Mix Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, and Dish Soap

The best and safest combination of home ingredients for cleaning grout is baking soda, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide. This creates a soft scrub texture that lifts dirt without damaging the grout or surrounding tile. There are no harsh chemicals or reactions between the ingredients. Combinations of vinegar and baking soda reduce the effectiveness of both ingredients, while bleach shouldn't be mixed with any other cleaning products. Mix about 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1 teaspoon dish soap at a time for an all-natural grout cleaner.

Grab a Power Scrubber

If toothbrushes and sponges are leaving you with sore wrists and hands as you chase down dozens of feet of grout lines, try a power tool instead. A small handheld power scrubber with a rotating head works great in conjunction with the above cleaning mix to quickly lift years of stains and dirt. You can find these tools at your local hardware store or from many online retailers.

Try Gel Bleach for Stubborn Stains

When encountering a dark patch of grout that won't yield its stains to all-natural cleaning products, choose gel bleach for its sticking ability to quickly whiten the grout. Gel bleach can be applied in very small amounts to avoid any fading or damage to surrounding tiles or other materials like countertops that are below the tile backsplash. The gel is unlikely to drip or run, keeping the chemicals right where they're needed until the stain disappears. Don't mix bleach into any of your DIY cleaning products since it can react with so many ingredients.

Discover a whole new way to clean one of our Chicago, IL apartments after moving into a spacious new floor plan. Contact us today to see what's available.

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Rent a Storage Unit

If you have tons of stuff and you’re running out of storage space in your apartment, it might be a good idea to invest in a storage unit. Doing so will open up your apartment and get rid of the unwanted stress of having too much clutter. However, it’s important to use the storage unit for things you actually want to keep — if you’re throwing stuff in there that you may want to get rid of, keeping it there will just waste money. So before investing in a unit, try to organize your things and keep only what you need. Luckily, storage units are pretty cost-effective nowadays and come in various sizes for your needs.

Don’t Leave Dishes in the Sink

This is a bad habit many of us fall into. While it’s easy to start piling your dirty dishes in the sink, those stacks won’t get any smaller, and it just reinforces poor habits and creates more stress in the long run. So do your best to clean dishes right away or put them into the dishwasher once they're used. Once you start building this practice, you’ll notice a big stress relief and more satisfaction with your apartment.

Go Through that Paperwork

Stacks of paper can make a space look very untidy; not only that, they can build up pretty quickly. In order to remove the mess, it's best to make it a priority to go through these papers and put them in the appropriate places. If you have an abundance of paperwork that you must keep, consider investing in a filing cabinet. Moving needed papers out of sight and into an orderly, designated space helps your apartment look fresher and less cluttered.

Use the Space Efficiently

Another easy way to get rid of the mess and clutter is to use your apartment efficiently. If you have a lot of stuff that you need (but that is cluttering up your living space), try placing these items in cabinets, drawers, under the bed, or in containers or other storage resources. This will help to keep your apartment organized, cleaner and less stressful.

Looking for spacious apartments in Chicago? If so, then head on over to North Harbor Tower and check out their exciting floorplans!

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But deep cleaning is different from regular cleaning. This term refers to a cleaning where you really dive into the nooks and crannies of your apartment, tackling everything from the spaces between your stove burners to the water stains on your shower door. It's a much more intensive job that few people are excited to try, which is why you likely don't want to do it more often than necessary. 

Every Few Months for Optimal Upkeep 

The general consensus is that you should deep clean once every 3–4 months. This includes every room and space in your apartment, from the closet to the entryway. It means taking all of your dishes out of your cabinets and cleaning the shelves and sides of the cupboards. It means dusting the tops of your ceiling fans. Deep cleaning doesn't have to be done in one day, but it should be completed within the same week. 

Additional Tips 

If your place tends to be messy from all your hobbies (e.g., cooking, crafting, DIY projects, etc.), then you may want to consider doing a deep cleaning once every other month. It's easy to let certain spaces in the apartment get out of control, so this tip can save you both time and energy. If you wait too long, you may spend more time than you'd like on a single area. This can ultimately be frustrating and can dissuade you from deep cleaning in the future. 

If you're looking for a new place to keep clean in the Windy City, consider North Harbor Tower Apartments. We have modern amenities that were built with you in mind, so you'll spend less time getting stains off your countertop and more time doing what you love to do. If you want to learn more about our facilities, give us a call to schedule a tour!

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Declutter for 15 Minutes per Day

No matter how busy your schedule, you can probably find 15 minutes per day to devote to decluttering. This may not seem like a lot of time, but if you are consistent and do this every day, or almost every day, it is enough for you to start seeing great results.

Most days, you bring new items into your apartment, including your mail and things you’ve bought at the store. By devoting just 15 minutes a day, you will be able to throw out or give away more items than you bring in. That means that over time, the number of things in your apartment will decrease. Eventually, you will be left with just the things that you love.

Say Goodbye to Your Items Before You Discard Them

If you become emotionally attached to your possessions and find it hard to throw them away, even when you no longer need them or they are worn out, take a tip from decluttering guru Marie Kondo. Say “goodbye” to your beloved possessions and thank them for their service. That sounds goofy, but it works!

You can also take a picture of an item before discarding or giving it away. A digital picture will preserve the memory, which is what is really important without taking up any space in your apartment. This works especially well with memorabilia from trips and items given to you by family and friends.

Visualize Your Apartment as You Want It to Appear

Creating an image in your mind of a beautiful clutter-free apartment can motivate you to keep on decluttering and help guide you in the right direction. When you can see your desired outcome in your mind’s eye, you will find ways to turn your vision into reality.

It helps when you start with a spectacular place, like the apartments in North Harbor Tower. Come visit us in the Chicago, Illinois, Lake Shore East neighborhood to see our amazing 360-degree views of the city and Lake Michigan.

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