House Cleaning Tips
What Your Cleaning Lady Wishes You Knew (But Is Too Polite to Say)
What your cleaning lady wishes you knew often comes down to preparation, communication, and realistic expectations. This guest contribution from Sofia Martinez of Sparkly Maid Austin was edited and reviewed by The Cleaning Lady. Drawing on her professional cleaning experience, Sofia shares what she wishes customers understood before a cleaner arrives. From Sofia: We’re not…
Your Ultimate Guide to Smart Cleaning Solutions
By The Cleaning Lady Wipe your feet on the front door mat and come on in–because we’re about to discuss tech-influenced cleaning solutions so smart that the deities of sanitation would give them an A+. With smart cleaning coming to the rescue, that means your space is about to become sparkly and spotless in just…
Complete Move Out Cleaning Checklist: Room-by-Room Guide
By The Cleaning Lady This move out cleaning checklist takes you room by room so you can finish the job without discovering a forgotten cabinet or dusty ceiling fan during the final walkthrough. Start after most of your belongings are packed, clean from top to bottom, and photograph the empty rental when you are done….
How To Properly Clean Your Home If You’re Looking To Sell It ASAP
Introduction Preparing your home for sale can seem like a daunting task, especially when you’re on a tight timeline. However, with a strategic approach, it’s possible to enhance your home’s appeal to attract potential buyers quickly. A clean, well-maintained home not only makes a great first impression but can also significantly impact its sale price…
How to Prevent Eye Injuries When Cleaning Your Home
Cleaning can put your eyes closer to chemical sprays, dust, debris and dirty water than you may realize. After 20 years of cleaning homes, I have learned that the safest routine is the one that keeps the mess moving away from your face and gives you a plan before you open a bottle or climb…
Room Cleaning Time Estimator
Calculate How Much Time It Will Take to Clean Each Room in Your House By The Cleaning Lady Introduction Cleaning your home can feel overwhelming when you do not know how long each room will take. You may have only a few hours and need to decide where to start, or you may be planning…
Dark Side of the Sunday Reset: Is it Really Good for You?
By The Cleaning Lady Introduction If you’ve never heard of the viral TikTok trend for the Sunday Reset, don’t worry, I hadn’t either until a few months ago. Now I have watched hundreds of influencer videos of them cleaning their spotless kitchens and bathrooms and organizing their pristine refrigerators while giving themselves facials and smoothie…
How to Get Your Husband or Partner to Help Around the House
By The Cleaning Lady If you are trying to figure out how to get your husband to help around the house, the best place to start is not with another reminder. Start with a clear conversation about shared responsibility, what “done” means, and who owns each job from beginning to end. These steps can work…
How to Choose a Trash Can: A Room-by-Room Guide
By The Cleaning Lady The short answer To choose a trash can, start with the room, the kind of waste it will hold and how often you want to empty it. Kitchens usually need a larger, washable bin with a secure lid. Bathrooms need a small, moisture-resistant bin, often with a lid. Bedrooms and offices…
Generic vs Name Brand Cleaning Supplies: 6 Comparisons
By The Cleaning Lady Summary Generic vs name brand cleaning supplies can perform similarly, but they are not automatically identical. Compare the active ingredients, concentration, EPA registration number, package size, surface directions and cost per use before switching. Bleach, glass cleaner, sponges, melamine foam, bleach spray and duster refills can all offer savings when the…
The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies: From All-Purpose to Glass Cleaner and More
By The Cleaning Lady Introduction Making your own cleaning supplies can save you a lot of money and it is safer for you and your family than using cleaners with harsh chemicals. It’s also a lot easier than you think and, contrary to popular belief, not very time-consuming. There are only a few ingredients you…
Where to Find Cheap Cleaning Supplies: 7 Ways to Save Money
By The Cleaning Lady Summary If you are wondering where to find cheap cleaning supplies, start by comparing store brands, discount stores, refill systems and reusable tools. The lowest shelf price is not always the best deal, so compare the cost per ounce or per use and buy only products that work for the surfaces…
Thanksgiving Cleaning and Entertainment Guide: 14 Ways to Make Your Thanksgiving Easy, Fun, and Stress-Free
By The Cleaning Lady Thanksgiving is just around the corner and, for many, the holiday brings a blend of joy and stress. But this year, why not make it all about the joy? Welcome to your one-stop resource for making your Thanksgiving not just memorable but also utterly effortless. From strategic cleaning tips and essential…
How to Clean Laminate Wood Floors the Right Way
Guest post courtesy of Pick Pet Vacuum Introduction Laminate wood floors are an affordable alternative to hardwood flooring. Nowadays, you get laminate floors that look like different types of wood such as oak, hickory, and heartwood pine to exotics such as tigerwood and prado, but for cheaper than the real thing. Laminate wood floors are…
The Ultimate Deep Cleaning / Spring Cleaning Checklist
By The Cleaning Lady Deep cleaning your whole house can be a big job, but it can be well worth it in the end. Why deep clean your house? It makes your house look great and can improve your health by removing dust and improving your indoor air quality. How often should you deep clean…
How a Chore Contract can Save Your Relationship with Your Husband, Partner, Spouse or Roommate
By The Cleaning Lady Do you feel like you’re drowning in daily chores and housework and your partner is skirting by with taking out the trash once a week. Is it affecting your relationship? Well, you’re not alone. A 2018 study done by Harvard Business School found that 25% of divorces are due to “disagreements…
6 House Cleaning Tips For Seniors To Avoid Injury
By The Cleaning Lady Introduction I’ve had many elderly clients over the years, some with mobility issues (including balance and dizziness issues). For many of them, it is difficult to come to the realization that there are certain things they can’t (or shouldn’t) do around the house. Unfortunately, house cleaning is rife with risky tasks…
Indoor Air Quality Improvement: Simple, Cost Effective Tips
By The Cleaning Lady Summary: The indoor air quality in your house is very important for the health of you and your family. If it is poor, short and long-term health problems can occur. I’ll tell you all about the air quality in your home, how to measure it and simple ways to improve it…
How to Clean a Ceiling Fan Without Making a Mess
By The Cleaning Lady This ceiling fan cleaning guide contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools that make the job safer or easier. If you want to know how to clean a ceiling fan without…
Things You Need To Do Before Your Cleaning Service Comes
By The Cleaning Lady So you’ve made the call and hired a reputable cleaning service. They’ve given you an estimate and you’ve picked a date. Now you can sit back and relax, right? Not so fast. There are certain things you need to do in your home to prepare for your housekeeping to ensure you…
Best Cleaning Aprons, Tool Belts and Caddies
By The Cleaning Lady Reviewed September 2026. Product designs, prices and availability change, so use the retailer buttons for the current listing. A good cleaning apron keeps the small tools you reach for constantly within arm’s reach, so you spend less time walking back to the supply closet. But an apron is not always the…
7 Steps to Deep Cleaning a New Home
Originally contributed by Cherie Mclaughlin of www.couchbasedbiz.com. Updated and reviewed by The Cleaning Lady for current cleaning and safety guidance. Introduction Moving into a new home is exciting on many levels, as it marks a new chapter in your life. And while it provides a blank canvas for you to furnish and decorate as you…
Function Before Fashion: Essentials for a Stylish Yet Easy-to-Maintain Home
By The Cleaning Lady Introduction Balancing beauty with practicality in home decor can be challenging, but it’s achievable with the ‘Function Before Fashion’ approach. This guide offers savvy tips for selecting furniture, paint, and flooring that enhance both the functionality and style of your living space. Dive into the world of functional elegance and learn…
Confessions of a Cleaning Lady: Professional Cleaning Tips and Tricks and Cleaning Product Reviews by The Cleaning Lady
About Me: Hi! I’m The Cleaning Lady. I’ve been a professional house cleaner for 20 years and I’ve learned a lot about cleaning, organizing and how people react to these tasks. I have worked with hoarders, people with mental and neurodivergent disorders and the young and old. What I’ve learned is everyone has different levels…
Bare Minimum Cleaning Schedule: A Realistic 30-Minute Routine
A bare minimum cleaning schedule is the smallest repeatable routine that keeps trash, food residue, bathroom soil, spills, and busy walking paths under control. On most days, spend 10 to 15 minutes on the essentials. Add one short weekly task when you have the time and energy, keeping the total under about 30 minutes. This…
10 Cleaning Motivation Quotes to Help You Get Started
By The Cleaning Lady Cleaning motivation when you do not feel like starting Sometimes the hardest part of cleaning is not the work itself. It is getting started. A messy room can make the job feel bigger than it is, especially when you are tired, busy or already overwhelmed. As a professional house cleaner, I…
Should You Have a Trash Can in Every Room? A Cleaner Explains
By The Cleaning Lady The short answer You do not need a trash can in every room just to follow a rule, but most rooms that regularly collect trash should have one. In my experience as a professional house cleaner, a small, well-placed wastebasket makes it much more likely that wrappers, tissues, receipts and other…
Should You Ditch Your Blinds?
By The Cleaning Lady I’m not a big fan of window blinds. Most of my clients have them in their houses and I cringe every time I have to clean them. I keep trying to tell them (my) life would be so much easier without them but to no avail. I give them great alternatives…
A Guide to Basic First Aid for Kitchen Accidents
By The Cleaning Lady As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a small percentage of purchases from links in this post at no cost to you. You may already know this, but the FTC makes me say it :-) Accidents happen in the home and one of the most common rooms for getting hurt is in…
ADHD Cleaning Tips: How to Keep Your House Clean
By The Cleaning Lady ADHD cleaning tips work best when they make the next step obvious and small. Start with trash, dishes, laundry and a clear walking path. Choose one task, use a short timer and stop when it rings. A functional home is the goal—not a perfect one. I’ve cleaned homes professionally for 20…
Speed Cleaning Checklist: Clean Your House in 15 Minutes
By The Cleaning Lady Need your home to look presentable before guests arrive? This speed cleaning checklist gives you a practical 15-minute plan for the rooms visitors are most likely to see. It is not a deep clean. It is a fast, focused reset that tackles clutter, dishes, visible surfaces, the guest bathroom, and the…
How to Clean a Dirty Toilet Fast: Step-by-Step Guide
Want to know how to clean a dirty toilet without turning it into an all-day project? Start with the bowl cleaner so it has time to work, then clean the outside from the least dirty areas to the dirtiest. Scrub the bowl last, flush with the lid closed, and give the base and floor a…
Spring Cleaning / Deep Cleaning Living Room Checklist, Plus 5 Spots Not to Forget
By The Cleaning Lady Continuing our series on Spring cleaning, we’ll take a trip to the living room (see my deep / Spring cleaning bathroom checklist here). Thankfully one of the easier spots in the house to Spring clean, it still has those places you might not think of getting to. How to deep clean…
Spring Cleaning / Deep Cleaning Bathroom Checklist, Plus 4 Places You are Forgetting to Clean
By The Cleaning Lady Spring is almost upon on us and that means it’s time to create a plan of attack for deep cleaning the house. The bathroom is one of the parts of the house that needs the most Spring cleaning attention. If you still need to get motivated, I’ve made a list of…
How to Get Cleaning Services for Free (or Almost Free)
By The Cleaning Lady Introduction In the quest for a spotless home, the cost of professional cleaning services can sometimes feel overly expensive. However, there’s a clever trick that doesn’t involve shelling out a bunch of money: trading, swapping, or even bartering your way to a clean home. This strategy can help you unlock free…
How to Use Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap for Cleaning
By The Cleaning Lady Summary Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap can handle many everyday cleaning jobs when it is properly diluted. It works well for hand-washing dishes, laundry, mopping, all-purpose cleaning and toilet bowls. However, it is a true soap—not a disinfectant—and hard water can leave a film. For greasy jobs, streak-free glass or homes…
About The Cleaning Lady
I’m The Cleaning Lady, a professional house cleaner with 20 years of hands-on experience. I share practical cleaning, organizing and product advice for people who want a cleaner home without spending all day on it. I’ve worked with people of all ages and abilities, including clients managing mobility challenges, mental health conditions and neurodivergence. Those experiences shaped my realistic, judgment-free approach to housework. My goal is to help you clean more safely and efficiently with methods and tools that work. My motto is “Clean smarter, not harder!”