In no particular order, here are the individual tasks I am tackling each day this month:
- Make cleaning supplies
- Cycle clean appliances
- Clean out cars
- Clean out microwave
- Wipe down cabinets/appliances
- Wipe down trim/doors
- Clean out one drawer
- Clean out fridge
- Clean out freezer
- Vacuum under furniture
- Vacuum mattresses
- Clean oven
- Clean out one closet
- Wash out garbage can/recycle bin
- Wash windows
- Scrub grout
- Clean out one cabinet
- File paper piles
- Purge bathroom toiletries
- Clean out pantry
Today I am chatting about the extra task: Vacuum Under Furniture
If you thought yesterday's cleaning challenge post was riveting, just wait for today's....
What this task means to each of you may be different, as will the process depending on the type of vacuum you use and even your type of flooring. I just thought I would pop in and share how I personally tackled today's monthly cleaning task, as well as just hold myself accountable to get something done.
Let's take a look at what the floor was looking like under our furniture.
This is a good day as we recently moved some pieces around and vacuumed the floor at that time. Regardless, it gets dusty very quickly in those rarely seen spaces!
We had tried a few different stick vacs and they always seemed to fall short. After we put in our hard flooring throughout the entire lower level, we decided to try out the Dyson Animal stick vac. We wanted something that would keep hard floors easy to clean and dust free, and also appreciated that it condensed into a hand vac that we can use on our couch cushions and to vacuum our stairs. We have been using it for almost three years now, and although we did break a small piece and it was out of commission for a short while, Dyson was great to work with and sent us a new replacement part at no charge. Not sponsored or anything, just love when we find companies that offer good service.
The best part for me, however, is that it can lay flat to get all the way under our furniture.
That means less furniture moving for me, as prior it would take triple the time to move everything, vacuum, and move it all back. And with two large couches, that wouldn't even happen very often.
So today, I took the time to take the stick vac around our home, vacuuming under many of the pieces of furniture that get missed with our main vacuum each weekend. That included beds, sofas and leggy furniture.
Now much of the flooring that is typically hidden and rarely thought about, is dust free within 10-15 minutes of my time.
We typically mop our floors once per week, and move furniture and do a really good job once a month. That would go in-line with the vacuum under furniture day. I guess I know what I am doing after I publish this post....
Looking for something? Check out my favorite cleaning products below:
I am loving this series and can't wait for cleaning of the oven because mine is in bad shape. Do you mind sharing where you purchased the oil you use for adding to your cleaners? and I totally went and bought the glass cleaner cloths and they are awesome-sauce!! :)
ReplyDeletep.s. I hope the little feels better soon.
VERY interested in the Dyson Animal Vac - having animals around the house are a pleasure and a HOT MESS when it comes to wood floors! We mop once a week, however, I feel that half the time I am simply smearing hair around *bleh!* Great tip :)
ReplyDeleteWe have that animal/wood floor combo too & I had to laugh - "hot mess" is so true! I actually swiffer the floors daily & find it does a pretty good job at keeping the hair tumbleweeds in check. I would love to own the animal Dyson, as I've heard nothing but great reviews about them!
DeleteSame Problemo! I use a Dyson DC24 without the spinners on prior to mopping and it helps alot to pick up the hair and avoid scratching the beautiful wood floors. (We rent, so it's extra important not to keep them beautiful!
DeleteMaybe I'm a bit of a dork but I do enjoy these posts about cleaning thoroughly in less time, thank you for this series!
ReplyDeleteThat makes me so happy to hear! I know they are not for everyone, but I get a lot of questions about cleaning and I am always having fun trying new things and ways to clean more in less time. Plus, seeing other people clean motivates me so I thought I would give the series a whirl. It is nice to know I am not the only one having fun with it! :)
DeleteI too love any post about cleaning your home in less time. It sounds awful because I work from home and I'm always home, but I never seem to have time to deep clean and it drives me bonkers when I feel like my house is icky.
ReplyDeleteHey cute girl! Loved hearing about the kind of vacuum you use! Also, as far as mopping goes....what mop do you use for your wood floors? I'm always curious about that? Do you have hardwood floors or laminate? Thanks girl! xo
ReplyDeleteHi Amber,
DeleteThe mop I use is the Wayclean Microfiber Twist Mop, found at Target a few years back. Overall I really like it! It has microfiber mop heads that clean really well and can be washed over and over {which I love}. It is a little hard to twist the head to ring out the water while mopping, not sure if it is just ours or a manufacture thing. Otherwise, it has worked really well! Our floors are laminate.
xoxo!
We have a sofa with a very small gap between the bottom and the floor. Today I moved it to when while doing that I came to realize that it had been a while
ReplyDeleteI really love these posts too...super helpful! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this series too! even if I haven't done them all (or hardly any of them) I'm inspired to do them soon! you know, I'd love a little ebook of these or a pdf and really, I'd be happy to pay for it. It would be a great resource for our house. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteYes Jane, I would also love to see Jennifer publishing an ebook here that includes all those little tricks and experiences she shares here. I hope someday she listens to our request. :)
DeleteDear Jen, I check your blog on daily basis and absolutely adore your ideas,devotion and intelligence.You've made me become more organized with everything I do.Is it possible to share how you clean your sofa,the dust on the furniture(do you do all the house at once or room per room a day,what you clean it with etc.) and how do cook your meals(do you prepare all the meals in advance and freeze them,or something different and can you post your weekly menu plan with all the meals?)
ReplyDeleteJust got a Dyson Animal Stick Vac myself, and I agree - worth the price! Add me to the lost of those that enjoy these specific cleaning posts.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen! First of all I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration you have provided for me to keep my home clean and something to be proud of without feeling like I spend my whole life cleaning! You have broken it down into manageable pieces and I love it! I recently found your blog and I am really enjoying all that you have to offer.
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question. I just bought a bunch of microfiber cloths and I am going to try to switch over and really reduce the amount of paper towels I use. I am just wondering about your laundering routine for the microfiber. Do you launder them alone or with other rags and dishcloths? It just seems like it would be such a tiny load to do microfiber alone. Also, do you launder them all together (ex. bathroom with kitchen)? Do you have different colors for different purposes? Because I can't imagine using the same cloth to wipe my toddlers faces that I used to clean the toilet (even after it has been laundered). Do you wash them in hot water? Some things I've been reading say not to use hot water, but if you don't, how do they get sanitized? Sorry for the thousand questions, but any insight you have into the laundry routine for microfiber would be great!
Thank you for the super sweetness Jess!!
DeleteI launder them together, and I do launder them with other rags. I read this awhile back and have been sticking to this method:
Wash your microfiber in the washing machine with detergent only. Tumble them dry on low heat or no heat. High heat will literally melt the fibers while fabric softener and bleach will eliminate the electric charge that makes microfiber so effective.
I use detergent and a little vinegar in the wash cycle, tumble dry on low and it seems to work well.
xo!
This may be a silly question, but do you re-use your castile soap/water/essential oil cleaner, or dump it after each use and make a fresh batch each time? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel!
DeleteI re-use it until it is gone and then whip up a new batch. I have not had a problem storing it or having it go bad. :)
xo!
Hi Jen! Question about this Dyson Slim Vac - we only have 1 room with carpet (not very big) and the rest of our house is hardwood - do you know how this vacuum works on regular carpet? I hate the idea of having 2 vacuums and think this one sounds amazing since 90% of our house is hardwood, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie!
DeleteIt does work on regular carpet. We have frieze carpet and I have used the vacuum on it from time to time. We have a few really fluffy rugs and three full rooms of carpet, so the larger push vac has been nice {we actually purchased it when our home had twice the carpet}, however, I think you could get away with the stick vac with just one room. :)
xo!
Great, thanks for your input!
DeleteMy boys' room is super tiny (there is only enough room for an adult to walk between their beds) which means it is impossible to get a vacuum under their beds - but it gets so dusty under there! I've found a stick duster does the trick - I get down on my hands and knees and flick all the dust out to the end of their beds and then vacuum it up there! It's a great quick and easy option for getting under furniture that doesn't require moving it :)
ReplyDeleteIf a person could only get one of the vacuums you feature which would you suggest...I have hard wood with some rungs...and a animal that sheds!!
ReplyDeleteHi Whitney,
DeleteI would personally recommend the Dyson DC41 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner, as the stick vac runs on battery and may not do an entire floor in one charge. The full size can work on hard floors and the spinner auto detects when you move onto a rug. The attachments are also great for under furniture, so I think you definitely get more bang for your buck with it.
xoxo!
We are in the process of getting a stick vac to go along with our regular vacuum and possibly pretty much replace it. I know I've read that you have a Dyson DC44 Animal vac and really love it. Currently, Target has them on sale for $279 (on line only) with free shipping. I have been pricing these and this price seems like a pretty good price. I'm sure you know this, but they now have a DC59. Seems like they are always coming out with newer improved versions of everything. It is $100 more. I guess I am just wondering if you still love your DC44 and if it is still doing the job for you before making my decision to either get it or to splurge on the newer, improved version. Thanks so much. Love your blog, Gloria
DeleteHello!
DeleteWe still use ours and enjoy is (as much as one can vacuuming). The one thing you may want to research between the two is the charge time vs. run time. Now that we have almost two full floors of hard floors, we do have to stop and recharge between each. Otherwise, it still gets a thumbs up from us!
Jen
I live in Arkansas and recently purchased our first HYLA vacuum. My children and i have severe allergies and my son has asthma, since using this product we immediately noticed a difference, i thought my home was clean until i vacuumed with the HYLA. I'm truly happy with this product and would recommend it to families who struggle with allergies. I've had Hoover vacuums and even a Kirby and i can say this product by far is amazing.
ReplyDelete