Staying in a hotel, even a fairly cheap one, can make you feel like royalty – mostly because you don’t have to clean anything. A good hotel room is so clean it feels brand new for every guest. That’s because hotel cleaning staff really know their stuff. But that knowledge isn’t strictly for hotels. These are some of the best kept industry cleaning secrets that you can use in your own home.
10) Don’t Fall For Gimmicks
The best cleaning tools and products are often not found in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket. For example, most hotels do not use disposable dusting cloths. This is not just because they are expensive and wasteful, but the cleaning staff generally find that they don’t work as well as a plain, damp cloth. And your hippy roommate isn’t the only one who cleans with vinegar. Hotel housekeepers all over the world still use this tried and true natural cleaner.
9) Never Wrestle With Your Bed Sheets Again
It is difficult to tell which side of the sheet is long and which is short until you have it on the bed. Unless, like hotel housekeepers, you know a little something about sheet manufacturers. At the factory the tags are always sewn to the bottom of the sheets. In addition to that, left and right are also marked. On king sized sheets the tag is on the left, on queen sheets it’s the right. Some hotel staff also mark the inside corners of their fitted sheets with fabric paint, to help tell up from down.
8) A Good Mop Is A Wet Mop
Have you seen a commercial for a consumer where the mop is just a little damp and there are no puddles on the floor the entire time it’s being cleaned? Maybe that works for the model on the set, but in the real world you won’t get your kitchen or tile floor sparkling and grease free without lots of water. Get the mop dripping wet and slosh the hot water and soap around liberally. Really swirl the mop around and let the water do the work. Only after you have done this “wet mop” should you move on to the “dry mop” portion, where you wring the mop out well and soak up all the water. Investing in a good wringer will help. Also remember to sweep or vacuum first, as crumbs and hair will only stick to the floor once they get wet.
7) Rinse Up, Not Down.
When washing walls or large windows, you may think it makes sense to rinse from the top down. But this could end up causing you to wash the lower portions of the surface again later. When you rinse from the top down, the wave of water picks up more grime as it descends to the point that some of that grime may be left behind. Instead, start at the bottom of the wall and rinse a small vertical section then rinse another section above that one, continuing in this manner up and up to the top. You will have to rinse all the way to the bottom each time but you will clear a path for the higher grime, allowing it to slide off easily.
6) Vacuum In, Then Out
Much like rinsing, most people think it is best to start vacuuming a room at the far end and work your way out. But if you vacuum your way into the room and then go over your path on the way out, your floors will get double clean in the same amount of time.
5) Out Darn Spot
The best way to avoid leaving spots on mirrors is to clean them with very hot water. The hotter the water, the faster it dries, giving minerals in the water less time to deposit themselves on the mirror. And for a great quick-drying agent, mix some vinegar into your hot water. We told you it was a hotel trade secret.
4) Whack Your Drapes
Dust can really collect on drapes, especially if they’re made of heavy, textured fabric. The drape attachment on your vacuum is basically useless at getting deep dust out of drapes. So shake them, hit them, and watch the dust fall out, then vacuum it up off the floor.
3) Shower Heads Need Love Too
Tie a baggie of vinegar or cleaner around your shower head and leave it for a few hours. This will break down calcium deposits, giving you more powerful, direct flow. Leave it overnight if you can.
2) If It Stinks, It’s Working
If your pet has an accident, the odour can linger long after the stain is gone. This trick will pull the stinky molecules right out of the carpet or fabric. Spray the area with vinegar (there it is again!) then sprinkle baking soda over top. Let it dry and vacuum up the powder. This will smell bad while its working because the scent is being pulled out into the soda. Once soda is gone smell will be too.
1) Don’t Work At It
Let your cleaners sit for as long as you can before wiping them off. Even water will do some of the work for you. Hotel cleaning staff have this down to a perfectly timed art. Most housekeepers will spray the tub, sink, and shower before starting on the rest of the room, allowing the products to work on soap scum and bath rings while they make up the beds.
Keeping your house clean is a literal chore and even though you can’t get paid for it like a maid, you can certainly use these tricks to make it easier.
