Beautiful design and an intense home renovation can definitely elevate your home. But it’s best to implement these home maintenance tips to keep your space look cared for, long after your remodel is over.
General home maintenance and upkeep
While this doesn’t mean to be an exhaustive list for maintaining your home in tiptop shape and condition, common sense still obliges us to keep our living spaces clean and tidy on the daily.
Sweep floors and wipe down surfaces that are regularly and heavily used, like kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, bedrooms—on the daily.
Vacuum at least once a week.
Vacuuming floors daily is not required, but try to do it at least once a week so that you are able to keep any allergens like dust, dirt, pollen, and pet dander off your surfaces (and out of your lungs).
If you have a robot vacuum, just automate it to clean your floors at least once a day (usually at the end of the day). If you don’t and have a handheld, wired, or wireless vacuum instead, once a week is okay.
But even when your household has a vacuum, it’s still wise to have a separate mop, broom, and dust pan handy, for daily spot-cleaning purposes.
Wipe down surfaces like countertops and tables daily or after every use.
Dust with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth like microfiber cloths. Simply spray water on the towel lightly, and wipe.
A great hack we learned so you always have disinfecting wipes on hand: Put a bunch of clean microfiber towels in a glass jar with sealed cover, then pour in the following:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup vinegar
- ½ cup rubbing alcohol
- 20 drops essential oil for fragrance
Microfiber wipes are inexpensive and reusable, so have a ready stash on hand near areas you will need them most: the kitchen, dining area, bathroom, and bedroom.
You may also opt to fill a spray bottle with the disinfecting solution above, and place it in an easy-to-access location in your home. If your house has several floors (like townhouses), best to have at least 1 spray bottle per floor. Otherwise, having a spray bottle in bathrooms and kitchens will suffice.
Protect surfaces like tables and countertops.
Table surfaces may get damaged by water rings or marks, so whenever you are placing a drink or a dish on a table, make sure to use coasters, placemats, or trivets.
Caring for kitchen and bathroom countertops
Kitchen and bathroom countertops are one of the most heavily used surfaces in the home, and are also the most expensive to replace. It pays to make them last longer without getting damaged. Use a trivet when placing a hot dish or pan on the counter.
Never chop on the kitchen counter without a chopping board. Wipe down any spills immediatetly, particularly on marble countertops. If laying down wet items on the counter, always put a linen towel or cloth underneath it to catch water droplets.
Any nicks or scratches on solid surface (synthetic stone) may be buffed up by any solid surface stone supplier (try Polar Stoneworks at polarstoneworks@gmail.com).
Caring for wood surfaces
Wood is a natural material, in that it is not impervious to damage. As with any surface, immediately clean up spills on a wood surface.
Using lemon oil on wood may also help clean it up and make it look pristine for longer. Here are some great tips on how to use lemon oil on wood.
We found Old English Lemon Wood Furniture Oil at Hi-Top Supermarket, PC Supermarket, and True Value. There’s also a variety of lemon oil brands on Lazada.
How to clean your bathroom
We recommend following Clean Place PH for all their awesome bathroom cleaning tips using the most basic household ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Dishwashing liquid
They’ve got awesome hacks for slow-draining sink and floor drains, stains on ceramic or tile, how to make your fixtures shine like new, and so much more.
Our favorite tip: Fill a dish wand half and half with vinegar and dishwashing liquid, then use it to make bathroom fixtures sparkle, and to remove hard water stains on glass enclosures and mirrors.
How to unclog drains
An easy and painless way to fix those clogged, or slow-draining drains–whether it’s on the floor or on your sink–is by making use of baking soda, white vinegar, and hot water.
Pour about a cup or two of baking soda down the drain. Then get a cup of white vinegar, and pour that in slowly after the baking soda. Don’t be surprised to see the vinegar reacts to the powder (it will fizz as the vinegar touches the baking soda).
Then cover your drain with a clean towel or rag for five minutes, to allow the baking soda and vinegar to work on the clogs that are lodged in the drain pipe. This works great for the usual small elements that clog drains, like sludge or hair. This won’t work if something big (like a bath toy) is lodged in one of the drain pipes. You’ll need the help of a plumber for that.
After five minutes, remove the towel, and pour in boiling water into the drain to clean out the debris.
How to maintain your drains on the regular
You only need to use the baking soda-vinegar-hot water solution if water is draining slowly. But on the regular (like on a weekly basis), simply pour down hot water and a liquid, grease-fighting dish soap (like Joy, or Dawn) to take care of the usual dirt and debris the clog your drains.
Caring for window treatments
Always check with your curtain maker or blinds supplier on the proper care and maintenance of your window treatments.
One of our go-to suppliers, Shade MNL, recommends the following for their blackout and sheer curtains:
“[Our blackout and sheer curtains] are okay to be hand- or machine-washed on gentle cycle. Putting them in the dryer is fine, but we recommend not fully crispy dry because the creases will be difficult to iron. We suggest that they be taken out while on the verge of getting fully dry, otherwise they can be simply ironed.
“We also recommend washing all sheer curtains together with other sheers, and then the blackouts together as well.”
“For the roll-up blinds and combi shades, we recommend dry rag or feather duster or even vacuum cleaner regularly to keep dust away.”
How to care for upholstery, carpet, and rugs
When purchasing upholstered furniture or having them custom-made, check with your vendor or supplier on the proper care for your chosen upholstery fabric.
You may purchase Scotchguard Fabric Water Shield from Amazon (check it out here) to protect your fabrics from water-based spills. Never rub in any fresh spills but best to blot them first with paper towel or a microfiber cloth to clean up excess liquids as quickly as possible.
On the daily, dust your upholstered furniture, as small bits like food may attract ants. Invisible stuff (like dust and dead skin cells–yes, seriously) also tend to accumulate on surfaces, so if you can, vacuum these soft surfaces on a weekly basis.
Rugs also need to be vacuumed regularly to avoid anyone in your household from getting dust-related allergies. Ask your rug vendor on how to care and clean your rugs, as different rug materials require different maintenance methods.
Many household cleaning services also provide rug-cleaning service. We’ve tried Hygeia PH, Ate Girl Home Services, and Clean Place PH.
Clean your washing machine.
The washing machine is one of the most used appliances in the house, and the most forgotten when it comes to keeping clean. Try these tips from Clean Place PH:
- Add baking soda to the drum
- Spray white vinegar on and under the rubber door seal of your machine, then wipe with a clean cloth.
- Add 1 cup of white vinegar into the detergent tray, then set to a hot cycle.
Know any other home maintenance tips we should add to this list?
Message us through the following channels here for any home cleaning or maintenance hacks you swear by, so we could add them to this post!
Photos from cottonbro (Pexels), Camyl Besinga, Lazada, and Amazon.