This is the time of year when people start to think about buying a new home or remodeling the one they have. We all like to make improvements in our living areas. And I hope these suggestions help you to make decissions that decrease your cleaning.
Number one rule never buy anything without first asking yourself "How am i going to clean this"? It may be cute and it may be fashoinable, but is it cleanable?
Think about the cost of Maintenance:
Something that takes an extra five minutes, two times a day = 61 hours in a year! That's a lot of hours you could spent doing something fun!
Your home should contain only as much space as you really need. Focus your attention on creating a house that's large enough to accomodate your family's individual needs, but also one that doesn't have a lot of wasted space. The more space you have, the more area you must heat, air-condition and clean.
Kitchen
Glass fronts kitchen cupboards: Not only do you need to keep the things in that cupboard organized, but you'll have another surface to clean- glass and wood.
Kitchen Cupboards: Build kitchen cupboards to the ceiling. You have more space and you won't have an area above the cupboards you feel you need to decorate.
Ornate molding on kitchen cupboards: Keep kitchen cupboards as smooth and plain as possible. Grooves collect dust.
Ornate Handeles: Smooth handels are easier to clean. But no handels is the worst idea. Hand oil will build up and it;s hard to remove.
Open Shelving: Open shelves instead of cupboards, are fine if you don't mind eating from dusty dishes.
Stainless steel: Get the best grade stainless steel you can afford, whether it's an apliance or sink. Lower grade stainless doesn't wear well.
Placing sink: Make sure the sink is installed at least an inch from the back splash. This allows room for cleaning.
Faucets: A single faucet is all you need to dispense both hot and cold water. Less to break, less to clean.
Water dispensers on refrigerator: Don't spend extra money for a water dispenser on a refrigerator. Water drips down the front of the appliances, lime deposits build up. After a short time they are hard to clean and look terrible.
Stone flooring: Stone flooring in a kitchen is durable, but it's also hard to stand on for a long period of time.. frequent washing can cause the surface to chip.
Stainless steel appliances: I don't think you would find any of these in a house cleaner's kitchen, especially if children are involved. They are a pain to keep looking nice. A white, textured refrigerator door is always in style and easy to clean. If you buid your cupboards around the refrigerator it is a beautiful look. And please no black!
Bathroom
Glass shower doors: Stay away form galss shower doors unless you are prepared to squeegee them every time you use them. There are many shoer stalls on the market that don't require doors.
Tiles: Use large tiles for showers. The bigger the tile, the less grout to clean.
Marble: Marble is beautiful in a bath, but it water spots and stains with lime. There are attractive ceramics that look like marble and clean easily.
Deep sinks: Deep sinks keep water splashes to a minimum. Use liquid soaps rather than bar soap.
Suspended toilet: Get a suspended toilet, if not suspended, get one that is molded into one piece.
Medicine cabinets: Medicine cabinets with track doors are no fun to clean. Buy one that opens outward, no tracks.
Bathroom mirror: Keep the vanity mirror at least two inches up from the countertop. Ths prevents splashing.
Wood: Water rots wood and eventually, no matter what you coat it with, it will look bad.
Ceiling fan: Install a good ceiling fan, vented to the outside, to keep mildew to a minimum.
Large tubs:If you don't take long baths, don't invest in a Jacuzzi tub. Most people never use them and they are a pain to clean.
I hope this article can save you some time cleaning. Til next time,
Schar Ward