The Art of Clean

1.  Love your products.

One of the biggest lessons Molly taught me is that cleaning can actually be pretty fun...if you like the stuff you use to clean.  Everything she uses comes from a company called, Aromatherapy Naturals.  It's a line of natural, organic, chemical free cleaning supplies.  You can order right from their website. 

Good products make cleaning easier, because you don't have to scrub and strain.  Gentle effective products will also be easier on your skin, nose and eyes.  I've turned into an Aromatherapy Naturals believer too...because as she cleans a house it smells like a spa--not a bleached out crime scene.

2.  Least to Most...Top to Bottom

As you clean, work from the least dirty to the most dirty.  This will save you from having to switch out your rag/towel as many times.

Also work from top to bottom.  This way anything that falls {like dust from surfaces, crumbs from counters, etc} will get picked up when you do the floors last.

3.  Start with glass and shiny surfaces

Glass and shiny surfaces are usually fairly clean and are a perfect place to start.  Use paper towels or a microfiber cloth to clean shiny things.  Molly says that if you are in a crunch for time, or find out that company is coming over unexpectedly, to spend a few minutes cleaning the reflective surfaces in your home.  Polishing up glass, mirrors, faucets, and shiny places will give an impression of a professionally cleaned home in only a few minutes.

4. Remove the rugs as you go

When Molly starts a house, as she walks through, she pulls all the rugs out of rooms and puts them in the hallway.  This frees up the floor for an easy sweep through later when you do the floors.

5.  Declutter

As you move through your home do some decluttering as you go.  Clear counters, throw away anything that isn't necessary, and take a few moments to put things away.  If you do this as you go...you'll find it less overwhelming.

6.  Be liberal

Here's something I've been doing wrong.  I'm stingy with my products.  When Molly cleans a home, whether professionally or her own, she liberally covers a surface with cleaner.  Then she starts in on it.  This is a game changer.  Less scrubbing, nicer looking surfaces, and cleaner surfaces {read: fewer germs} will be your reward.

7.  The Kitchen

In the kitchen, again start with least dirty and top to bottom.  Also, start with the shiny stuff.  Molly's order of kitchen cleaning goes like this:  counters, appliances, stainless steel {because she uses an oil based polish...this way she doesn't have to switch rags or risk smearing oily products on other surfaces}, finally she finishes by wiping down the sink and drying it out.

8.  Toilets

In my opinion, this is the grossest part of any home.  Here are some things I learned about cleaning toilets.

• Wear gloves.  This way you won't be worried about touching nasty stuff and in turn not get it clean.
• Be liberal.  Spray the whole thing down.  Outside, seat, lift the seat--spray under, rim, and base.
• Use paper towels.  Clean the toilet with something disposable.
• Use a toilet brush with plastic bristles and a plastic core.  A brush that includes metal can scrape the porcelain.

9.  Hard Floors

Use a 4-step method for hard floors.  First sweep to pick up the big stuff.  Next dry mop to pick up any remaining dust.  Third use vacuum attachments to get in to any small spaces that were missed by the first two steps.  Finally use a wet mop to finish the job.

10.  Carpet

Start in a corner and work your way out to an exit.  This will allow you to have those professional, uninterrupted vacuum lines {those really get Molly excited.}  Nice lines will also act as a good indicator of any places you've missed.

11.  If you don't have time...

Even a professional cleaner knows that sometimes you just don't have time to deep clean.  Molly says, if you just don't have time...take a few minutes to make neat piles of dirty stuff.  Simple things like an orderly stack of dirty dishes, or piling dirty clothing in a hamper, can make a room look dramatically cleaner in just minutes.

12.  Keeping up with the cleaning

Choosing one specific cleaning task to tackle every day will make keeping a tidy house much more manageable. 

13.  Don't be a cesspool

This is where I go wrong.  I clean...but I don't keep my cleaning tools, well--clean.

After talking with Molly I really felt like my home was a bit of a cesspool.  I'm guilty of using the same dish rag to wipe my counters, sink and appliances for weeks at a time.  Molly told me you should really only use them for 4-6 days between washes.  And then, make sure you are using a different rag or sponge for your dishes.

Also--I almost never clean my shower.  I mean, I'm in there washing.  There is soap all over, all the time.  Apparently that's wrong.  You should do that every once in a while to keep it clean and manage the scum that builds up on the walls.

When it comes to keeping the dirtiest cleaning tool--the toilet brush--clean, Molly says you have two options.  You can throw the whole thing away.  Or, you can pour cleaning vinegar into it's holder, let it soak, then rinse the whole thing out.

14.  The right tools for the job

In addition to good products, having the right products and right tools will make cleaning more enjoyable and less hassle.  Here are some things that I saw come in handy on the professional job:

• a vacuum with attachments for small spaces
• Magic Erasers for stubborn spots
• a great mop
• good, microfiber cloths for all kinds of cleaning
• a specific product for glass
• an all-purpose cleaner that can work in multiple rooms
• gloves
• paper towels

15.  Finishing touches

The real difference between a professionally cleaned home and a cleaning job done yourself, are a few finishing details. 

Molly makes sure that all trash cans are emptied and refreshed with a new trash bag.  She takes an extra second to tie the bag snugly around the can to eliminate the bulky excess.

After cleaning a bathroom, she folds the end of the toilet paper into a triangle at the end {like this} to show that that room is finished.