The Materials That Make for an Easy-To-Clean Home

It’s never been more important to keep your home free of dirt, germs, and viruses. The amount of time and energy you spend on cleaning depends on the finishes, upholstery, and materials you use in your home. Easy-to-clean homes tend to have clean lines, seamless surfaces, and uncluttered spaces. This also happens to be an on-trend look, so if you want to reduce your cleaning time while modernizing your space, you may want to look into the following upgrades.

Wall-To-Wall Carpet
Carpet is notorious for collecting dust, allergens, and pet dander, which can aggravate any allergy sufferers in your home. Carpet can also hold in moisture and cause mold to form underneath, which is hazardous to anyone’s health. Instead of carpet, opt for low-maintenance flooring such as concrete, sealed hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and porcelain or ceramic tiles. If it’s not economical for you to swap out your carpeting, just ensure you vacuum frequently and use crevice tools to get into the corners and edges.

Unsealed Countertops
If you cook regularly, then you know how messy kitchen countertops can get. If you want to have an easier wipe-down, choose materials that are sealed, smooth, and have minimal seams. Avoid tiled countertops as the grout lines become dirty and tough to clean over time. Instead, consider using quartz, laminate, Corian, or recycled glass. Cleaning these types of countertops only requires warm and soapy water. You can disinfect them much easier too.

Minimal Grout
Grout lines get dirty and discoloured over time, making them a pain to clean since they often require rigorous scrubbing. Grout lines are commonly found on kitchen and bathroom floors, backsplashes, and showers. If you’re remodelling your home, consider solid surfaces such as concrete, acrylic, or stone panels. If you prefer the look of tiles and can’t fully eliminate grout, pot for larger tiles to reduce the number of grout lines, and go for epoxy grout, which is waterproof and stain resistant.

Pick an Undermount Sink
Undermount sinks are the clear winner when it comes to ease of cleaning. Unlike a drop-in sink, which has a lip that frames the sink, an undermount sink allows you to wipe messes directly into the sink. There are no edges to wipe around and you won’t have debris trapped around the frame.

Choose the Right Upholstery
 Furniture can also become a magnet for dust, dirt, and pet hair. Leather and vinyl are popular choices among families with children since all it needs is a simple wipe. But if leather is not your style, consider removable covers that can be thrown in the washer, or select furniture that has a tightly woven fabric to prevent dirt particles from getting in.

Reduce Areas That Collect Dust
If you want to cut down on your cleaning time, opt for clean lines and reduce the numbers of flat surfaces in your home. For example, ornate cabinets with indentions or ridges will collect more dust than slab cabinet doors. Blinds will attract more dust than drapes and roller shades. Shelves with dozens of items on display will take longer to clean than shelves that are kept minimal. Think about the areas of your home where dust tends to accumulate the most and consider a different approach.