Armed with essential supplies and the willingness to get your hands dirty, you should be able to take on most household cleaning chores yourself. It's a pain but somebody has to do it so make light work by having the necessary supplies.
Put together a cleaning kit after identifying how dirty your house gets every day and at the end of the week. Old houses that haven't seen a lot of renovation tend to gather dirt and dust quickly because of gaps in the walls and on floorboards. Vacuuming frequently used rooms or preferably the whole house at least once a week is important to get rid of dust mites, ticks and fleas if you have pets. Calling a professional cleaning service at least twice a year may be required.
Sponges: Cheap and effective, purchase several sponges for wiping down countertops, cleaning spillage and for blotting wine spills and scrubbing grease stains. Replace them after a month because ironically, they're great germ collectors despite keeping away the same from surfaces. Tip: In the interim period, soak them in hot, soapy water and microwave them for a couple of minutes on high heat. Do this after every house cleaning session.
Green cleaners: Commercial cleaning agents are very effective but they contain a lot of chemicals which you may not agree with. Choose environmentally friendly products as an alternative which are less harsh and don't pose a risk to the health of children and pets. They're more expensive than standard cleaners.
If using commercial cleaners doesn't bother you, have one of each type of cleaner. Acidic, alkaline, neutral and a degreaser are must-haves because they attack most types of stains and remove scaling.
Dusters: Have several dusters on hand, one for cleaning wooden surfaces, another for electronics and delicate objects etc. Feather dusters are best for fragile items and objects out of reach like lighting fixtures. Ordinary cloth dusters should be used for hardier items.
Microfiber cloth: Cleaning the grooves of electronic appliances is frustrating and time-consuming. Microfiber cloths can make it easier as they're designed to attract floating dust, those annoying particles that settle everywhere all the time.
Squeegee: A cheap way to clean windows is by using balled newspaper but it can leave scratches and marks on the smooth surface. Invest in a squeegee instead for windows free of water spots and scratches.
Vacuum cleaner: Houses with many nooks and crannies or difficult to reach spots will benefit with two vacuum cleaners, a large canister model and one hand-held variant. Or, purchase a relatively powerful vacuum that has many nozzles to get under furniture, reach the ceiling and work on floorboards and carpets.
Steamer: Carpeted floors should be vacuumed but use a steam cleaner every two or three weeks. Carpets harbor a lot of dust which only steam cleaning can get out. Purchase an upright model and work carpets after moving furniture.
Wax or polish: Determine whether your floor and wooden objects can be waxed or polished by enquiring with the supplier. If it can, you'll need the two to keep wood gleaming. Wax and polish add a protective layer over surfaces to prevent some degree of scratches and stains forming.
Rubber gloves: Handling cleaning products with bare hands can leave them susceptible to small burns. This is true of acidic cleaners. You can also suffer cuts and scratches so invest in consumer-grade rubber gloves to protect your hands.
