What’s the chances of you roll’n with me?
Back to the crib, show you how I live,
Lets get drunk ‘n forget what we did.

T-Pain

Ever since I moved into my new apartment, I’ve been obsessed with creating an environment that is functional, impressive, and uniquely me. It’s not finished yet, but my place already gives off an aura that separates itself from most peoples dwellings. Being unique and having attention to detail are all things Urban Monarch, so today I’m introducing a new weekly feature to share a few of the tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Before we get into the finer points of using an accent color, hanging art work, or buying designer furniture, there is a first step that almost everyone can benefit from. For the first month of the new bachelor pad feature, I’m going to talk about cleaning. It is surprising how much a freshly mopped floor, dusted shelf, and clean bathroom will instantaneously transform a home. To tackle the biggest area first, I’m going to start with the floors.

The Tools

• Broom
• Dust Pan and Brush
• Mop
• Bucket
• Floor Cleaner
• Upright Vacuum
• Small Corded Vacuum

Without the proper tools, it’s difficult and often cumbersome to do a good job of cleaning. When I first moved in, I bought a small broom and dust pan combination. This forced me bent over to sweep. With over 75% of my apartment floored in bamboo or tile, this meant I didn’t sweep very often. The first thing to do was to stock up on the necessary tools to make this job easier.

The broom needs to be tall enough so that it can be used while standing upright. I have an Oxo broom with an ergonomic curve. It was under $20 and it works great. The dust pan I use is part of a small brush and pan set. This allows me to either use it with my broom, or to do a quick clean if something spills.

The mop falls in the same category. I personally don’t like the idea of disposable products like swiffers and find a nice cotton or sponge mop to work better. An appropriately sized bucked is even more important. For only a few dollars, a bucket will keep you out of the sink/tub and improve the efficiency of cleaning. I use Murphy’s Oil Soap as my cleaner because of it’s simple ingredient list.

For large carpeted areas, a nice vacuum is in order. I have just a small bedroom that is carpeted, so I’ve been continuing to make use of a vacuum cleaner I’ve been carrying around for 4 years. With my old cleaning schedule, it barely got any use. I also have a few area rugs. A small hand held corded vacuum has been on my wishlist for a while for spot cleaning these. So, I just ordered this.

With all the tools make sure to place them in accessible location. If the vacuum is in tucked away and buried under empty beer cases, it’s not going to get used. I have mine in the front of my hall closet just a quick reach away.

The Process

Everyone knows how to mop and vacuum, and now with a closet full of new toys, it might even be a little more fun. Getting on a schedule is the best way to make sure it gets done. I generally mop every two weeks and sweep or spot clean if there is an issue in between. The carpet gets vacuumed once a month. After I got started, I quickly realized how rewarding it is to not only have a clean apartment, but the process itself is uplifting as well.

Keeping Down the Work

The guaranteed way to make your cleaning easier is to not get things as dirty. The best way to keep your floors clean is to remove your shoes in your house. I will devote an entire column on how to setup an entrance area, but for now, if you want to mop or vacuum less, just take your shoes off when you come in. The other option for keeping cleaner floors is to get a door mat, a rug of some sort in your entrance, or both.