With children and animals, mess appears faster, and what helps is habits, not heroic clean-ups. A few simple rules will help you keep the home in order without a constant battle.
Zone it and clean up right away
The main principle is not to let mess pile up. A broken cup, spilled pet food or a stain on the floor takes a minute to clean up if you do it right away rather than in the evening. Build the habit of "clean up where you made the mess": it saves hours.
Divide the apartment into zones: a kids' corner, the pet's feeding spot, the entryway. In each one, keep what you need for a quick clean within reach: wipes, a mini vacuum or damp cloths. That way cleaning takes seconds instead of turning into a project.
Pet hair and paws
The main sources of dirt from pets are hair on floors and textiles and dirty paws after walks. Put washable mats at the entrance and by the food bowl: they catch most of the dust and hair. It is handy to wipe paws after a walk with a towel prepared in advance.
Vacuum regularly, and in a home with pets it is better to do it every other day, paying attention to rugs, corners and upholstered furniture. Hair quickly gets packed into the pile, so the more often, the easier. Once a week, go over the baseboards and the area under the furniture with a damp cloth, where tufts of hair collect.
Safe products
Children and pets are in constant contact with the floor and surfaces, so harsh chemicals are not a good fit here. Choose products without a strong smell and without chlorine, rinse them off thoroughly and air out the rooms after cleaning.
For most tasks, mild formulas and proven home remedies are enough. We wrote more about what is safe to clean with in our piece on eco cleaning.
Textiles and the sofa
Textiles absorb odors, hair and stains the most. Wash covers, throws and children's bedding more often than usual, and beat and vacuum rugs regularly. Treat fresh stains on the sofa right away, before they set in.
Over time, upholstered furniture still collects what a vacuum cannot remove: set-in stains and odors. In that case professional upholstery cleaning helps: it cleans the upholstery to its full depth and freshens the sofa.
When to call the professionals
Habits keep a home clean on the surface, but every few months a home needs a deep cleaning, especially with small children and pets. A deep cleaning and professional cleaning of textiles remove what has built up over that time: dust in hard-to-reach places, hair in upholstery, odors. We can give you a price for your apartment in a couple of minutes on WhatsApp.