live happy lives in our happy home.
My small stack of the latest magazines on the side of my couch is a testament to how much time and energy I have invested in turning my passion into a career. My husband's Arsenal scarf on the railing is a testament to his long loyalty to his favorite football team, and the colorful reflections of our daughter's jewelry scattered here are signs of a true family that loves each other unconditionally.
Professional organizer Cori McDougald of Meat and Potatoes Organizing adds, "It's perfectly fine to 'live' in your home and it doesn't always have to be 'presented', unless of course you're selling. If…" If clutter is making you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or just plain depressed, it's time to think about organizing systems for your home.
Cori explains that she has two small children, but they all "live big" every day. She says: "You make a mess all day, which is normal. However, when I want to do a weekly or Sunday reset or save everything, our stuff has a safe place. The systems are ready when I need peace in the house again after the chaos. This keeps it easy and stress-free when I decide to clean the house.
Ornavo Home XL rope laundry basket with leather handles
Use a basket to collect any items that are out of place during a " closing shift ." This way, you wake up in a tidy home and all of your life's personal belongings can be easily returned to their forever home.
Professional organizer Cori adds: "I use these Cambridge containers from Container Store in my toilet and my family can just put their shoes in them. We have tried many systems and this one is cost effective and works well for us.
5. Robot vacuum cleaners are a gimmick
(Image credit: Getty Images)
I'm going to play a reverse Uno card on the latter, because yes, the best robot vacuums are expensive, but they have amazing technology that really makes life easier.
I have extensively tested and evaluated several of the latest robot vacuum cleaners for home and garden, and the eufy S1 Omni Pro reduced the consumption of my canister vacuum cleaner by 90% . This has really changed my life as I am disabled, have limited mobility and cannot stand for more than a few minutes without pain or injury.
Instead of being frustrated that I can't get out the vacuum for daily cleaning, now this great little piece of technology does the heavy lifting for me.
Dan Fauzi , our home technology editor, says: "Even the best robot vacuums have long been a luxury that doesn't do much to thoroughly clean floors. Now newer models, including our high-quality eufy S1 Pro Omni , are starting to clean just as well as your traditional vacuum cleaner.
"They can save you a lot of time doing housework, and after speaking to dozens of pet owners about how best to deal with the incessant fur mess around the house, investing in a good robot vacuum cleaner was the most common solution." '
Although Dan admits it's an expensive luxury, good robot vacuums are worth it "if you want to vacuum (and mop!) your floors daily and can even do it while you sleep."
However, Dan advises caution in one area. "Be careful with devices," they say, "because some models like the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI are very expensive because they can talk to family or monitor intruders while you are away, which a simple indoor camera cannot do." Do . with the same effect. The eufy Indoor Cam S350 is a solid option, I have personally tested it and its image and audio quality is top notch.
Now that you've got some food for thought on the subject of tidying and decluttering, maybe it's time to give up and dive into our decluttering library to get inspired by the methods we've tried, tested, loved and compiled for you by type of person. and time required. .
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