21 Cleaning Tips to Make your Life Easier!

Spring Cleaning doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you use the right tools and know a few time-saving tricks. 

1. Look up! Check out the corners that you may not usually notice… cobwebs? If you don’t have a long-handled feather duster, a microfiber cloth on the end of a broomstick will do the trick. Microfiber cloth attracts dust and captures it to sweep it away from anywhere.
2. Use that same microfiber cloth to clear any dust or pet hair that has gathered around table or chair legs that your dust mop might miss.
3. Baseboards and trim can gather dust as well. Every few cleanings, use a microfiber cloth like the Fuller Dust Grabbing Microfiber Cloths on the curves and grooves to keep them dust free and looking their best.

4. Microfiber cloths are one of the most useful tools you can have around the house. Instead of just wiping surfaces and whatever is on them, the microfiber texture attracts and traps dust, dirt AND bacteria and pulls it into the fibers. These cloths are machine washable and can be used again and again which is great for the environment.  
5. Microfiber isn’t just used for dusting, it can be used wet or dry all throughout the house on any surface. One great idea is to color-code your cleaning cloths/rags.  This helps you identify specific cloths to different areas of the house to avoid any cross-contamination. The Fuller All-Purpose Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, comes in a pack with three colors which makes it easy to do this.

6. Family pets add so much love to a home… but they can also leave shedding hair and tracked in dirt on carpets and hardwood floors. The daily grind of keeping those surfaces looking great is a challenge. Easy, lightweight tools are best for areas you need to tend to more than once a day. A great angled, low profile broom is essential.  It’s an easy go-to for tile or wood floors, and especially helpful to reach into corners and under the kitchen table. Many brooms today feature removable heads for easy cleaning which can also keep the dust level to a minimum.  
7. Another great tool is one that has been around forever is the Fuller Brush Electrostatic Carpet and Floor Sweeper.  You might not even realize how many times you have seen one of these small sweepers at some point.  Most likely you have seen one in a restaurant or in another commercial space – and for good reason. It’s small, lightweight, and goes anywhere. With no bags, cords, or batteries, just grabbing the sweeper for a quick pass before company arrives is really easy. When you are finished, just empty the reservoir into the trash, and hang the sweeper against the wall. Fuller has even introduced the sweeper in some new mid-century colors which allows you to work it into your décor.
8. The kitchen is known as the ‘heart of the home’ for good reason. From everyday dinners to holidays or celebrations, it’s usually the one place where family and friends gather. It is also the one room that is cleaned most often. Keeping kitchens clean and bacteria free is easier than you think. A DIY all-natural cleaner in the kitchen is vinegar. One popular use is to mix vinegar with lemon juice to use for wiping down the inside of the refrigerator. This chemical free solution cleans, disinfects and is safe around food.
9. Use vinegar ice cubes to clean the garbage disposal: Place lemon or lime wedges into a plastic ice cube tray, fill with vinegar (any type will do) and freeze. Place frozen cubes in a gallon sized plastic bag to store. Drop one or two cubes into the running disposal. As the cubes are breaking up, stuck on food is loosening inside the disposal, and the vinegar and lemons are disinfecting and freshening at the same time.
10. Vinegar is also a natural degreaser. Use it directly on greasy pans, or mix some into the washing sink. You can also add vinegar to the dishwasher by filling a mug or small bowl with about ½ cup of white vinegar and put it ‘right side up’ on the top rack of the dishwasher before running the wash cycle. You can also use this dishwasher method as a pre-wash using hot water.
11. Vinegar can also be used on hard water stains around your kitchen faucets.
12. Kosher salt on a lemon half can be used to naturally clean wooden cutting boards.
13. Lemon juice and water can steam clean your microwave! In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of lemon juice in a cup and a half of water. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes (or until evaporated) to create steam inside the microwave. Afterward, use a clean sponge to wipe away loosened grease and food.

14. Did you know that you can use the microwave to disinfect sponges and cleaning cloths? To clean sponges after use, rinse thoroughly and squeeze, then place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 3-4 minutes. The high heat will kill any remaining bacteria that may be on your sponge and you can use it again with confidence.
15. Broken glass in the kitchen? A piece of bread used to clean broken glass is a great way to make sure you gather all the smaller pieces without injuring yourself. Just press down lightly to capture the pieces you can see, and use another piece to run across the floor to get any pieces that you may have missed.
16. A great broom is a necessity in every kitchen. The Fuller Brush Fiesta 10” Kitchen Broom Complete will pick up even the finest particles of sugar and salt with the special split-end bristles. With its low profile and extending handle, this broom will reach everywhere a regular broom can’t. The best feature about this broom is that the broom head is removable and washable which will ensure a ‘clean sweep’ every time!
17. Using Essential Oils in your cleaning routine can not only make the whole house smell clean and calm, they can have beneficial effects for you too. Lemon and peppermint can uplift the spirit and also bring a sense of freshness and cleanliness to kitchen and family rooms. Lavender essential oil is mainly used in spaces like the bedrooms and bathrooms and can evoke a sense of calmness and relaxation.  So, take care of your home AND yourself at the same time.

18. Professional home cleaners recommend spraying down everything to be cleaned in the bathroom first, then begin work on the most difficult task – the toilet. When finished, the remainder of the surfaces will be prepped and ready to be cleaned. Giving your cleaning solution a few minutes on the other surfaces will help to loosen any residue, and will make the job that much quicker.
19. For soap scum and hard water stains in the bathtub: Mix a cup of vinegar, and a ½ cup of baking soda with hot water and pour into the tub. Let this mixture sit for 4-5 minutes, then fill the tub about 1/3 full and let sit for another five minutes. Release the drain and rinse. Doing this weekly is an easy way to avoid soap scum AND hard water stains.
20. If you have lots of tile and grout to keep clean, a Fuller Brush Premium Tile and Grout Brush is a must-have. This specially designed brush revolutionizes tile and grout cleaning with its uniquely engineered brush to clean in narrow spaces better than sponges or other brushes.
21. Sometimes the quest to keep your bathroom free of mold and mildew can feel like an uphill battle.  If you find yours is getting away from you bring out the big guns with a top quality mildew stain remover.