Design your home for stress-free cleaning

grimeforce
Jul 21, 2017
2 min read

I have often said that builders need to consult professional cleaners when designing homes. I've seen way too many new homes that are unnecessarily difficult to clean due to poor design and material selection.

Here are a few tips for designing a home that's easy to clean

Toilets - Hate getting your head near a toilet bowl? Opt for a toilet that butts up against the wall if you want to avoid cleaning around the back of the toilet bowl.

Sinks - ensure there is enough gap behind the taps to the wall so that you don't need to resort to pipe cleaners to get to the grime. Here's a good example:

Laundry cupboard and vanity locations - ensure you opt for room designs that minimise awkward spaces. The gap between the vanity and shower cubicle in the photo below is way too common and makes for awkward cleaning. Also, if raising a vanity off the floor, ensure there is enough room under it and in the bathroom itself to be able to get a vacuum cleaner and mop to it without causing injury!

Floor choice

Kitchens: vinyl is my favourite. It doesn't crack, scratch, is very economical and is a cinch to keep clean; simply vacuum and mop. There are some amazing designs around today that mimic floorboards which can give a spectacular finish. If you opt for a timber floor, ensure it is regularly sealed and wipe away any water asap to avoid buckling. If opting for tiles, steer clear of high gloss or matt tiles as they are extremely difficult to clean and keep looking clean.

Bathrooms and laundries: anything ceramic that is neither too dark or too light with a light pattern and has a semi-gloss shine generally works best if you want to avoid having to clean your floors daily. Natural stone tiles look amazing but are extremely high maintenance; they need regular sealing and you need to be extremely careful with the type of cleaning chemical you use on them. As with kitchens, steer clear of high gloss and matt tiles as it is difficult to achieve a streak free finish when mopping and they can show up every little imperfection under certain light conditions.

Bedrooms: Opt for a low to medium pile carpet that is stain resistant and is not too dark or too light. A dark coloured carpet will pick up any white fluff and light coloured carpet never looks clean unless you have a no-shoes policy in your home. High pile carpet feels luxurious underfoot but is painful to vacuum.

Wishing you had a self cleaning house? Someone in the US actually did attempt to achieve that many years ago.