Five Easy Tips To Simplify House Cleaning

Hemingway coming in to see me.

Getting the house clean, and keeping it clean, are pretty big deals around here. With two very large, drooly, shedding dogs, the house can quickly get out of hand. Add in chronic arthritis pain, and suddenly staying on top of things is a bit more of a challenge.

I need a clean house. It is in my genes, hahaha. Cannot stand messy or dirty. Love the dogs, obviously, but they sure do make a mess. Have you seen Turner and Hooch? Beethoven? Yes, exactly that. I have both a mastiff and a Saint Bernard.

I also like to clean, most of the time. As long as it is easy for me to do, I enjoy the cleaning process. I don't like it if it is hard to do, wears on my body. Here are some of the tricks I use to make my life (with dogs and young grandkids) a whole lot easier.

Tip 1 - Get Yourself A Spin Mop.

Seriously. You will thank me for this tip. Whether you are a busy parent, a pet parent, have physical disadvantages that make it difficult to bend down, you will use this Vileda Spin Mop for everything! It is my life saver.

Use it for the obvious, of course, for washing floors of all kinds. The spinning basket means that your mop is well wrung out so that it is safe to use on wooden, tiled, and vinyl floors. The grandies love to help spin the mop, by the way, so if you have littles, they will love to help you spin it.

Cleaning the floor on either side of that nightstand would be difficult without this mop.

The triangular mop head means that it gets into all corners and tight spots. Even that awkward corner between the wall and your nightstand. The mop gets in there so nicely!

Or, what about that space between the toilet and the wall? Ugh! No one, but no one, wants to get down there at nose level with the toilet!

It also makes washing the dog drool and kid's handprints off walls super easy, and does baseboards, too. Just run the mop along the baseboards, gets rid of dog hair and dust. I get a lot of both in the summer time, for some reason. The walls I do regularly, pretty much weekly, just because it is so easy.

Tip 2 - Get Swopt

This company is brilliant. You buy a handle and then add whatever tools you need to clean your home. That release button is easy to use, even with sore hands, which makes swapping out the tool end easy as pie. If I can do it, I promise you can do it. It is nothing like opening child proof pill jars.

We have 2 of the handles, a long 60 inch one for doing the front windows, and this shorter one (48 inches) that I use for everything else. I am under 5 feet tall, so I like the short handle. Hubby likes the longer one ; )

I have both the scrub brush and the window scrubber with squeegee. The squeegee is removable, you can hand squeegee your shower doors, if you like, or just leave it on and flip it over when you are done washing with the scrubber pad. This scrubby thing makes it so I can do the windows in just minutes. Even the basement windows are a breeze for me to do.

I use dish soap and warm water, just squeegee if off. That is it. Clean as a whistle each time. I do my windows like once a month because I can do it so easily with this Swopt thingie. Takes just minutes.

However, I also love watching this TikTok nonna who uses soapy water with bleach to clean windows, patio doors, and even the siding with the spin mop above. She then just hoses it off with clean water. Brilliant. She is a hoot to watch and makes me want to clean everything!

I use the brush tool to wash the deck from muddy paw prints, and clean the grout and tiles inside the house. More about grout cleaning further down the post : )

Swopt also has a microfibre dust mop that I want. It would make cleaning up dust and doghair so fast in between floor days. I do floor day at least twice a week to keep up with the hair the dogs are losing in this heatwave. This dust mop could be a quick daily sweep.

Love the hanging rack to hold everything in place. There is the dust mop up at the top.

They have a 7 piece ultimate set, as well, that comes with this handy rack to hold everything. It is a little bit on the pricey end but I absolutely know that you will like everything about it (except, truly, get the spin mop, too).

Tip 3 - Scrubbing Powder

I have three different options for you to use on your tiles and grout.

The Mint Cleaning Scrub, in the picture above, is the product that I like the best.

Use it on grout, on sinks, stoves, counter tops, even use it on stains on fabrics or carpets. Cleans up cat puke very nicely. It smells so very nice, does not take your breath away like some of the other powder cleaners, is safe to use for anyone with breathing/allergy issues... and it works!

To clean your grout...

Wet the floor first, sprinkle the scrubbing powder on the grout, let sit for a minute, scrub with your brush. Use the spin mop to wipe it clean afterwards. No bending needed.

If you can, are willing and able to get down on your knees to scrub, this Grout Brush Set is awesome. It also does a fantastic job on window and patio door tracks.

Okay. The 2nd idea, the alternate powder that you can use to clean the grout is Bar Keepers Friend. Be careful putting down the powder, it is very harsh smelling till you wet it down, but it will clean up your grout to sparkling. The cream does not work half as well, stick to the powder. Use it the same way as above, with your scrub brush.

This is our sauna and shower in the main floor, main bathroom.

The 3rd grout cleaner that I have used is Zep. I found this one easy to use because it is a spray, is not as quite as harsh smelling as the powder, and does a fantastic job. I really like this one a lot. I used this one to get the sauna sparkling for the picture used in the builders awards above. Amazing, eh? It also comes in a heavy duty, multi surface, citrus cleaner.

I sprayed it on, then scrubbed the grout and tiles with the Swopt brush, rinsed everything clean with the spin mop. No bending. Certainly no crawling under the sauna benches!

Check out this beauty that I just purchased! It's on sale!

Tip 4 - Machine Washable Rugs

I know, I know, I bring this up a lot, but machine washable rugs are a huge factor in keeping my house free of dog smells, clean from their dirty footie prints when they come in on a rainy day, or just dirty and hairy from them laying on them.

I use machine washable rugs everywhere! In my sitting room, runners for the hallway, the grandkids room (especially great during potty training time) and in our bedroom for something cosy underfoot when you get out of bed.

I have been know to throw them in the washer weekly some months! Sometimes just once a month. Depends on the time of year, how much dirt is getting tracked in by the dogs. See more machine washable rugs in My Amazon Shop.

I do not buy pricey ones because A) I am too poor and B) it would be pointless at my house because of the dogs. These guys are affordable. Most all of them are very thin though. If you do not wear slippers, you may want to put down a cushioned under-pad.

Oh, they are non-slip, too; they have a rubbery backing so stay in place. No tripping hazards, no curling up of the corners!

*Disclaimer. As an Amazon affiliate, if you were to purchase an item(s) from any of the affiliate links, I get a wee small amount of money to support my blog. It does not cost you any extra to purchase through my link than if you went to that item through your own search. Many thanks for your support, I sure do appreciate it.

Tip 5 - Use Nice Smelling, Safe Cleaning Products

Use cleansers that are good for the planet, good for you, safe for your health, and smell lovely in a natural way.

I use two brands for everything I do. Mint Cleaning has the best smelling products that I have ever used in my life. If you check their website, everyone remarks upon the scent. They use bergamot, rosemary, mint, lemongrass.. all kinds of yummy scents.

This is a BC mompreneur business. They were just on the Dragon's Den - we'll get to see that show in September!

My favourites are the floor wash, the all-purpose spray, the scrubbing powder, the glass cleaner, and the hand soap. Love the hand soap! They also have a yummy laundry soap, fabric softener, dish soap, so many great things!

I also adore Mrs Meyers cleaners. They are a larger business, but are cruelty free, smell terrific, come in several scents (my favourite is Lemon Verbena), and, most importantly, they work super well.

My favourites are the multi-surface cleaner for use on anything, but I use it for floors mostly, and the sauna, and the multi-surface spray. Safe to use on counter tops, makes them super clean, spray down the sink to make it sparkle and smell great. They also have a yummy liquid laundry soap and the dish soap is so nice.

You can find them on Amazon, some drug stores, Canadian Tire, London Drugs, and at well.ca.

*Note - I am going to mention this vacuum and this one, too. My gf has one and loves it so much, she bought one for all 3 of her daughters, plus her mom. She swears that it works, is the bomb. Said the best part is the detangling bar. She has a dog, long hair, her daughter's have long hair, hardwood floors with rugs in the main living areas, carpet in the bedrooms. They are both great, the one is just a little bit stronger. The less expensive one actually rates best on Amazon reviews.

I love cordless vacuums! Hang it on the wall to charge, it is out of the way, does not get caught on things when you vacuum (like mine does). These both have a 40 minute run time.

I cannot attest to this personally as I really, really want one, but do not have one. I spent a bunch on money on a vacuum that I absolutely hate, hahaha, but it works well with picking up dog hair, so I cannot justify getting rid of it... yet. When I do, I will get one of these.

I also love to whip open the windows, let in the fresh air (when there are no forest fires!) and light a candle now and then. I love Sand & Fog and Sand and Paws, specially to neutralise pet smells (wet dogs, smelly dogs, cat litter).

Happy House Cleaning (wink wink) ~ Tanja