With our oldest sons moving into their own apartments in September while they are attending University, we as moms tend to worry about them eating healthy, getting enough sleep/exercise, studying and of all things…Will they clean??!!
Did you happen to catch Christine’s post a few months back on Ten Things Your Teens Should Know Before Leaving Home? Well one of the items she talked about was teaching them to clean before leaving home.
We know they do not like to clean at home, which is obvious if you have walked into your teen or young adult children’s bedroom and if their rooms are any insight , we have a big job on our hands to teach and provide some guidance on cleaning.
Most commonly heard in our home ‘Can you please pick your clothes up off the floor and MAYBE do some laundry..’
So we have enlisted the help of our friend and local business owner, Mariya of AM Cleaning Calgary to help us with tips and tricks to a quick and easy clean PLUS provide us with an Express Guide to Cleaning theBathroom.
I ‘met’ Mariya while scrolling through Instagram. (Isn’t that how we meet everyone know these days 🙂 ) I just loved her philosophy on cleaning and it was all natural which is right up my alley. After meeting Mariya, I knew her cleaning crew was what I was looking for. She loved her job but most of all she loved her clients and takes pride in making their homes happy for them.
So when Christine and I wanted to help our kids with cleaning habits, we called a professional to help because we all know our teens or young adults don’t do not listen to their moms!
Q & A with Mariya (AM Cleaning)
question one:
1. Cleaning tools are important. What are your suggestions for what we should stock the cabinet with ( cloths, mop, brushes??)
Definitely have microfiber cloths handy. They are good for all the surfaces, and more durable and environmentally friendly than paper towels.
Scrubbies are awesome! They are great not only for washing dishes, pots and pans, but also sinks, stove top, and anything else that requires some elbow grease.
Magic eraser by Mr. Clean is truly magic. It is abrasive, thus picks up soap scum from your bath and shower like a charm. Definitely keep one or two of them in the bathroom. It also works well on grease surfaces, such as the stove top.
Angle brushes are awesome for hard to reach areas such as crevices along the sink. Hard bristles of the brush are good for baseboards & shower grout!
question 2:
2. We know you make you own all natural cleaning products but they are not commercially available so what do you suggest for cleaning products or do you have a recipe to make an all purpose cleaner?
I recommend to check out the local health food stores (Amaranth & Planet Organic, Community Natural Foods) for all natural cleaning products.
My favorites are Sapadilla & Meyer’s. Sage Natural Wellness also carries household products.
If you feel crafty then making your own all purpose natural cleaner is easy! In a spray bottle combine warm water with 1 tsp of castile soap and 20 drops of lemon essential oil (or any other oil of your choice). Voila! Good for any surfaceJ
question 3:
3. Let’s not kid ourselves, these are young adults/teens so cleaning is going to be quick and not as often as it should so what are the main area of the house/apartment to focus on?
First, it is important to identify what are your high traffic areas in the home. Each home is different depending on your daily habits and lifestyle. Still, on average, most dirt and grime stays in the kitchen and the bathrooms. Thus, speed cleaning those areas on weekly basis are important. Living room and mud room are not exceptions, but keeping it tidy will keep it cleaner longer.
question 4:
4. Things can get a little messy in the kitchen, so what is the best way to cut through grease on dishes and kitchen surfaces?
When cooking, always have a lid on your skillet or pot to prevent grease splashing around. Turn on the hood vent so the smell of grease doesn’t settle around your home. Clean as you go, especially the stove top. If the grease settles, and you don’t wipe it right away it makes it harder to remove it over time. Hot temperatures may turn grease into a hard rock surface that becomes very hard to deal with in a long run.
In the end of the day make a habit to sprinkle some baking soda, 1 tsp of dish soap and scrub the sink with a scrubbi. The kitchen sink is exposed to a lot of bacteria from washing dishes, fruits & vegetables, which makes it dirties than a toilet. Yup! So, just like you brush your teeth daily, makes sure your kitchen sink gets a quick scrub in the end of the day.
question 5:
5. The microwave might get a bit messy if on tends to not cover food when re-heating so what are your tips for cleaning the microwave?
To clean a microwave, put one cup full of water for 3 minutes 30 seconds. As water boils, it will create a condensation making it easier to clean up the grease and the rest of the mess. Open the microwave, spray an all purpose cleaner and give it a good wipe. The grease should come off like butter! Don’t forget to wash the glass tray in soapy water.
Thank you Mariya for the tips and tricks on quick and easy cleaning. 🙂
To receive Mariya’s Express Guide for Speed Cleaning the Bathroom, enter your email address below.
I for one will be printing this guide and taping to the bathroom mirror for my son. Hopefully he will see it and follow it! WE can dream, right ?
For more information on Mariya and her team at AM Cleaning, head to the website www.amcleaning.ca or instagram @amcleaning_yyc
Danni
XOXO
