Clean House – Keeping your New Year’s Resolution

New Year brings new hope, motivation and an overwhelming feeling of needing to get organized, and where to start. Here at Installerstore, we understand your feelings, and are here to help you complete your New Year’s Resolution to keep your home clean and organized. In this blog we will share our easy-to-use cleaning products and tools, and even tips on weekly house cleaning schedules (for all households). I have used ideas and cleaning template found on a blog article “Weekly House Cleaning Schedule” found HERE.

Keeping up with The Cleaning – “1 Room a Day”

For those of us who were not blessed with the neat gene, keeping up with cleaning can sometimes become an overwhelming to-do list or constantly playing cleaning catch-up. If readers take anything away from this blog, it should be this…. “1 Room a Day.” Even if you don’t implement the templates or weekly schedules suggested, if you concentrate on 1 room a day, you’ll considerable cut down the stress that comes along with frantic cleaning before guests arrive. I’ve found that concentrating on just room each day or every other day, it not only eliminates my stress but also helps fight my (and my husbands) procrastination.

First and foremost, determine how long you want your schedule to be: weekly, monthly, etc. Next you’ll want to make a long list of everything that you think needs cleaning. You may find it easier to make a list for each room, it is less overwhelming that grouping the house as a whole. Along with the cleaning activities for each room, you can have a complete cleaning of certain rooms weekly/monthly. You can call the less frequent cleaning activities “Deep Cleaning.” For example, you’ll clean the toilet once a week, but the bathroom will get a deep cleaning once every month. The time line for basic cleaning activities (like cleaning the toilet) will vary from household to household.  Feel free to  determine the frequency of tasks to whatever is reasonable to you.

If you have multiple people in your home, such as a college house or if you have children, you can delegate people to tasks. If you are feeling even more compulsive, you can assign specific tasks to specific days. If your son Timmy has sport practices Mon, Tue and Wed, assign his cleaning chores to later in the week. The most important part, is to put it in writing. People (yourself included) won’t remember exact tasks, or if a deep clean has been done this month unless it is documented. Get a household calendar or weekly planner, or better yet use the great excel document that I had found on the Weekly House Cleaning blog entry (there is link to download the excel file under the “How to Use My House Cleaning Schedule Template” section).

Example of a House Cleaning Schedule
(image owned by blog Weekly House Cleaning Schedule)

And lastly, the most important step is to stick to it. And another thing, don’t be too hard on yourself or others if you get behind on your cleaning schedule. You can always squeeze in an extra toilet scrub or scrub twice as hard on the next cycle. There are products and cleaning tools out there that can help eliminate time and energy. These include mops and kits, specific/effective cleaner for any type of flooring, and the best floor cleaning tools out there (even a brush for stubborn grout cleaning).

Best Floor Cleaning Tools and Products

Effective Carpet Cleaner
Carpet Aid rug cleaner really works and is cost-effective! Use this rug cleaner on pet stains, wine, food spills, and much more. We also carry Apex Spot Beater Aerosol Carpet Cleaner.	Capture Carpet And Rug Dry Cleaner  for cleaning small spots and  entire carpet. Significant reduction in level of  allergens, pet dander, and pollen in carpet fibers. Safe for use around children and pets.	Easily clean wool carpet with the Wool Clean Carpet Spot Removal Kit which is safe for all carpet fibers and effectively cleans spots and spills on your wool carpets.
Safely clean blood, ink spots, and more with Tech Stain Remover. Safe for use on carpet, upholstery, vinyl, and clothing.	Red stains on carpet are history with NilOdor Red-Out Kit. This stain remover kit  removes stubborn color stains where bleach cannot be used.	Motsenbocker’s Lift-Off stain removal kit treats 3 distinct types of stains. Lift Off #1: Foods Beverages, Pets. #2: Adhesives, Oil Stains. #3: Pen, Ink Marker
Multi Surface Floor Cleaner
Sentinel 810 All Surface Floor Cleaner is great for floor prep and everyday cleaning. This will clean and shine all finished flooring surfaces, such as hardwood, ceramic, stone, and vinyl.	Flooraid Plus is a biodegradable cleaner and safely cleans without leaving dulling residue behind. The hard surface floor cleaner is pre-mixed and ready to use.	Tech Floor Cleaner will get your floors looking great in no time! This tile spray cleaner is a safe choice.  Environmentally friendly, and o.k. to use around kids and pets too. Made in the USA.
Stone Savior stone cleaner safely cleans kitchen and bathroom countertops. This eco-friendly stone countertop cleaner is ideal for use around food-handling areas		Neutra-Kleen disinfectant cleaner  in commercial and residential settings. The gallon size disinfectant cleaner will kill HIV-1, Herpes Simplex 1 and 2 and more.
Wood & Laminate Flooring Care
Hardwood floor oil finish can be intimidating to take care of, but the Bona wood oil floor cleaning kit makes it easy! We carry a full line of Bona Floor Care Products.	Lamanator Coatings laminate floor cleaner, restorer and deep scrub will have your laminate floors looking new! Gallon or 32 oz sizes available.	Use a new residue free, no wax Bruce Floor Cleaner to make your floor look its best. Safely clean laminate and no wax, urethane finished hardwood floors leaving them residue free.
Discontinued Quick Cleaner from Quick Step and Pergo Floor Cleaner has been replaced Performance Accessories Hard Surface Cleaner. Use this floor cleaner to clean stains and prevent soiling.	Wicanders Cleaner for daily use. Power Strip removes years of dirt, and Power Polish leaves floors looking new! This floor care system is safe for all Wicanders floor surfaces and cork.	Duraseal has made a wood floor wax and hardwood floor cleaner all-in-one. Choose Neutral for light finished woods or  Coffee Brown  for darker wood surfaces.
Best Bathroom Cleaner Products
Clean dirty grout stains with Aqua Mix Grout Deep Clean Spray. Remove unwanted grease, hard water deposits, soap scum, soil, and more!	The Mohawk Floor Care Kit has all you need for cleaning grout and tile. Kit comes with 32 oz cleaner, mop, wet/dry pads, and brush. Replacement 32 oz cleaners sold too.	Tech Grout Cleaner is great to clean colored grout and other types of floor grout. There are no harsh chemicals or fumes. Tech products are proudly made in the USA.
Buy the perfect Ultimate Grout Brush to clean grout. This brush has thick, durable, nylon bristles to easily clean floor grout. Need something smaller? Try the QEP Grout Brush.	Remove mildew, grout stains, and restore original grout color with the R-Teez Stain Eraser. Clean grout without using any chemicals. Made in the USA.	Use the Sonic Scrubber on hard to clean surfaces in kitchen, bath and more! Battery-operated and water tight with four interchangeable oscillating brush head choices.
Stone Care Products
Effective multi-purpose Aqua Mix Aquakleen removes grease, dirt, and grime from grout joints/other surfaces in home. Use on stone, porcelain, ceramic, grout, glass, plastic, and metal surfaces.	Stone floor cleaner by Stone Savior, is a no-rinse, non-toxic floor cleaner for your natural stone surfaces. This non-toxic floor cleaner is also effective for shower floors and walls.	Rock Doctor Granite Cleaner is a natural stone cleaner spray safe for all stone. Granite Sealer and Polish also available. BUY NOW! $2 Manufacturer Mail-In Rebate.
To view our full line of cleaners, sealers and polish: visit our Floor Care Category link found here:http://www.installerstore.com/Floor-Cleaner-and-Care.html

Happy Cleaning!!