In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all of life is influenced by seasonal cycles. You are probably Most people love a clean house but few people have time to do a deep clean. The days of spending a week thoroughly cleaning your home are gone.
It’s unfortunate. Spring is a great time for cleaning. Feng Shui (the Chinese study of harmonizing your environment) recommends spring cleaning, not only because it’s nice to live in a clean house, but also because it increases the Qi of your home. Living in an environment of healthy, balanced Qi supports your health and happiness.
It’s possible to have a clean home without spending days cleaning it. Follow these professional house cleaning tips to get your house sparkling in record time.
- Simplify your cleaning products. Most cleaning only needs two solutions: an all-purpose cleaning solution and a window cleaner. This means you only need to carry two bottles and some rags.
- Use a tool-belt. Use a tool or garden belt to keep your supplies handy at all times. If you simplify your cleaners, you’ll need a pocket for some rags and two loops to hang the spritzer bottles.
- Have a large supply of rags. Instead of rinsing your rag when it gets dirty, get a clean one. When you are finished, throw all the rags in the washer at once.
- Work clockwise. Begin directly to the right of the door. Work high to low and circle the room clockwise. For example, dust top shelves before the lower ones; wipe counter tops before baseboards. Be very systematic—don’t jump ahead or backtrack. Clean top to bottom and when you finish one patch, move to your right to do the next. You’ll finish the room in one cycle.
- Clean all aspects of a room in a single cycle. Dust, wipe and do windows in one pass. Make sure that you have all your supplies in your belt before you begin.
- Vacuum or sweep the floor last.
- Soak your tub. If your tub or shower has soap scum built up, spritz with white vinegar 10 minutes before you get to the bathroom to allow time for it to soak.
- Use a squeegee. Squeegees make window and mirror cleaning fast. For the best results, use a professional-grade squeegee. After you squeegee your window, use a dry rag to clean up the edges. If the surface has sticky dirt, use a rag to scrub the window before squeegeeing.
- Collect your clutter. Use a laundry basket to collect items that need to be returned to a different room. Move the basket from room to room and only empty it when you are finished.
- Clean inside to out. Clean the inside of the toilet before the outside. When you clean the outside, start from the top of the tank and work down. Use a rag until it is dirty. Throw the rag in a pile to be washed later—don’t take time to rinse it.
Green Cleaning Products
Some of the strongest toxins in your home are from cleaning products. And sadly, most cleaning jobs don’t even need them.
Mix your own cleaning products to keep your home fresh and healthy.
All-purpose cleaner: Mix ½ cup white vinegar (or use the citrus vinegar below), one teaspoon castile soap, two cups water and 15 drops of essential oil. Shake to mix the essential oils with the water. Add tea tree, lavender or lemon essential oils to boost the germ-killing properties.
Window cleaner: Mix ¼ cup white vinegar and two cups water. Use in a spritzer bottle. For best results, wipe with a squeegee.
Scrubbing powder: Mix baking soda with water to make a paste. Scrub. Use this on sinks, countertops and dishes with stubborn, baked-on food.
Mineral deposits: Use vinegar to get rid of mineral deposits in your sink, toilet, showerhead—even your coffee maker. Spritz the surface with white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to penetrate and wipe away. Depending on the buildup, you may need to reapply. Sometimes you can spritz and then scrub with baking soda to remove chunks of deposits.
Air freshener: Use essential oils to make your home smell fresh. Try lemon, orange or grapefruit for an uplifting scent.
Homemade citrus cleaner: Peel oranges and put as many peels as you can in a quart jar. Fill the jar with vinegar and let sit for two weeks. Strain the peels and use the orange-scented vinegar in your cleaning products.
