When I got married, I was clueless on the details of home management (translation, I did not know anything about household chores). Not because I was lazy, but mostly because my mother would rather do everything herself (I know, excuses).

Nonetheless, it was a pretty sweet deal for a teenager, but my ignorance caught up with me in my adulthood. With women’s lib and all, who knew my husband expected me to know these things! I did not even know how to operate a vacuum cleaner. But with my mother’s help, I soon became a cleaning expert. Here are some tips that she shared with me:

Get the Right Kind of Vacuum

I don’t just buy the cheapest cleaning machine I can find. Before I do, I consider the type of floor I will use it on. Then I go on the internet to research, reading reviews of the average user, and compare prices.

If I have wood floors, then I’m going to looking for only the best vacuum for wood floors. Once I have a handle on what kind of vacuum cleaner I will buy, I then go to the store for an actual demonstration. This can be tedious, and drives my husband crazy, but in the end, I get the vacuum machine that works for me.

Make a Regular Schedule

My mother’s first and most important rule on cleaning – do it regularly. Do not wait for dirt to pile up before whipping out the vacuum cleaner or you will be cleaning till the end of the year. I vacuum the entire house once a week even though there are no discernible dust or dirt. Because there’s no pile-up, it only takes me less than an hour to do all the rooms in the house. If you’re house receives a lot of traffic during weekdays, you may have to increase the number of times you vacuum.

Do Slow, Multiple Passes

Some people say that an hour of vacuuming is too long. But that’s because I make at least 5 passes on every area to make sure that I pick up everything. And, to make sure that its really clean, I move the vacuum very slowly from one side to another, starting from the very end of the room. Because I clean thoroughly, I don’t have to do an annual spring cleaning, and my house is always ready to receive guests.

Spot Clean Immediately

In between my regular schedule, there are usually accidents that happen around the house. I don’t wait for my weekly vacuum cleaning to clean it. I keep an emergency cleaning supplies container nearby that has all the things I will need in case there’s an accident. I wipe spills immediately, then do a quick wipe down. If need be, I have a portable vacuum if the mess is too big for wipes. Stock up on wet wipes, they’re really useful in most situations. Read: http://www.homefloorexperts.com/portability-vs-power/

Know Your Fabrics

If you want a clean sofa, check the label and follow the instructions carefully. Microfiber sofas usually have a manufacturer’s tag that tells you the cleaner to use. S means that you can use cleaners that are solvent-based, W with water-based ones, S-W means you have a choice between the two previously mentioned cleaners, and X means that only a vacuum cleaner will suffice. Your sofa will last longer if you follow the advise of the manufacturer.

Yes, cleaning is a chore, but if you follow the tips above, it can be a breeze. You can have a clean home and still have quality time for your family if you do it right. I like to read articles from homefloorexperts.com to give me ideas on how to more effectively clean my floors. They have some great tips that has saved me lots of money over the years. You can follow them on Facebook if you want to stay up to date with the latest tips and tricks.