yesterday, i did a slew of insta-stories around my cleaning routine: what i do each week, what i do every so often, and perhaps most importantly, the products i use to do it! my fellow neat freaks reached out to tell me to ask for a full post here on the blog about what exactly i use to do my thing, so without further ado, here we go!
ps: this post is organized a) by what i do weekly vs. what i do only every few weeks/every few months and b) by room. you’ll find a little write-up about my routine for each space, and a list (with links!) of the products i use.
LET’S DO THIS! can you tell i LOOOVE cleaning and am so excited to write this post?!
WEEKLY CLEANING ROUTINE
i tend to do a “big clean” every weekend. sometimes, this is on friday evening (like it was this weekend – i had to work late and came home energized AF!), sometimes it’s saturday afternoon, in between spin class and my evening plans, and sometimes (though very rarely), it’s left ’til sunday, when all my weekend plans are done. though i do clean a bit during the week (especially in the kitchen, which gets a lot of use and therefore gets dirty), my weekend clean is the one, so to speak.
note: i live in a small (700 SF) apartment in NYC. this means: a) things get dustier b) it doesn’t take me ALL that long to clean the entire place. if you live in a 3000 SF house, well, i commend you – and these rules may not apply. or if they do, they’ll take quite a bit longer.
LET’S DIG IN!
ONE. the bathroom. i tend to do my bathroom first, partially because it’s the second dirtiest spot of the apartment, and partially because it’s a small enough space that i can knock it out in under ten minutes and feel incredibly accomplished and therefore, motivated to continue. in here, i spray the scrubbing bubbles all over the tub, tile, sink, and in the toilet bowl. i use a sponge to clean everything but the toilet bowl; for that, i have an ikea toilet brush. i clean the outside of the toilet (even the side nooks and crannies!) with method spray, then use the glass cleaner on the mirror and glass light fixture. lastly, i run a sink of hot water, add ajax, and use that mixture to hand “mop” the floors.
what i use:
grove collaborative tub and tile cleaner (distilled from concentrate)
sponges + rags (old napkins, towels, torn t-shirts, etc.)
TWO. the bedroom. this part is perhaps the easiest, mostly because my bedroom just isn’t very big. in here, i dust (sconces, my bed, the fan blades, dresser top, etc.), wipe down the mirror, wipe down my windowsills with method/a rag, and then wash the floor with bona cleaning pads (note: the guy who redid my floors told me if i ever used anything other than bona on them, he’d kill me).
what i use:
bona hardwood floor cleaning pads
THREE. the living/dining room. while this is my biggest space, it’s not nearly as much work as the kitchen–mostly because it’s generally surface cleaning. in here, i’ll wipe down all surfaces with one of two things: method spray (as seen above, it’s an MVP in my cleaning closet) or seventh generation disinfecting wipes. neither is better than the other; it just depends what i have on hand. surfaces = the dresser, coffee table, side tables, dining table, dining chairs, lamps, and window sills. if things are especially dusty, i’ll use the duster on: lamps, bookshelf, and bar cart. from there, it’s down to vacuuming the rugs, and washing the floors with the same bona pads i use in the bedroom (sometimes i use a microfiber floor duster on these before wiping them down with bona).
what i use:
seventh generation disinfecting wipes
bona hardwood floor cleaning pads
casabella microfiber floor duster
mighty mite vacuum (small enough to fit in my coat closet!)
FOUR. the kitchen. the kitchen is where the work starts. but i don’t mind it, because my kitchen is my safe haven. it’s also the space that gets the dirtiest, the grimiest, and the overall yuckiest. that means it requires actual scrubbing from time to time (especially on the floor!), and a little bit more in between cleaning. in here, i start by wiping down all the counters with my counter spray of the moment (see my faves below). then i clean the oven with stainless steel cleaner + a rag. that same cleaner can be used to wipe down the fridge and dishwasher too. once all the surfaces are clean, i go in for the kill: the floor. the floor gets the grimiest, by far, and it’s also the surface i have to be the most careful with, as it’s encaustic tile that scratches and stains easily. here, i fill my kitchen sink with warm soapy water (that’s it!), and wipe it down on my hands and knees, scrubbing with a large brush where necessary). whilst it dries, i take care not to walk on it (and not to let penny walk on it either!).
what i use:
murchison hume counter safe spray
grove collaborative counter spray (distilled from concentrate)
bar keeper’s friend (for the sink; can also be used on stainless steel)
magic stainless steel cleaner (use with a rag)
seventh generation dish soap (i use this to wash dishes but also my floor, when mixed with hot water)
seventh generation disinfecting wipes (i use these to wipe down cabinets, range hood, sometimes counters)
casabella sparkle sponges (MY FAVE! i often find these at tjmaxx, and will STOCK THE F UP when i do!)
and that, my friends, is all she wrote. mostly. though these are the things i do every week, there are a few i do every few weeks/every few months/when i feel they need to be done. the “every so often” jobs include:
- washing my couch covers (they’re all removable and can go in the wash!)
- using glass cleaner on all of my glass light fixtures
- wiping down kitchen cabinets/hood
- shaking out rugs (outside my window because i’m a horrible neighbor)
- wiping down baseboards (with a wet rag; they get dusty)
- wiping down my bedroom fan (which gets covered in dust and penny hair)
- washing my curtains (they’re ikea, so i can easily throw them in the wash)
AND THAT IS ALL SHE WROTE, FOR REAL. if you missed my cleaning tutorial, you can check it out on my instagram stories here.
got questions? anything above unclear? leave me a comment here, or, ya know, sliiiide on into my DMs.
happy cleaning!
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