As we head into the weekend, cleaning is likely the *least* exciting thing you have planned for a couple of days off. At least for me it is. But, that’s not to say there aren’t jobs that just have to get done to make sure we can have fun AT the zoo, instead of having our home look and smell like one.
If you know me, you know I hate to clean, so I do everything I can to ensure I’m using cleaning products, tools, and techniques that help me clean smarter and faster – not harder. This is why I’ve compiled a list of 7 innovative tools to help you get the work done. Isn’t it great when you don’t have to give cleaning 100% of your energy?
I’m always looking online to see what the latest buzzy cleaning tools and products are all about. Are they worth the hype or just a big waste? I’ve tested some products that I think are definitely worth the hype, so I’m going to share them with you to save you some precious time and energy this weekend.
If you have water bottles galore in your home, consider getting one of these brushes. Many reusable bottles are not dishwasher safe (especially the double-walled insulated kind), and we need a solution to thoroughly clean these. I like this brush because it’s convenient and double sided, so it speeds through cleaning by getting the interior and exterior scrubbed simultaneously. The brush has suction cups that will stick to the side of your kitchen sink so your bottle brushes won’t be flip-flopping around. It also makes for a fun task your kids to participate in! Add some dish soap to your water bottle and then scrub sideways to clean and refresh your bottles.
If you have a slide-in stove, you have probably experienced many cooking mishaps where crumbs, sauce, and spills fall between the gap between the counter and the stove itself. Once slid out, you see a number of mystery stains and dried crusty stuff that require a lot of effort to clean. This solution is quick and easy to install and top-rack dishwasher safe, too. Order the right size gap filler for your counter, choose the color you’d like, and apply it over a clean surface. Now, spills and crumbs will be prevented from getting into that pesky gap!
The area surrounding the kitchen sink faucet is a huge splash zone and is almost always guaranteed to be dirty. Plus, there’s soap and sponges, and the area often gets water buildup, leaving gunk and hard water behind. This sink splash guard is a great tool to keep that area clean and dry. You can cut the rubber ring to fit your faucet base, and it’s got a slight angle as well as channeling to help push water back into the sink (where it’s meant to be!) It elevates wet items like sponges for fast drying, but best of all, it’s easy to remove and rinse down, keeping your countertops in pristine condition.
Let’s face it: we eat at our laptops more often than we’d like to admit. Crumbs explode all over the keyboard leaving tiny shards of meals past, which looks unappetizing but can also get in the way of the keys working properly. Further, dust can build up over time on the keyboard and other components. And your screen gets gunked up, too (thank you, dirty children’s hands). This little tool solves the issue of both a dirty screen and a dirty keyboard. Use the soft bristles to brush dust and debris out of the keyboard. When I do this, I like to stand the keyboard on its side to give the crumbs the benefit of gravity. Make sure to hold on tightly! The other side of the brush is used to clean the screen, but if you need something a little more heavy-duty, try the Maker’s Clean glass & electronics cloth, which is great for larger areas. Make sure your computer is OFF before you begin cleaning.
Any good home chef will tell you two things: you always need more butter and never put a chef’s knife in the dishwasher. Handwashing a large chef’s knife can be a little risky because it’s easy to knick yourself. This brush looks like a mouth with bristly teeth and is a great way to safely slide a soapy blade into the bristles, clean the knife, and keep your hands protected at the same time. This tool works great for cutlery and smaller knives, too.
If you live with or are a man, you know the mess that comes from the clipping and shaving of facial hair. This cape is an ingenious solution to keep that pesky hair that flies all over the bathroom at bay. Simply don the cape, use suction cups to stick it to the mirror and clip away. When done, remove the cape and dump everything safely in the garbage without spilling.
Dirty makeup brushes are such a pain! The right thing to do is to clean the brush after each use, and I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a lot of work for me. But, you don’t deposit a different color onto your skin, and you want to avoid cross-contaminate too. Dirty brushes can lead to breakouts, which we all want to prevent. I struggle to clean my brushes regularly because it’s such a to-do, but this little gadget makes it much easier. You add soap and water, apply to the brush, put the brush on the base, spin it in the liquid, spin it out of the liquid to speed up drying, and then allow to dry! It turns this tedious task into something more satisfying, and your kids can help with this one too (supervision required!)
If you’re ready to simplify your cleaning routine even further, pick up your favorites today and let me know how much time/effort you saved once you started implementing these products into your routine! I’d love to know which ones you plan to add to your cleaning arsenal.
Happy cleaning,
Melissa
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