Does it ever feel like the cleaning around your home never ends? From dust and pet hair to accidental spills and everyday dirt, keeping on top of household chores can take up a lot of time.
Fortunately, a few clever cleaning tricks can make tackling everyday mess that little bit easier. Whether you’re refreshing your floors, dusting hard-to-reach areas or dealing with an unexpected stain, try these simple cleaning hacks around your home.
Clean ceiling fans with an old pillowcase
Cleaning ceiling fans with a cloth or feather duster can send dust falling onto the furniture and floor below – and sometimes all over you.
Instead, grab an old pillowcase. Carefully slip it over each fan blade and gently wipe the dust away, keeping the debris contained inside the pillowcase rather than spreading it around the room.
Once you’ve finished, use your Vax vacuum cleaner to pick up any dust that has escaped onto the floor.
Act quickly on accidental spills and stains
Spills are an inevitable part of everyday life. Tea, coffee, food, muddy footprints and pet mess can all leave their mark on carpets and upholstery, so acting quickly can help stop a small spill becoming a more stubborn stain.
Start by removing any excess liquid or debris without rubbing the stain further into the fibres. For a deeper clean, a Vax SpotWash spot cleaner can be a handy addition to your cleaning cupboard.
Compact spot cleaners are designed for quick clean-ups of spills and stains and can be used across areas including carpets, rugs, stairs, upholstery and car interiors. Always check the care instructions for the surface you’re cleaning before getting started.
Dust electronics with a coffee filter
Coffee filters aren’t just useful for making your morning coffee. Their soft, lint-free material also makes them handy for picking up light dust from certain electronic screens and surfaces without leaving fibres behind.
Make sure the device is switched off and cool first, then gently wipe away loose dust with a clean, dry coffee filter. Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions for your particular TV, monitor or device and avoid applying cleaning products directly to a screen.
Vacuum before you mop hard floors
One of the simplest cleaning hacks is getting your chores in the right order.
Before washing a hard floor, vacuum or sweep it thoroughly to pick up loose dust, crumbs, pet hair and other debris. This prevents you from simply moving loose dirt around once the floor becomes wet.
For a more thorough clean, Vax hard floor and steam cleaners are designed to help tackle dirt and grime across compatible sealed hard floors. Always check that your particular flooring is suitable before using a hard floor or steam cleaner.
Tackle those hard-to-reach areas
Dust doesn’t only collect where you can easily see it. Tops of cupboards, shelves, skirting boards, corners, stairs and underneath furniture can all be easily missed during your usual cleaning routine.
A lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner can make it easier to move around your home and tackle areas up high and down low. Depending on your Vax model, attachments such as crevice tools, dusting brushes and motorised pet tools can also help you clean awkward spaces, upholstery, stairs and areas where pet hair accumulates.
A useful trick is to work from the top of a room downwards. Dust higher surfaces first and vacuum the floor last, picking up any dust you’ve disturbed along the way.
Use an old sock to clean blinds
Blinds can be surprisingly fiddly to clean, but you don’t necessarily need a specialist tool. Place a clean old sock over your hand and gently grip each slat, sliding your hand across it to collect the dust from both sides. Work from the top down so any loose dust falls onto areas you haven’t cleaned yet.
Once you’re finished, vacuum around the windowsill and floor to collect any dust, dirt or grime that’s fallen.
Use doormats to stop dirt at the door
Sometimes the easiest cleaning hack is preventing the mess from getting into your home in the first place.
Place doormats at frequently used entrances to catch dirt and debris from shoes before they’re walked across your floors and carpets. If possible, having one outside and another inside the entrance creates an additional barrier.
Remember that doormats need cleaning, too – vacuum them regularly and follow their care instructions for a deeper clean when necessary.
Keep on top of pet hair
If you share your home with pets, frequent light cleaning can be easier than waiting for pet hair to accumulate.
Regularly vacuum the places where your pet spends the most time, including carpets, rugs, stairs and upholstery. Pay particular attention to edges and underneath furniture, where loose hair can easily collect.
We’ve got a brilliant range of vacuum cleaners for pet hair; they’re designed to make everyday floor cleaning easier, with selected models featuring dedicated tools and technology for tackling pet hair.
Steam clean beyond your floors
A steam cleaner can be useful for more than just cleaning floors. Depending on the model and attachments, steam can be used to tackle areas such as sinks, taps, windows, mirrors and hobs.
The Vax steam cleaner range includes models with detachable handheld units and tools designed for cleaning different surfaces around the home.
Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before steam cleaning a surface, as not every material is suitable for high-temperature steam.
Make cleaning easier by doing little and often
You don’t always need to deep clean the entire house in one go. Tackling smaller jobs regularly can prevent dust, dirt and stains from building up and make your bigger cleaning sessions easier.
Keep the tools you use most often somewhere accessible, deal with spills as soon as you can and concentrate on high-traffic areas more frequently. With the right routine – and a few simple cleaning hacks – keeping your home clean can feel much more manageable.
Vax Staff