6 House Cleaning Secrets

1. When cleaning a house, she thinks of everything as a grid.

“I do this with small areas, like a mirror or countertop, or larger spaces, like an entire floor.” Tanaka says. “By visualizing the space broken up into a grid, I don't miss anything and I don't go over any spot more times than necessary.”

2. She always cleans from top to bottom.

“If you're doing a major clean-up, do your floors last,” Tanaka says. “That way you're not shaking down dust and dirt onto anything you've already cleaned.”

This is something I already do. Do you?

3. She keeps a few odd (but seriously helpful!) items in her cleaning kit.

“I often use washable cloth baby diapers as a buffing tool,” says Tanaka. “They're really amazing at shining things like granite countertops, mirrors, and windows, and help you use fewer paper towels.

Tanaka is also a fan of microfiber cloths, but heads to the automotive section to buy them. “They will be much cheaper than the ones in the cleaning section.”

And she's figured out some double-duty uses for other cleaning tools in her stash. “A squeegee is great for sweeping up crummy countertops or dusty stairs, since it's grippy and can get into tight corners. And I like to use a plastic pan scraper for lifting stuck-on messes off floors — it saves my fingers!”

4. She corrals her cords.

“Electrical cords are a real magnet for dust bunnies, so I like to neatly zip-tie them together, or even tack them up off the floor to keep dust from collecting.”

5. She relies on hooks to keep things tidy.

“People have good intentions with their organizing systems, but often putting things away in bins is still too much to ask,” Tanaka says. “I've found I'm more likely to hang things up (and I think other people are like this, too) so I like hooks.”

6. She always squeegees her shower.

Tanaka finds that keeping her bathroom as dry as possible to fight mildew and soap scum build-up. “I even squeegee shower curtains, or the lip of the shower door frame.”

You can check out the rest of this article on Good Housekeeping's website. When you're finished, leave us a comment and share your best cleaning tips.