From the lack of updates on the blog, you probably would have guessed that I was swamped with work again. Aside from a few business trips, I am also in the process of converting the common bedroom in our apartment to a study. Yay! Giving a fresh coat of paint to the room, getting furniture and accessories to spruce up the space, is exciting and exhausting at the same time. The last thing I want to do is to deal with household chores like mopping floor or scrubbing the toilet in such busy weeks. :P

So it felt like perfect timing when Helpling Singapore reached out to see if I would like to get a trial of cleaning service using their platform.

Here’s the deal: Helpling is an online marketplace pairing home owners who need their place cleaned with independent domestic cleaners. Starting from an hourly rate of SGD18, you get to book a vetted and insured local cleaner within a few clicks using the Helpling website or mobile app. (To find out more on how Helpling registered their cleaners and the insurance covered, the Helpling FAQ is useful)

Booking through the website was really easy and fast (it took me less than 5 minutes to complete the booking).  I received a confirmation email after my booking and the next day, another email with the name of the cleaner who will attend to my session. On the day of the appointment, the cleaner showed up on time, and viola, 3 hours later, I have a cleaned home to enjoy my weekend :)

What I like most about this platform is there’s no registration fees, no waiting on quotes or difference in pricing for weekdays vs weekends cleaning services. There’s a wide range of timing you can choose from and they even offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the booking.

As listed on Helpling website, the home owners will have to provide their own cleaning supplies and tools. So here’s what I’ve got –

• Various cleaning detergent for general purpose and toilets, glass cleaners etc
• Mop and bucket, broom and pan, toilet brush
• Vacuum cleaner
• Cleaning cloths
• Sponges
• Trash bags….

To have a squeaky-clean house, you really do need quite a fair bit cleaning products and equipment haha.

Ideally, I wish all my stuffs look this chic that I can just shove them in a corner.

The reality – these are what I have, in all shades of “vibrant” colors :)

These household items, while working really well, are not the most visually appealing items in the house. So where do you store them? How do you organize your cleaning supplies to make household chores a little smoother and breezier?

These are some popular storage tips and systems for cleaning supplies that I sourced from the internet to share with you:

Create a cleaning closet

We may not have a laundry room in our flat, but if you have a tall cabinet at home, convert it into a cleaning closet with some cabinet organizer racks and towel bars. This will serve as a one-stop location for all things cleaning.

In your next kitchen renovation, consider utilize that extra space to build in a small side cabinet for storage of cleaning supplies.

Under the sink storage

If a dedicated cleaning closet is not an option, consider using the area under the sink for storage.

To maximize storage and avoid chaos, installing a curtain rod across the cabinet and suspend the spray bottles is an easy DIY.

Or you can install a gliding pull-out drawer for easier access and you will not forget what’s at the back of the cabinet.

Door-mounted shelf

No drilling required and great for making use of every inch of space in any cabinet. This is useful for holding things that you need daily such as sponges and cleaning agent.

Wall-mounted  system for broom and mop

Using storage system like this to keep your long handled broom and mop off the floor can reduce clutter and make your utility room neater.

Create your cleaning caddy

We use different cleaning agents and tools for different area of the house. Create a cleaning caddy to corral essential cleaning items for each space, such as one for general cleaning, one for the bathroom and one for the kitchen. Label the caddies, store them in the utility room or in the cabinets of each area can make storage more organized and save your time from walking back and forth :)

Last but not least, one important note to remember:

Child safety is important. If you lack the space to store your cleaning supplies high out of reach, make sure you use appropriate childproof latches or safety locks on drawers or cabinets to keep your cleaning supplies away from children.

Hope you find these ideas useful for you to keep your house organized and the home cleaning chores less daunting.

And if you have no time to clean? Book a cleaning session with Helpling Singapore :)