Welcome everyone! Maxwell is in the thread now answering all of your spring cleaning questions. Don't forget to join our Spring Cleaning Cure after to keep the momentum going 🎉
What's the best way to get streak-free windows when cleaning? I always seem to get those pesky streaks, even with a microfiber cloth!
What are the question to ask oneself while purging things in closet, pantry, garage, home? I feel like over the yearss I have accumulates a lot of clothes, kitchen items, and my garage is overflowing with random stuff. How can I purge in a way to justify, and not to hoard or to get rid of more than needed.
how can you stay motivated to keep cleaning your whole house
Great question, @Millie! If any other questions come to mind, please share them here and Maxwell will respond when we kick off the Spring Cleaning Cure soon 😊
Echoing this one, @Kimo1952! Maxwell will respond when we kick off the Spring Cleaning Cure soon. If any other questions come to mind before then, please share again!
Hi everyone! @Millie @Fran @hchicago6046 @user8824666 @mary2590 @user5211496 @user6069376 @dmh7876 — Tagging you all specifically because I saw you RSVP'd for the AMA today. Feel free to drop any questions you have in here for Maxwell to answer. Happy first day of the Spring Cleaning Cure 😊
What’s the best way to clean terracotta tile floors without ruining them?
Hi - I've been a huge fan since I read Apartment Therapy, the book!
Re: cleaning … I LOVE a clean apartment (NYC studio) but I get a little obsessive and I'm a single, work-from-home (and busy with family needs) freelancer who can't afford the time. I loved the cleaning lady I had 10+ years ago, but had to let go for financial reasons. Now that I can consider spending the $$$ again to give me a hand, I've tried a couple of different people who were recommended in my building. After an initial deep clean where I was present and directed the efforts (and paid them a sizable sum), I've had various different people seemed to think "clean" was a Swiffer and a promise (no, they wouldn't use Pledge on the wood furniture; no they wouldn't take extra $$$ to clean my oven, one didn't want me to move boxes so she could vacuum along the baseboard — and one actually took cleaning supplies from me and thought I wouldn't notice - and was annoyed when I wanted to clean between visits and asked her about the supply whereabouts) This comes at more than double what I used to pay for a regular cleaning. I've recently went through similar drama trying to find good aides for my ageing parents — do you have hints about getting someone worthwhile vs. just trial and error??? After a few tries, I polled other neighbors — who all told me their cleaning people are "Meh" - I know this is a third world problem but I'd love upkeep help to keep my sanity, increase my work/creative productivity hours (I'm behind on a short doc I'm doing) but don't want pay today's rates for someone who doesn't even notice huge globs of hair in the bathroom corners.
Thank you! And …
RENO AMA? FYI … when you do a reno AMA, I am THERE. I have a LOT of questions. I'm in desperate need of a reno but on a tight budget and because so much is falling apart - trying to distinguish how to get started / what to address in the short term (and make my life more pleasant) vs. what to wait on … THANKS!!!
How do you get motivated to start a big cleaning job vs. getting overwhelmed and walking away?
I moved back to my parents place and now I have doubles of so many things. How do I purge them and only keep what I need right now and keep away what I might need in future.
and also an oven that hasn’t been cleaned in 2.5 years🫢???
whats the best bin/container to store off season clothes in ?
Hi @BkBased I personally use these Rubbermaid containers that come in different sizes. They're great. You can use them under bed, you can use them in the closet. They have a nice cover that locks nicely. I'm a big fan of these. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HR4K9Y5/?tag=apartmentth0a-20 Here as well are some hot picks from across our site.Best Overall Roundup:
Budget-Friendly Picks:
Under-Bed Storage:
HI @MiliS That is a very good question, and I think it's going to be very personal what you end up doing, but I'm going to give you a couple of ideas that might help. Number one, I would use my outbox method to sort your clothing into two piles:
You just do that and pause for a second. Once you can see what is in each pile and what you think you want to live with while you're at your parents, you can then make a second decision, which is: okay, am I gonna store that stuff I might not need (that second pile), or am I gonna give it away or am I gonna sell it? But making those two piles (and of course they're not actually piles; you're going to put things and sort things on your bed, or however you want to do it, in nicely folded piles). Once you do that, you'll know what you have to deal with. In short, this is how the outbox method works. Classic Outbox Rules:
Hi @dmh7876 - This is another good question. I would suggest, if you easily get overwhelmed with a big cleaning job, don't start with a big cleaning job. Start with a smaller cleaning job and maybe break it up, or take the big job and break it up over two days so there are two smaller cleaning jobs. That might be one place to start. Another thing I like to do when I've got a cleaning job is (this is from a friend): I do it on a Saturday or a Sunday. I get up in the morning, make my breakfast, have coffee, turn on some fun music, and I dive into the cleaning job with the goal to get it done before lunch. I find weekend mornings, if you really push, are very satisfying to do cleaning jobs, but you do want to sort of get them done so you can settle down and everything is calm by lunch.
Howdy @WriterlyValerie - So nice to have you in our forum today, and I'm so honored that you are a big fan. I have to admit, I've been lucky over the years finding really good cleaning people, and they've all come through referrals from friends. It's really the only way I know how to do it. I also find it interesting that the concept of clean is definitely relative, and the women I've found are all Eastern European and they have a very strong sense of clean. I don't know if it's cultural, but I've been lucky with people I've found to come from that part of the world, but again it's only through referrals from friends who have already told me that they work really well together. Think that's your best bet; keep trying.
For the oven, I know of no better thing that an intense, and often repeated use of Easy Off! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Y5YGWR/?tag=apartmentth0a-20
Hi there @haley9768 - Happy April 1 and here is my quick bullet list to answer your question: Terracotta is porous and unglazed, so it needs gentler treatment than regular ceramic tile:
Do:
Don't:
HI @kim04286674 - Someone else asked something like this, and I'm just going to give the same reply.
it's easy to get overwhelmed when you're faced with cleaning your whole house. I think the best way to approach it is to divide your house into a series of areas and assign those areas to different weekends so that you're not doing too much at once. Spend your Saturday or Sunday morning knocking one off At a time, and then give yourself a break. However many weekends it takes you, that's fine, but spread it out and break it into bite-sized bits. AND Turn up the music when you're cleaning your house and make it fun!
Hi @Millie - Again, the best way to approach this type of decluttering challenge is using the outbox method. We all accumulate, every single one of us accumulates, and the longer we live in a space, the more filled up it gets. I find that about seven years you're going to be in trouble if you don't start decluttering, so it's good to make it something you do seasonally or yearly. The big challenge with decluttering is that we get so attached to stuff. It's very hard when we hold it in our hands to think of giving it away or throwing it away or recycling. We're simply just naturally attached to our stuff. That's why the outbox method is important. It operates on the assumption that you first divide your stuff into What you want to keep and the stuff you're considering letting go of goes in your out box. Then you can let it sit there for, say, a week or more if you need to, and only at that point do you then go back to the outbox and decide which direction it's going to go in. Are you going to give it away? You're going to sell it? You're going to recycle it? You're going to throw it away? Or do you want to bring it back into your house? That's fine too. But what I find, and this is really important, is that when something has sat in the outbox for at least a week, it loses that emotional attachment to you. You will be less attached to it. There'll be no drama, and then it makes it far easier to make that second decision, which is: where is it going to go next? So take one area per weekend. Don't do everything at once. Get a box or a container and go through that area and take everything out that you think you might be willing to get rid of and put it in that out box. Let it sit. Come back to it later and decide how to get it out of your house. It's a two-part decision, but it's much easier when you break it into two parts. Taryn made a really cute little video in this post, which you might enjoy, which describes how the outbox works. https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/outbox-decluttering-method-january-cure-2020-36701712
Do you know about the newspaper window washing trick?
I made this video all about washing windows with newspaper, which explains it all. It's my go-to, and you'd be surprised how effective it is. https://video.apartmenttherapy.com/m/eXks9W1r/one-simple-trick-to-make-your-glass-so-much-cleaner-one-good-thing
As a dog mom of two, I feel like I'm constantly cleaning the floors and upholstery because when the dogs come in from the yard they bring the outside in. Trying to make time to do it each day is tough but we take it in small bites. Maxwell, what's your secret to making cleaning bite-sized cleaning and work for your routine as a busy a founder/CEO?
whats the best way to clean the outside of your windows if you can't reach them from the ground?
Thanks so much for the wise reply, Maxwell. Now that you mention, it might be also the "sense of clean" of some of the people I'm asking for referrals — I haven't seen the apartments of some of them ;)
I'll keep trying — in the meantime - am participating in the Spring Cleaning Cure as best I can with what-all else is on my plate and … ONWARD!
Okay - next question since I'm going to be cleaning my own apartment for awhile … I love your Saturday a.m. cleaning habit …
Can you suggest a "clean enough / enough time on the regular" cleaning schedule or other hints to prevent me from "going into the deep clean rabbit hole" and spending hours each of my small areas in my studio apartment every time I start … then having to stop and leaving the rest undone until I can get to it?
Thanks!!!
Hi @Millie - Again, the best way to approach this type of decluttering challenge is using the outbox method. We all accumulate, every single one of us accumulates, and the longer we live in a space, the more filled up it gets. I find that about seven years you're going to be in trouble if you don't start decluttering, so it's good to make it something you do seasonally or yearly. The big challenge with decluttering is that we get so attached to stuff. It's very hard when we hold it in our hands to think of giving it away or throwing it away or recycling. We're simply just naturally attached to our stuff. That's why the outbox method is important. It operates on the assumption that you first divide your stuff into What you want to keep and the stuff you're considering letting go of goes in your out box. Then you can let it sit there for, say, a week or more if you need to, and only at that point do you then go back to the outbox and decide which direction it's going to go in. Are you going to give it away? You're going to sell it? You're going to recycle it? You're going to throw it away? Or do you want to bring it back into your house? That's fine too. But what I find, and this is really important, is that when something has sat in the outbox for at least a week, it loses that emotional attachment to you. You will be less attached to it. There'll be no drama, and then it makes it far easier to make that second decision, which is: where is it going to go next? So take one area per weekend. Don't do everything at once. Get a box or a container and go through that area and take everything out that you think you might be willing to get rid of and put it in that out box. Let it sit. Come back to it later and decide how to get it out of your house. It's a two-part decision, but it's much easier when you break it into two parts.
Good question, also tough question. I would say give yourself three hours maximum, and then make a quick judgment on what you think you can get done that will be clean enough in three hours or meet your standards, and then do that much. I agree you don't want to skimp. You don't go fast and leave it just sort of 80% clean, so the first thing is, given your cleaning standards, choose a project or a part of the room or a room or a corner or a closet that you think you can get done in three hours.
One easy answer is to hire a cleaning window service that has all the ladders and stuff, but I know that's not what you're asking. That said, if you have a ladder and I don't know how high up your windows are and you have a cleaning kit with a rod that will allow you to reach up an extra 3-4 ft, you could do that. Otherwise, there may be some type of trick where you can clean from the inside of your window with a magnet magnetizing the cleaner on the outside. I don't know if it exists, but I'm going to go take a look.
Found this with my friend Claude.Option 1: Magnetic Window Cleaners (~$15-$45)
This is probably the trick they're looking for. Just open your window and put one magnet on the outside and the other on the inside. As you move one magnet, the other follows. Move horizontally to wash window and vertically to squeegee window dry. Lehmans.com
Key things to know:
The caveat: Magnetic window cleaners are not the best solution for windows that don't open. If your window won't open, there is no way to get the exterior side of the tool onto the windowpane without using a ladder. Window Genie And professional window cleaners are split on their efficacy — some say "they're not that effective," while others counter that "for windows that are difficult to reach or don't open all the way, these are the best option." Consumer Reports
Option 2: Telescoping Extension Poles (~$100+)
The extension pole telescopes from 6 to 24 feet providing about 28 feet of reach, easily enough to clean second story windows (and some 3rd story) safely from the ground. Amazon
If you're able to, get an extension pole with a squeegee or window cleaner attachment and try to reach the second-floor windows from outside on the ground. Apartment Therapy
Option 3: Water-Fed Pole Systems (~$140+)
This method involves a long pole with a brush attachment connected to a water source, typically a hose or a water tank. The water-fed pole allows you to clean windows effectively without climbing a ladder. Simonswindows
Hi @CharliPenn And welcome to today's AMA. So nice to see you here. 😊 That's a great question, and I have to admit my two dogs are very small and they don't climb up on things that go into their dog bed. But I also was very strict with them around where they could go and where they couldn't go, so they always stayed in the kitchen, which was easier to clean, and their dog bed, which was in the kitchen. I think you just need to have a little dog cleaning kit ready to go all the time in a corner by the back door or something like that. A good mat by the back door. I'm going to recommend one and show you a picture in a second.
Maybe you need to put a slip cover, just a quick slip cover or sheet, on your upholstery so that when they come in, if they go there, they go on that. Then you can whip that off once they're clean and throw that in the wash.
This is from a previous chat in another part of the forum that I made. A washable, low-pile Ruggable rug is great, but if you do really want something that will clean your shoes, I also recommend coco coir entrance mats with a rubber backing. I'm going to put the link in right below.
You can get these any size you like, so it could stretch from left to right and give you a really nice big entrance area. They don't cost too much, and it looks like they'll fit below your door. I have two of these at home.
https://cocomatsnmore.com/collections/custom-sized-coco-mats?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19661926757&gbraid=0AAAAAD-y98ehPKp3JGSUprISOLrjVk0Hi&gclid=CjwKCAjwvqjOBhAGEiwAngeQnS-4tQ4avpdo1p0q412QrAcQrtHQ6ikEU4fKLbXiPP-PbOjqD6V4sBoCGhYQAvD_BwE
Good for you! Absolutely, onward we go. Spring is here!
Thank you!!!
