Nowadays, everybody has a busy life. Whether it’s going to the office, working from home, or taking care of others, chances are you get exhausted by the end of the day. 

And if there’s something you might not want to do, but you have to do it anyway, it’s cleaning! Even if you are tired, your cleaning chores await you home! If this is your situation, there are two options: you can hire professional cleaners or clean in the little time you have.

Did the second option catch your eye? Then, you need to learn how to clean your home faster! Here are five tips you can follow to power through that dusty furniture and stained floor:

1. Which areas are the dirtiest? Tackle those first!

Take a good look inside your house, what do you see? Maybe the kitchen is in desperate need of tidying up because you’re having people over. Or perhaps the bathroom is dirtier than the rest of the house. Nobody wants their guests to witness such embarrassing sights.

If you don’t have enough time to clean your whole house, pick the dirtiest areas to clean up first! 

2. Gear up! Gather your tools before cleaning

It’s amazing the amount of time people lose when they have to stop in their tracks because they didn’t have a sponge or cleaning solution at hand. Gather your cleaning tools first, so you don’t break that flow. Fill a box or a bucket with every cleaning supply and tool you’ll need!

3. The order in which you clean matters!

Always start from the top! Dusting the ceiling fans and cabinets set in high places is the way to go when you need to clean fast. Thanks to gravity, all that dust will fall on the floor. If you have already swept or vacuumed, you’ll need to do it again!

The floors should be the last part! After dropping off all that dust, it’s time to get rid of it. This is a very easy way to close up cleaning time. While mopping, start at the corners and outlines so you can work your way backward (but carefully) outside each room. 

4. Become a multitasker

You likely have other important chores to take care of while you get ready for your day. Alternate between these tasks and cleaning time. Remove stains while you’re in the bathroom, or take out the trash while waiting for your coffee machine to brew. These little things add up!

5. We need a soundtrack

Most cleaning tasks are repetitive, and they might feel a little dull and boring after some time. However, some types of music can help you focus and work faster—especially upbeat music! Here is where a good cleaning playlist or your favorite album comes in. 

Crank up the volume and clean to the beat! Don’t be afraid to do a little dance while you’re at it!

There you have it, five easy tips that’ll change the way you clean your house. You will see how different the workflow will go, and you may no longer dread this essential chore. It’s your home; you should feel welcome in it! Now you can get busy again or lay back with no remorse.

However, if you need professional cleaning or you are busy with an important gathering, we can take care of it. At Illinois Valley Clean Team, we have a cleaning service right for you. Book with us here!

Kitchen sponges are the popular choice for most homeowners. However, if the sponge is dirty, it is a germ spreader rather than a cleaning tool! Use these 6 tips to keep your kitchen sponge clean and germ-free!

Keeping your kitchen sponge clean and germ-free is crucial, but bacteria can be in other areas of your home. However, you don’t need to worry about germs; Illinois Valley Clean Team can disinfect your entire home! Learn about our disinfecting services!

The essential cleaning supply is water! However, should you use tap water without any treatment? Usually, tap water is clean enough to use in your housework. However, in some areas of Illinois State, the hardness of water can reach an extremely high level!

Does it mean that you can’t use tap water for cleaning? Not exactly! But using distilled water has many benefits over mineral-filled tap water. Learn here how using distilled water in your chores could benefit you! 

Distilled vs. tap water: What’s the difference?

All tap and bottled water are treated (or purified) to remove contaminants. Tap water is usually safe to use, but it doesn’t mean it’s pure—as it always contains minerals dissolved. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

On the other hand:

Distilled water is also purified, but with a different method. The process is similar to the water cycle. The water first boils into steam. Then, it condensates into liquid again, but with the contaminants left behind.

In other words, distilled water is “purer” than tap water. And this difference increases depending on how “hard” the water is. 

Let’s speak more about the hardness of water.

Hardness of water

Water can be “harder” or “softer,” depending on the number of minerals dissolved in it. As mentioned above, the hardness of water can reach high levels in Illinois. On the other hand, distilled water removes all those minerals found in tap water during the distillation process.

Hard water is not necessarily worse. The main minerals found in hard water (calcium and magnesium) are essential nutrients!

However:

Natural minerals found in hard water might be a drawback for cleaning. Here is how tap water can affect your chores!

Benefits of using distilled water for cleaning

When it comes to cleaning, mineral deposits in tap water can have subtle reactions. Of course, using distilled water for cleaning is not mandatory, but it can benefit you in some specific chores! 

Here are some benefits that you can get with distilled water!

1. Streak-free window cleaning

Mineral deposits in tap water might end up as streaks! If you are using a commercial window cleaner, make sure to rinse the glass with distilled water. Otherwise, you are just replacing the chemical residue of the cleaner with mineral residue in the water!

In the same way, if you are rinsing a glass or a stainless steel surface, use distilled water to avoid streaks! Also, remember to use distilled water in any DIY glass cleaner you make. It will reduce the probability of window streaks! 

2. Soap works better with distilled water

Usually, soap builds less lather in mineral-filled tap water. Soap depends on complex chemical reactions between the soap and the dirt molecules. However, when minerals like calcium are present in the water, they react with soap and reduce its cleaning power!

3. Distilled water can maintain vinegar acidity

Do you like to do your own cleaning products? Then, you might be familiar with all the uses vinegar has for cleaning! Many of the DIY recipes out there involve white vinegar and water. However, hard water is usually alkaline and might not mix well with vinegar.

What does this mean? In a broad sense, you are balancing vinegar’s acidity by mixing it with alkaline water. Vinegar is great for some cleaning chores because it’s acidic, and distilled water can maintain it that way!

Learn more cleaning tips with Illinois Valley Clean Team

Illinois Valley Clean Team is an experienced residential cleaning company in the Illinois Valley area. You can find helpful tips and advice on our blog page. Let us share what we’ve learned with you! 
Or do you need a hand with your cleaning chores? Let Illinois Valley Clean Team clean your home for you! Request an estimate right now!

There’s a beautiful view outside, but you need to wash the windows first!

When was the last time you cleaned your windows? Many internet sites claim that you should wash your windows twice or thrice a year (like this article here.) Maybe now is the time! 

Learn here how to clean windows with zero streaks!

What is the best cleaner for your windows?

Cleaning windows is a bigger challenge than it looks for one reason: window streaks. Why are your windows streaky after cleaning them? Sometimes, it’s dry dirt, but more than often, it’s just cleaning product residue! Keep it in mind while choosing the cleaner!

When it comes to cleaning glass or streaky surfaces, natural is best. DIY cleaners with vinegar and alcohol work because both products evaporate after some minutes—leaving no residue behind. 

On the other hand:

Commercial cleaning products may have excessive soap, ammonia, and other chemicals! Of course, warm soapy water and commercial window cleaners are efficient for washing dirty windows, but the chances of leaving streaks are higher!

Then, what’s the best homemade cleaner for my windows?

Usually, vinegar and water are enough to clean windows. You could add rubbing alcohol to the solution, but it’s better if you use it to spot clean tough stains. 

To make your zero-streak homemade window cleaner, follow these two simple steps:

1. Put one or two cups of warm water in a spraying bottle.
2. Pour white vinegar into the bottle. You can put a tenth of the amount of water or make it a half-and-half solution. The concentration depends on how dirty your windows are!

What is the best way to clean windows without leaving streaks

Now is the time to clean your windows. The first thing to do is choose a cleaning product—either your trusted commercial cleaner or the homemade cleaner mentioned above.

Also, you’ll need at least two microfiber cloths and maybe your vacuum cleaner or duster. 

Ready to begin? Here is how to clean a window! 

Step 1. Dust the entire window (including the frame and sills)

If you spray the solution in a dusty window, you’ll end up with a mess. First, dry-clean all the dust and dirt. Use the vacuum crevice attachment to dust every corner in the window frame. Then, dust or vacuum the window sill and glass.

Step 2. Spray the cleaner throughout the glass

At this point, the window should appear almost clean! However, you need to remove the stains and build-up film in the glass. Spray the cleaner you chose previously, but be careful not to wet the frame. If you are cleaning multiple windows, work with just one at a time.

Step 3. Wipe the cleaner with a lint-free cloth

Wiping a window with a lint-free microfiber cloth is ideal. It will absorb the dirt and excess cleaner. For especially tough stains, dip a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and dab the spot for a few seconds. Never use a razor or scrubbing pad—or you might scratch the glass!

Continue wiping the glass with the microfiber cloth until it appears completely clean. If you use soapy water, give a final rinse with only plain water.

Step 4. Use a clean cloth to dry your window

Just after wiping your window, dry it with a clean and dry cloth. Avoid paper towels that might leave a residue!

Step 5. If streaks appear, rinse the glass with plain water

Window cleaning is more about patience than technique.

After cleaning a window, you need to wait some minutes to see if streaks appear. This part is inevitable! Even the most experienced window cleaners struggle with streaks.

Remember that Illinois’ hardness of water is high. It means that running water has a high amount of minerals—and the very water could be leaving streaks! To remove the streaks, rinse the glass with a microfiber cloth and distilled water. 

Professional window cleaning in Illinois Valley

Do you have enough time to clean your windows? Let the best cleaning company in Illinois Valley clean them for you! Illinois Valley Clean Team offers every service your home needs, including regular cleaning, pressure washing, and window cleaning! 
Get your free quote by clicking here!