Time is a precious commodity. If you’re like most people, the last thing you want to be doing is cleaning. What if we told you there are some tried and true cleaning hacks that will not only make your apartment sparkle, but will also dissect your cleaning time in half. At Stargate West our tenants are like family to us, for this reason we have seen what works and what doesn’t with regards to tidiness tactics. If you are looking to create more time in your life, while maintaining a high level of cleanliness in your abode, try some of these 8 cleaning hacks to keep your apartment spotless.

1. Stop your garbage bin from smelling

You can stop your garbage bin from smelling by sprinkling baking soda and vinegar into the bottom of it. Be diligent with this and reduce bad garbage bin odours in your apartment.

2. Roll a lint brush over lampshades

Dusting lamp shades is never an enjoyable or easy task. Next time you’re removing lint from your clothing, roll the lint brush over the lampshades to remove any access dust bunnies.

3. Run the bathroom exhaust fan while showering

Prevent mold build up in the bathroom by running the exhaust fan or cracking a window while you are showering. Over time condensation causes mold and we all know cleaning mold is no fun and a huge time sucker.

4. Wipe down tiles and glass doors after a shower

Don’t wait until soap scum builds up and is tricky to remove. Invest in a squeegee for your shower, simply remember to run it over the walls and doors of your shower to avoid the build up of tricky-to-remove scum.

5. Clean your stove-top and counter-tops as you cook

Master the art of multi-tasking by cleaning while you cook. It certainly isn’t rocket science, but you’d be surprised how many people wait until the end of the meal (or the end of the week!) to clean these surfaces, which if left ignored, become caked on with dirt and grime.

6. Have a system

Start in one room, do one room at a time and work your way through the home in the same order every time. This will reduce the instance of having to back-track. As you get more familiar with your cleaning system, you will become more efficient at it.

7. Keep your tools in one place

When you’re ready to start cleaning, make sure all of your tools are in one place. Be it a bucket, a cleaning belt or a shoe box, if your tools are all together it will save you time going back and forth getting one thing to the next.

8. Magic erasers

Magic erasers will be your savior with hard to remove stains on the walls, floors or counter tops. These stain fighting miracle workers will remove just about anything. Make sure to keep a few of them as part of your cleaning ammunition tool kit.

The cleaner your apartment feels, the better you will feel. Of course choosing an apartment that has modern and contemporary interiors, stain-less steel appliances and luxurious amenities helps too! If you’re looking for your next place to call home in the Tucson area check out Stargate West, rated one of Arizona’s top 5 apartment communities for happiest residents!