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5 Underrated Cleaning Products You Wish You Knew About Sooner
I often find myself reaching for unconventional cleaning agents or tools that you won’t find in the cleaning isle. I use these almost every day, and I wouldn’t be able to get through some of my toughest jobs without them. These are our top 5 favorite underrated cleaning tools.
5.) Tooth Brush
I use toothbrushes with harder bristles while cleaning, but you can also use softer bristles if you’re concerned with potentially scratching surfaces. I buy them in packs of three for a dollar, and I make sure that I’m always stocked up! Toothbrushes are essential for cleaning crevices too small for a sponge or cloth. They are also work great on drains, which are typically too narrow to fit a sponge inside. I always keep hard to reach places, in your vacuum around the sides, shower corners, tile edges, or even to get inside those slots in your strainer!
4.) Butter Knife
I always have a butter knife handy in my cleaning supply bag, and not just for those times when you unexpectedly need to make toast! A good degreaser does wonders for getting grease off of your back splash or stove top, but isn’t always enough to completely remove the grease. It’s also great for getting the tough buildup up from the bottom of burnt pots and pans. Do you reuse your jars or tubs? A butter knife is great for getting all product out of the sides and bottom of the containers prior to cleaning.
3.) Q Tip or Cotton Bud
While the jury is still out on whether or not it’s safe to use a q tip to clean your ears, I can guaranty that it’s safe to use while cleaning your home! These are great for deep cleaning those crevices too small for a toothbrush to fit into. Use a Q-tip in those air fryer ridges, your juicer, or any other place that seems impossible to clean.
2.) Lemon
Lemon is so much more than a delicious fruit with a great scent. The antibacterial and antiseptic properties (which stops or slows down the growth of microorganisms and bacteria) makes lemon a magical natural cleaning agent. A lot of people like to use vinegar to clean with, but hate the smell. The acidic properties really tackles grease and dirt (which is why so many dish soaps and sanitizing wipes are lemon scented). Lemon can also be used to tackle fresh stains inside microwaves and on counter tops. Lemon always leaves your home sparkling clean and smelling amazing.
1.) Micro fiber cloth
Microfiber cloths are by far my favorite cleaning tool, and I can use up to 50 per room, depending on the size of the room. You can find affordable and good quality microfibers on Amazon or at Target, and they usually come in cool colors! Use a dry cloth to pick up all of the dust and dry debris on surfaces, or use wet with solution for harder to remove caked on debris. I completely stopped buying terry cloths and making my own rags, because they really can’t compare to the results you get with a microfiber. If I had to choose only one tool to clean with, I’d leave the sponges, cotton rags, and magic erasers at home, and just go with the microfiber cloth.
We hope you found our recommendations useful! If you’re still lost after reading this, or find yourself overwhelmed with keeping up your home, give us a call at 716-218-9437, or book a cleaning directly on our site. We’d love to give you the sparkling clean home you deserve.
Elevate Your Cleaning With Essential Oils
Elevate Your Cleaning With Essential Oils
You may have heard about the wide variety of benefits associated with essential oils. But did you know, that you can also use essential oils to clean your home? I began incorporating essential oils into my home cleaning routine a few years ago. I couldn’t stand the strong scent of household cleaners, but I loved the scent of my oils. I use a water/vinegar solution as a multi-purpose cleaner around my home, and add a between 10 and 20 drops of my favorite essential oil to get the natural properties to come through, and I get the benefit of an aromatic experience complimenting my cleaning around the house.
These are natural and plant based, so I wasn’t at all worried about the effect on my surfaces. I also knew the benefits of the specific oils I used, and wanted those to extend to everyone that enters my home. Cleaning with essential oils doesn’t have to be complicated! We’ve broken down a few of the best essential oils in terms of benefits and utility. This is how I was able to elevate my cleaning with essential oils.
1.) Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is a great essential oil to clean with, because of it’s natural disinfectant properties. Use it on high touch areas in your home (door knobs, light switches, etc) or add a little bit in with any toilet bowl cleaner to get an extra clean toilet and an added fragrance boost! Lavender is also known to provide headache relief, reduce stress, and calm nerves, which leads to a relaxed home environment.
2.) Lemon Essential Oil
Did you ever notice how many of the natural and green cleaning solutions have a lemon scent? Lemon works great on surfaces with grease or buildup. Lemon Essential Oils are a natural degreaser, and can be used on appliances with heavy grease or film. The best part of cleaning with Lemon essential oil, is that it’s actually GOOD for your skin! Stop letting those harsh dish soaps and solutions eat away at your hands, and start experimenting with Lemon Essential Oils. You can add additional drops to combat lingering odors as well. Your home will be left with a delicious lemon fresh scent.
3.) Thyme Essential Oil
Thyme is one of the most powerful essential oils in terms of germ killing capacities. Thyme is effective against food bacteria, and should be added to dish soap when cleaning cutting boards. You can also add a little bit to your grill cleaning solution, because Thyme essential Oil has insect repelling qualities. Thyme, like Lemon is also good for you skin and hair.
4.) Tea Tree Essential Oil
You’ll want to keep Tea tree oil on hand in your home, if you your basement or any part of your house has excessive moisture, it can be used as its a great weapon against mildew. Use this while wiping your cabinet under your sink, or laundry room shelving and surfaces. Its also very effective with soap scum, so keep a mixture handy near your shower. Tea Tree Essential Oil is good for your skin, and can even be used to treat insect bites and acne.
Please Note – We never use essential oils while cleaning clients homes, because each individual has their own scent preferences. There is a lot of information available regarding cleaning with essential oils, and we encourage you to do additional research, and try incorporating essential oils in your home, and to find the ideal concoction that fits you best. The amount of each essential oil used will depend on your desired results, and will vary from oil to oil. Follow us on facebook @ Thetidytroopersofbuffalo and keep up with our blog for more home cleaning tips
5 Reasons You Should Declutter Your Counter Tops
5 Reasons You Need to Declutter Your Countertops
So, you’ve got a fully stocked kitchen full of food, dishes, cookware, and more. Sufficient storage in a kitchen is essential. But what about all the other things we’ve acquired that typically “live” in our kitchen? Coffee Makers, Air Fryers, Juicers, etc.- these small appliances aren’t generally things you want to display your guests. Your space should be a reflection of yourself. Are you a cluttered person? And do you really need to display everything you own to the world? We all know the answer is No. Your counters are past due for a declutter.
1.) Decluttering Makes Your Kitchen Appear Larger and More Inviting
Clean Counters really brighten up your kitchen, making it appear larger. You want your kitchen light to reflect from the clean sparkling counter. Show off your counters and backsplash. When you first moved in, we’re sure you didn’t say to yourself “Wow. These counters are perfect. Maybe I should cover them with every small appliance I own.” Stop hiding your beautiful counter tops and backsplash. Show them off instead!
2.) Decluttered Countertops are a Breeze to Clean.
Cleaning your countertops should be easy. Like grab a cloth and go easy. Stop wasting your time moving everything off your counters when it’s time to clean. They shouldn’t be there anyway. Your appliances should each have a designated space- whether it’s your pantry, cupboards, under your sink, or basically anywhere that isn’t the first place you look when you walk in your kitchen.
3.) Clear Countertops Are Essential for Prepping and Cooking
Let’s face it, unless you’re ordering out every night, you’re going to need sufficient counter space in order to make those delicious dishes you’ve been craving. Did you know that the average dinner consists of 13 ingredients? You can save time by doing all the prepping at the same time. Separate your dry and wet ingredients into bowls or cups and have a clear area for your knives and cutting boards for anything that requires chopping.
4.) Clear Counters Mean More Room to Display More Aesthetic Items
To be clear, when we encourage you to declutter, we’re not suggesting that you leave your countertops completely bare. As we said above, your space should be a reflection of yourself. Be more selective of what you’re displaying. We want you to have room to show off your favorite kitchen décor. Sometimes it can be difficult figuring out where to store dry foods as well. Do you have Bananas or other fruit that’s best preserved out in the open? You can keep them on your counters in a nice basket instead of directly on the counter.
5.) There are Better Options for Additional Kitchen Storage
We understand how overwhelming organizing your kitchen can be. Sometimes we must look into additional ways to store or display our items. Floating Shelves look great, and they make everything more accessible. You can use them for dishes, oils, hanging utensils, or just about anything! Do you use your Coffee Maker often? Maybe consider creating your own coffee station on an end table in your kitchen or your dining room. And what about wine? We think wine can be displayed beautifully in the kitchen. Why not try a wine rack? A bar cart is also an option, and you can use that to display your favorite glasses as well.
We hope you find the perfect balance of beauty and functionality in your kitchen. The Tidy Troopers Cleaning Services are kitchen experts, and would love to help in any way we can.
