Here are 5 "Work smarter not harder" cleaning hacks

1. The Magic Eraser

By now, I'm sure we've all heard of the "Magic Eraser." There are just certain stains, like those coffee stains in your stainless still sink or the water stains in the tub from the bath mat, that we can't get rid of with other cleaning products. It removes ink stains from the walls, brightens tile floors and countertops, and whitens baseboards. There are different versions of The Magic Eraser: The Soap Scum Eraser works great on glass shower doors to remove built-up soap scum, and The Heavy Duty eraser works excellent in getting tough grease stains off the stove and backsplash. Had I discovered this product initially, I could've saved myself a lot of the elbow grease I put into removing stains. 

 2. Pumice Stone

Suppose you thought the Magic Eraser worked miracles. Allow me to introduce the "Pumice Stone." You can get this product from your local 99-cent store or home depot. It works great in removing built-up grease stains. I could remove all grease stains from a stove that hasn't been deep cleaned in a while, only using water and a microfiber cloth. I'm not kidding; it works miracles on tough grease and hard water stains. The best part about it is that it won't leave any scratches if you wet it. I would test a small patch first, but from my experience, if you keep the stone wet, you can avoid scratching the surfaces. There was a time that a customer had a tub full of splashes of dye that wouldn't come up until I used the Pumice Stone on the spots. Give it a try on your stove or inside your toilet bowl, where there's a rigid ring. 

3. Stainless Steel Cleaner

Not only does this product work great on Stainless Steel Appliances and Surfaces, but it leaves mirrors with a streak-free shine that I don't get with traditional glass cleaners.

4. Hair in the bathroom

The amount of hair left over in showers, toilets, and floors is the most annoying to clean once you start wetting the surfaces. The hair gets into your rag; then it's pesky, trying to get rid of it once it's wet. I advise using the vacuum hose or a slightly damp paper towel to remove the hair before spraying products and wetting surfaces. It makes a huge difference when cleaning the bathrooms, trust me. 

5. Set a timer

It's so easy to lose track of time when cleaning. To save time in one room, set timers. I usually give myself 45min to deep clean the bathroom—45 min to deep clean the kitchen, and 1 hour for the bedroom and other common areas.

There are so many other things I wish I had known when starting my cleaning business, like cleaning the ceiling fans and allowing the dirt to fall to the floor before cleaning anything else. Mop the floor with a bucket of water and then go over it with a steamer to ensure it is spotless. There are many other products and methods out there to help save time and energy, but hopefully, this may have helped someone who's starting their cleaning business or just someone who cleans their own home.