Have you thought about a cleaning chart? What I find is the hardest part about keeping a home clean with multiple people is for everyone to do “their part”! In my household of two teenage sons, a 5 year old daughter, a husband and a cat, it always seems like no one wants to take responsibility for cleaning up! I’m sure this is true with college roommates, and anyone else who has to share a living space with other people. Take a look at our home organization ideas on Pinterest here!

How a Cleaning Chart may Keep Your Household Sane

A cleaning chart or roster can be an essential ingredient of a happy household. If you’ve ever lived in a share house, and been forced to put up with a filthy housemate, then you’ve already had a taste of the types of problems that cleaning rosters are intended to solve. They can be great for homes where there are lots of people and lots of cleaning tasks to do, and they also work well for busy people or anyone else who wants to make keeping the house clean a little bit easier. In its simplest form, a cleaning roster is a high level schedule of regular household cleaning tasks.

How To Make Your Cleaning Chart

Start by making a master list of all the cleaning chores that need to be done.  You may want to brainstorm the list first, and then go over the house considering each room to see what you might have missed.

The next step involves organizing these tasks into those that must be done daily, a couple of times per week, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly.  To get you started, here are some examples of tasks that might be in these categories:

Cleaning Chart Daily:

Dishes, cleaning floors and other surfaces, and putting away paperwork;

Cleaning Chart Every few days:

Laundry (depending on how many people are in your household), mopping, and vacuuming;

Weekly:

Vacuuming (if your house doesn’t accumulate much dust), dusting, and general cleaning in areas that don’t get much use;

Monthly:

Ceiling fans and light fixtures, walls, windows, air vents, and deep vacuuming in nooks and crannies;

Cleaning Chart Seasonally:

Outdoor areas, HVAC units, windows, and appliances;

Yearly:

Spring cleaning, and other deep out-of-the-way cleaning that you only do once a year, such as attics and basements.

Note: Don’t just copy the cleaning roster above!  Well, actually you can if you want… but you’ll find it much more beneficial to design one of your own that is tailored to the needs of your household.

Designate Tasks

Next, decide how many people are available to do which cleaning tasks.  Create a rotation so that nobody has to do one particular job every time.  Make sure you take into account what each person can and can’t do.  Some things might be impossible or dangerous for little kids, and you should be careful about assigning too many tasks to family members who work long hours.  Try to get everyone involved in cleaning and remember that kids who do some housework tend to have higher levels of responsibility, maturity, and self-esteem.

Molly Maid has some great cleaning charts for kids, adults, and more, here.

Create Your Chart

The best way to create your cleaning roster is using the computer.  In fact, you can download roster templates from various websites that allow you to shortcut the process a little.  Or, almost equally as easily, you can make your own using a simple program like Microsoft Excel.  Start by recording each of your family member’s work or school schedule, and then start assigning tasks to the available time accordingly.  It might be a good idea to choose times of the day for certain tasks.  For example, general tidying up is a daily task that works well just before bed.

If it’s the first time, you may also want to allow for some flexibility; pay attention to what works well and what doesn’t, and then be prepared to go back and make some changes later.

Need help in creating a cleaning chart? Spending for Less has some great ideas!

Cleaning Chart for the Entire Family:

Perhaps the biggest challenge is getting everyone to follow the cleaning roster!  In order to overcome this difficulty, you may want to post it in a place where it will be easily seen, like the refrigerator.  Also, if you find that it’s tough to get the kids to do their work then it’s worth considering creating a rewards system.  For example, if all of the tasks are completed by the end of the week, then they get a prize or treat. This sort of technique can be quite motivational; you’ll find that rewarding them for doing their cleaning works much better than punishing them for NOT doing it.

If you’re battling against a super messy house and you haven’t tried a cleaning roster before then give it a shot. If you get it right, then it can generate great results.

This article was written on behalf of Housework Heroes. Get in touch to learn about their cleaning franchise opportunities, or if you want some further reading, then take a look at their article on eco cleaning tips.

For more home cleaning tips on Stagetecture, click here.

The countdown to back to school has begun in my household and that means less kids in the house during the day, but more dirty clothes at night! I showed you how my summer cleaning checklist got easier with P&G Household Needs (Procter and Gamble) products in my previous post. So while my fifth grader is gone in the daytime, the after school karate, soccer practice, and Girl Scouts resumes during the school year. This means more loads of laundry to wash and a not-so-sweet smelling bathroom isn’t far behind. In addition to my fifth grader is my freshman college student who needs laundry detergent to haul to the laundromat on campus each week.

My Active Back to School Kids Means #PGDetailsMatter to the Rescue!

I’m excited to pair with Procter and Gamble for their #PGDetailsMatter campaign highlighting Gain Original Laundry Detergent and Febreze Air Effects to freshen your kids’ laundry and home this season.

Kids After-School Activities Mean More Bad Odors!

While I love that my daughter is very active, I don’t love the beating that the bathroom takes after she is in it every day. Back to school means, my kids give the bathroom a beating every day. With that said an air freshener that can make the room smell fresh and not just mask odors is important. We have used all types of air fresheners but many are too perfume smelling, or they don’t seem to last very long.

When I was at Costco I found the 4 pack Febreze Air Effects in a convenient multi-pack for all of the bathrooms in the house. Trust me, we will use all 4 of them!

Here’s how they can freshen your home:

• Febreze Air Effects contains a crew of patented molecules that eliminate bad odors rather than just mask them.

My college student son needs his own laundry detergent stash

If you have a college-aged child I know you know this scene “Can I borrow the laundry detergent, I will bring it back from school!” … Yeah, right. I was excited to see the Gain Original Liquid Laundry Detergent was at Costco in the 146 load size! My son can now go the college Laundromat with his clothes and detergent without worrying about running out. He may have to worry about his friends asking if they can borrow some…. Ha ha!

This back to school season what Procter and Gamble products from Costco will simplify your cleaning and help your kids go back to school this fall with confidence! Take a look at all of the #PGDetailsMatter products and let us know which products you’ll be stocking up on.

Summer Pet Care: Let’s Clean Up The Dog House

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Cleaning The Inside

After being used over a period of time dog houses become very dirty because of the accumulated dust, mud and dirt. The problem intensifies during summers. Dogs tend move a lot inside their space and tend to dirty it whilst finding a perfect pose to settle in. Sanitizing the dog house at regular intervals of time becomes very important hence. You need to remove the lid as well as the floor insulation and sanitize the interiors with a little soap and water. You can add shine to the interiors using a little elbow grease too! The market today is flooded with cleaning agents specifically for this purpose and you can take your pick. The important thing to remember here is to let the insides dry completely before putting back the floor or the lid. Otherwise you could face the problem of toxic smells.

Image Via: Lushome

Tackle The Bedding

There are many who use straw, grass and wood shavings in their dog house. Whilst it might be of some benefit in winters I feel that such bedding isn’t a very good idea. The straw tends to break and the wood shavings and grass stick to our sweaty friends. Horse mats form good bedding options and so do cozy door mats. Be careful and change or wash the bedding every month or so.

Image Via: New Nise

Take Off The Rust

Dogs sometimes tend to urinate inside their shelters. This holds especially true for bitches. Frequent urination and sweating might lead to the rusting of iron and aluminum parts in the interiors. When it goes unnoticed for sometime, the rust may start leaving toxic material harmful for the dogs. Have the metal parts sprayed and treated for rust regularly. This also brings us to an important reminder-change and clean the dog bedding regularly!

Image Via: The Owner Builder Network

Dogs are like kids, they love us unconditionally and we need to take care of them. Maintaining their health and hygiene is one of the prime tasks in a good pet care regime. When maintained in the right way your dog house can last for along time and provide everlasting care and comfort to your pet. So put in a little time very month or so and have a great dog house:) Do share your ideas on maintaining a dog house’s hygiene.

Click here for more Pet Care Ideas on Stagetecture!

]]> https://stagetecture.com/summer-pet-care-lets-clean-dog-house/feed/ 0 77296 https://stagetecture.com/outdoor-organization-prepare-your-pool-this-spring/ https://stagetecture.com/outdoor-organization-prepare-your-pool-this-spring/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2015 11:00:06 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=74609 The arrival of spring allows the homeowners to extend their ‘cleaning’ campaign outside the household walls. It is the time for outdoor organization because the days will be getting a little warmer and little longer from now on. If you have a pool, it is the right time to maintain it and clean the water because the place is going to be your small oasis in the coming hot days. Check out these pool preparation tips suitable for the springtime:

Outdoor Organization: Prepare Your Pool this Spring

Image via: Outdoor Homes

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Start Circulating Early

To get the pool working properly and to have the chemical safety, you have to open the pool correctly. It will ensure the health of both the pool and the swimmers. The first step to open the pool is to start circulating it early. The longer you leave it stagnant, the more the slimy algae forms at the bottom and the higher the pH level is. Start the process in the mid-March for a couple of hours each day. Keep the cover of the pool and the pump is running continuously until the level of the chemicals are normal. After that, run it one to two hours per day until the weather is warm enough for swimming. When everything is ready, just uncover the pool and proceed with other works.

Image via: Pool Destinations

Check the Filtration and Chemical Levels

Check out the filtration system and adjust any pipes to remove any leaks. Change the filter’s cartridge and lubricate all the vales and o-rings. Find out if there is any problem with the pool pump, if any screws are missing, or if there are any un-sealed areas. Now, this is the time to clean up the winter sediment. Vacuum it up and brush the sides and floor of the pool with a nylon brush. Brushing will remove leaf stains and other marks. Run your pump for nearly a day to remove the sediment. You can run a second vacuuming for more cleaning.

Image via: Pix Shark

Check out the Chemical Level

Though you have already worked out for balancing out the pool’s chemical level, it is always good to have it checked before diving in. check if the chlorine level is between 1ppm and 3ppm, calcium hardness is between 150ppm and 250ppm, alkalinity is between 80 and 120 and pH is between 7.2 and 7.8.

Prepare the Deck and Pool Furniture

Now, as you’re done with your pool, it is time to turn your attention to the cleaning of pool deck and furniture. Apply a light coat of detergent through a garden sprayer and wash the place with a pressure washer after a little while. Pressure washer will help you to remove the dirt easily. Then, clean the furniture and repair if any piece is damaged or broken.

Image via: Homesthetics

These outdoor organization tips will help transforming your outdoor pool to transform from a tub of greenish water with leaves and branches floating around to a pool with clear, blue water having the proper chemical balance. After following them, all you have to do is to toss some pool toys and floating accessories and then jump in.

Like the tips? Why not preparing the pool in the next weekend?

How to Clean Your Upholstered Furniture

Image via: BHG

A Simple Sudsing Method

Sudsing, which some get confused with soaking- it is not, will help to lift away the stains that may have been more set in. One way to do this trick is to mix some warm water and a tiny bit of clear dish soap in a bucket or large bowl, then take a soft bristle upholstery brush and dint it into the mixture and apply to a small area of the upholstery. Be sure that you are not roughly brushing the area yet lightly stroking the area, then with a damp cloth clean the area. Be sure you check your labeling before doing any sudsing, some fabrics may need it others may just need a quick suction process.

Image via:  Current in Westfield

Vacuum Cleaning to do the Trick

Typically vacuums are just used for in taking the crumbs, leftover snakes and minute misc. items that get stuck in between cushions of the furniture within our homes. Take the upholstery tube attachment of the vacuum and like you would as if you are vacuuming the floor, make overlapping strokes on the upholstery from left to right. This will help to clean up the dirt spots that like to cling on to more shaggy fibers in certain upholstery.

Image via:  Rainbow Thailand

Spots on Specific Fabrics

Now if the fabric has more of the linen, polyester-acrylic or even cotton fibers to it then the cleaning process might be a bit different if it has certain messy spots on it. In that case, you want to get some carpet and rug dry cleaner along with pre-mist capture soil release and your vacuum. First use the pre-mist then sprinkle the dry cleaner and rub the cleaner with a dry cloth and then use the vacuum. If the spot remains then you can repeat the process, but be careful that you do not over do-it on the upholstery care.

We enjoy having our furniture looking clean and spotless; however life isn’t always as kind as we would hope. So sometimes our kids, pets and lifestyles make their way to the furniture and leave those lovely marks of mess and if we don’t catch it our upholstery is ruined. But not to fear because there are ways to help with your upholstery care, so take a look above and see how the tips work out for you. Also Stagetecure readers do you have any remedies for removing stains from your upholstery

Warm weather, fresh flowers and the spring season are right around the corner.  And what is the most talked about mission during the spring?  Spring cleaning and everyone is involved.  It’s time to air out your home and clean it up however spring organizing your home for the cleaning can be somewhat of a challenge seeming as how you are trying to tackle your entire home.  Here are some simple tips to helps get organized for spring cleaning this season.

How to Organize your Home for Spring Cleaning

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Plan and Set Up

The biggest question is where to start first, so plan out your cleaning accordingly.  Have set chores designated for each day or each week.  You can also do research and download spring cleaning checklists, which will also help in dividing the work to fit the space and person who will be completing them.  Get the family together and begin to plan out and brainstorm what needs to be done, how to get it done and the reward treats for getting them done.

Safety and the Right Tools

It’s great to wan the ingenuity and passion for spring cleaning within your home but always remember safety first.  Read the labels and directions for each cleaning product carefully before using them, some may require you to wear protective equipment such as rubber gloves or goggles to help protect you against the harshness of the chemicals.  Also, invest in holding racks for your mops, brooms, and other cleaning products that will give them a designated area and out of the way.

Image via:  Brightest Nest

Keep the Cleaning Going

If you can become very assertive with the de-clutter or organizing of your home.  You don’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to cleaning in two weeks what has been accumulated for the past year or more.  Keep the cleaning and organizing going on throughout the year, and when you get down to spring organizing it won’t be as stressful and challenging for you to accomplish.

Image via:  Elizim

Spring cleaning is great.  You get to open the windows and let all of that winter clutter fly away however, sometimes getting prepared for it can be a bit of a trial.  So break it down into parts for you and your entire family to be able to accomplish.  It doesn’t have to be the dread chore of the spring but a refreshing start for the year.  So take a look above on how to lessen the strain of spring organizing for your home this season!

For more organization and cleaning ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

This holiday cleaning tips post is brought to you by Swiffer® as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.

If your home is like mine, trying to keep the floors clean can be a challenging job. In my home the kitchen tile floor has always been one of those rooms that I can’t seem to keep clean for than a day after I clean it! Between food dropped from cooking, my kids always missing the trash can and the food stains around it, or just the general wear of foot traffic, the kitchen floor is my biggest pain. So I was excited to get the chance to use the new SteamBoost Steam Mop from Swiffer.

We have been using Swiffer wet mops for years – you know the one that is the handle rectangle mop and then you connect the disposable wet wipes to the mop? What I never liked was that sometimes the amount of elbow grease needed to get up stains was awful. So the idea of steam to pull up dirt and grime is what I’m looking forward to.

Here are a few features of the SteamBoost Steam Mop from Swiffer

• The Swiffer BISSELL® SteamBoost is a steam mop that deeply penetrates dirt and helps remove messes mops can leave behind. Fill it with water, attach a Steam Pad and plug it in. No other cleaning solutions are needed.
• The special Steam Pads have a steam-activated, dirt-dissolving cleaning solution that pulls dirt from surfaces and locks it away. SteamBoost is light, easy to use and safe on tile, finished wood and laminate floors.*

See how I used the SteamBoost Steam Mop

1. Sweep up loose debris and dirt from your resilient floor first.

2. Place a wipe on the bottom of the SteamBoost mop and attach in the four corners

3. Pour water into the reservoir and then plug in. Squeeze the trigger handle to release the steam. The blue indicator light will come on in the front.

4. I found it most helpful to apply the steam as you clean up the tough spots, but I think just the wipe cleaned up my occasional dirty spots easy too! Behind my trash can was cleaned with little effort, Yay!

Here’s a few of my favorite holiday cleaning tips:

1. Walk through your home with a visitor’s eye, making notes of any imperfections you may be used to but guests may notice, such as houseplants with dead leaves.
2. Have your family help with household chores to make it easy on everyone.
3. Clean your home the day BEFORE a party or festivity so your home is rid of cleaning products smell.
4. Straighten bedrooms; remove clutter and donate items that are cluttering your home.
5. Clean bathrooms and kitchen floors with steam to ensure dirt is removed thoroughly
6. Clean range or stove top, surfaces, and grates.
7. Clean out the refrigerator, making room for party foods; dust top of refrigerator.
8. Wipe down all large and small appliances and kitchen cabinets
9. Wash throw rugs; set aside so they are nice and fluffy for party day.
10. Vacuum your home the day of the party to ensure all small dirt items are removed from your carpet.

This sponsored post was brought to you by Swiffer®. For a limited time, get a $15 prepaid card when you purchase a SteamBoost Steam Mop Starter Kit between 11/24/13 and 12/31/13. Swiffer BISSELL® SteamBoost combines a dirt-dissolving cleaning solution with the power of steam for a deep clean that gets messes mops can leave behind. Also be sure to like Swiffer on Facebook and follow @swiffer on Twitter.

For more Holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

After hosting a barbeque party or just a weekend barbeque bonding with the whole family, your barbeque grill deserves maintenance. Cleaning your barbeque grill should be observed right after it is used. This is a preventive maintenance for your barbeque grill to stay functional and live longer.

Cleaning your barbeque grill involves a proper procedure so that you will not ruin any of its parts. But there are a few basic practices that you can perform in cleaning your barbeque grill.

Image via: Breckenridge Design, Construction & Maintenance

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These are simple yet effective ways to clean and maintain your equipment. Check out these helpful tips for cleaning your barbecue grill:

Your efforts in cleaning your barbeque grill will definitely result in prolonging the life of your equipment. Besides, it may be easier to clean than finding money to replace a new barbeque grill. Think about it.

Image via: Zulilly

Brush oil on grates

The barbeque grill grates are the parts that perform the majority of tasks. It is where you placed the barbeque ingredients and the ones exposed directly to heat. Cleaning the grates is easier and more effective when you brush oil around it. This way, the ashes, burned elements and dirt are washed away easily. The oil prevents unpleasant elements to stick on the grates and cause its deterioration.

Scrape off excess debris

If oil isn’t enough, scrape the excess ashes and filthy elements. You should do this not only on the grates but also on its base where you place the coals. You can use a modified steel putty knife to create a flexible scraper. Sandpaper can also be used for this step. But be careful in scrapping. It should not be done intensely because you may damage the barbeque grill instead of maintaining it.

Image via: Coastroad Hearth & Patio

Consider applying paint

This is to prevent your barbeque grill from rust. Although there are barbeque grills that are made of aluminum material but more often than not its foundation is made of steel. In order to prolong the life of your grill, painting it with a safe paint will do the trick. Feel free to ask the hardware customer assistant to give you the right paint for your grill.

For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When renovating your home and trying to add some glamour and beauty, windows are often one of the most important areas to start with. Installing windows with different styles or colors can do wonders for your home, and provide a fresh new look. When deciding the type of window treatments for your home, you need to look at different designs to determine which one will decorate your home best and blend with the rest of the house.

Window dressings require a lot of maintenance and cleaning to keep them looking good. Window treatment cleaning is a very simple house hold task that can be done using a brush or a hand vacuum cleaner. Treatment and cleaning your dressings allows the curtains to last longer and look more appealing, eliminating the need for frequent replacement. Maintaining window dressings is easy and cheap, if you know the right process for your home’s treatments.

Image via: Panageries

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There are several options for cleaning your window treatments, depending on which type you use. Blinds, shades, curtain panels and drapery need to be dusted and cleaned on a regular basis to continue to hold the color and pattern of your dressings.

Machine Washing

Machine washing is especially useful for curtains made of soft fabric. Be careful not to use detergents that are too strong because they may damage the fabric and ruin your curtains or remove color from the fabric. Machine washing is very effective in removing stubborn stains, and it makes washing easier. Dry cleaning blinds and drapes also offers a quick solution to window treatment, and it can be easily done at home. This method of cleaning window dressings is very helpful when you have a lot of dressings to wash, which would be difficult to do by hand. However, for fiber glass and some special types of blinds that require delicate treatment, cleaning with a brush or a soft cloth and cleaning supplies is far more effective.

 Image via: Six Walls Interior Design

Dry Cleaning

Another option for your window treatments is dry cleaning. If your curtains or draperies are dry clean only then be sure to never wash. If you do wash the dry clean only items, you can be subject to shrinkage or color loss with your items. Always have your dressings dry cleaned if the care label says so.

Dusting

Dust and debris always builds up on your window dressings, and regular and thorough dusting is important to avoid staining and to protect your family from allergies and pollutants. The best tool for dusting is a hand vacuum cleaner, which can be moved up and down along the curtains or drapes gently for clean and more appealing windows.

Image via: Mariko Reed

Shades and Blinds

With shades and blinds, you can simple dip them in a bath to clean the items of dust and dirt. A white vinegar bath can help remove the dust from the blinds and have them looking brand new. To avoid purchasing new blinds or shades, take a few hours and clean the items in warm water with vinegar to remove the dirt and grime.

Erika is an avid home decorator who enjoys maintaining the style of her home. To find more home decorating options visit Blindsgalore, a specializer of honeycomb shades and other window dressing options.

For more home cleaning tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Summer is not just for vacation but also for getting your house fresh and clean. With kids enjoying their school vacation, you definitely have some helping hands available. But getting some help is just a bonus. You did the cleaning yourself previously, so you definitely can handle it anytime. All you need is a motivation!

Cleaning your home isn’t all about strength. You just have to plan ahead to save yourself strenuous effort and time. Time matters a lot since you have other things to do for the day apart from cleaning. That’s why you have to make sure that you maximize your time in cleaning.

Image via: James Glover Residential & Interior Design

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Begin by decluttering the entire area

This is very important when you want to finish cleaning your home fast. Decluttering your area first will give you enough space to move around without something blocking your way. This will certainly increase your efficiency and effectiveness in cleaning.

Image via: Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc.

Organize your cleaning tools and equipment

This should help you clean faster and better. You can place your tools and equipment in a tote bag or plastic organizer. This way, it will be easier for you to access your tools and equipment. You can bring it over and have it placed near beside you. You can save a lot of time moving around to get what you need.

Take advantage of technology

Instead of using brooms, use a vacuum cleaner as an alternative. This should lessen your time and efforts cleaning your home especially the corners. Also, you have to acquire long extension cord for you to reach farther distance without transferring to another power outlet. There’s no question that vacuum cleaner works far better than a broom. So, take advantage of it.

These helpful ideas should give you more time to your family and have more relaxing time to yourself. So, don’t allow cleaning to burn you out and your precious time. Plan ahead and consider the above-mentioned ways to save time. Enjoy cleaning your home this summer!

For more cleaning tips on Stagetecture, click here.