HOME MUST HAVES | CLEANING EDITION

Trust us, We know housework can feel overwhelming

Something that can be overwhelming is cleaning, especially when you have kids running room to room creating tiny disasters… like little tornados. But that doesn’t mean as parents we are perfectly clean and tidy 24/7 too. Cleaning, chores, keeping up the house, having that Pinterest/photo ready home is something that we feel people stress about more than they think. Something is always lingering in the back of your mind whether it’s a pile of laundry, unmade beds, or sweeping the floors for the millionth time. It creates stress. Have you ever stressed about cleaning your house or just keeping it clean? We’re sure you have and it’s okay, you’re not alone. Since this is something we have stressed about, we have always set out to find ways to make chores easier. Tired of constantly getting out the big vacuum to cleaning the smallest mess? We took care of that. Potty training kids and constantly cleaning the toilet? Yeah, we found something to ease that too. That’s why we HAD to share our home must-haves for cleaning. These are all things that have changed the game and have kept our home in a place where if family or friends want to pop by, we may only need 10 minutes to be ready.

 

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight

ONE |

Our floors are predominately LVT/hardwood or tile which means a lot of mopping has to take place to clean up spills, crayon markings, scuffs… pretty much anything. We also have two littles who still love the floor and one who will be crawling all over it before we know it. That means our floors have to stay next-level clean and this steam mop took care of it all. Why it varies from a regular mop is it heats up quick and is ready to go without having to get out a bucket, fill it with water, and carry it all around. With the steam mop, we are able to plug it in and within a minute we are able to clean up any mess with ease while knowing the steam is also sanitizing the area. Clearly we could rave about this item for forever.

TWO |

Two words: ROBOT VACUUM. Ours is my Shark and it’s one of our greatest investments. While sometimes it may get ran during the day, we love to run ours every night so it can get into all the crevices that we can’t get into, but somehow the kids managed to get into and crumb up. Whether it’s under the couch or the bookshelves, we love our Shark. The best reason to run it every night is because nothing beats waking up to clean floors and those infamous vacuum lines.

THREE |

Every house with 2+ children or even pets needs a squeegee. They aren’t expensive and boy it can make cleaning things like the shower walls, WINDOWS, glass doors, and even the counter so easy. If you’re like Nicole, window streaks from a cloth can drive you nuts. With a squeegee, you’re able to get a flawless clean on glass surfaces. As for the counter? After the kids have baked or eaten, it’s so easy to just take the squeegee and gather all the food and spills and send it right into the sink or trashcan without having to use a dozen paper towels. Reason #23948 to get a squeegee: saves the planet by reducing paper towel waste. WHAT. A. WIN.

FOUR |

Surfaces, so many surfaces, and toys, and more. We love Mrs. Meyer’s multipupose cleaner for these things. It works great on wood and tile floors, walls (hello crayon marks), porcelain, bathroom fixtures, sealed stone and granite… truly a great product to be able to tackle every aspect of a kid’s mess. Can’t forget to mention the scents that are available. They smell so good that when cleaning the house it feels like we also sprayed air freshener everywhere.

FIVE |

It isn’t easy making a toilet brush look aesthetically cleaning on a graphic let alone look pretty next to a toilet but this silicone brush is worth raving about. First off it comes with a holder so you can actually mount it to the wall. Since it’s housing is flat, it fits flush against the wall so it’s off the floor and looks cleaner. Second, the silicone brush is game changing because it can bend into the deep crevice that collects the most grime and contour to the toilet bowl with ease. Lastly since its silicone and more flat than those gross round brushes, it can be cleaned easily and doesn’t hoard anything nasty. When children are using the bathroom constantly, having an efficient and easy way to clean the toilets is a necessity.

SIX |

Microfiber cloths. You know what they are and you also know they are not just a household necessity, but a life necessity. Something that a lot of people don’t know is that microfibers cloths remove bacteria WAY more than a basic paper towel. So when cleaning, using a microfiber cloth guarantees a proper cleaning. They are reusable, just throw them in the wash after they are used, and are easy to keep stored away in the kitchen, utility closet, laundry room, and car. This item is self explanatory and these are our favorites in terms of fibers and we love the fact they have a holder so hanging them on a hook to dry is easy.

SEVEN |

Yes, we know… we have a Shark robot vacuum and a wireless vacuum by their greatest rival: Dyson. However, when it comes down to a wireless vacuum Dyson takes the cake and we love it. We own the v10 which is great for the furry and kid animals running through your house. It’s so nice being able to vacuum up a simple mess without having to lug out the big vacuum and unwrap and wrap up the long cord afterwards. It also makes it so easy to vacuum the stairs, which we have a lot of, or the couches after the kids have had a stack. After each use we put it back on its charging dock and we’ve never had an issue of the battery running out while cleaning. Can’t recommend this one enough.

EIGHT |

CREASE RELEASE. Another Laundress product for the win. If you’ve noticed, we travel, A LOT. Which means a lot of cloths in a lot of bags. We started taking this crease release spray with us to assist in our nicer clothes when traveling but we have since brought it into our home and using it in places that elevate our home experience. You probably just imaged that we only used it on clothes, but using it on the beds after they’re made and the curtains keep them fresh and smooth. Another way we are able to achieve a semi-Pinterest worthy home.

We hope these items are able to help you clean efficiently and not as often! HAPPY CLEANING!

xo – The Pasternacks