Do you ever pick up your bath towel and you can’t remember when you switched it out? Or a pair of jeans that get the ol’ sniff test? Life is hectic and crazy and sometimes it’s easy to overlook the little chores around your apartment – like switching out the dish sponge or dusting the blinds (I say this like I actually dust the blinds – don’t tell my mother). So since things can be tough to remember, here’s a little cheat sheet to stash in your cleaning closet.

Towels – Twice a week

You should wash your bath towel and washcloth or replace it every 3 uses or so.

Bed Linens – Once a week

To keep them looking nice, according to Martha Stewart, wash linens in warm water rather than hot. Most pillows are washable too, but require much less frequent care. Pillows can be washed every few months.

Toilet – Once a week

Not only is this a sanitary practice, but if you have guests they won’t see the awful ring if it’s clean.

Kitchen Sink – Once a Day

It’s a good idea to wash your sink out with soap and water each day since it is a hot spot for germs, especially if you cook meat with your meals.

Rugs and floor mats – Once a week

Vacuum or wash (if applicable) rugs and mats once a week to keep the dust and grime from shoes to a minimum.

Curtains – Once a month

You can also take your blinds down and wash them, too with warm soapy water and a soft scrub brush.

Apartments don’t always come with your ideal amount of storage space. When you look under your kitchen or bathroom sink and it’s cluttered up with bottle after bottle of various cleaning products you might wonder how you could get better use out of your precious storage areas. The simplest answer is to minimize the number of cleaning products you use – it will save you space and money in time.

How many spray bottles and cleaners do you have piled up under the sink? First, clean out what you don’t want for sure – products that are old or ones you don’t use anymore. Do this responsibly by following the instructions on the bottle for safe disposal. Water soluble cleaners can be poured down the drain, but not all products can be disposed of this way. Make sure you follow directions or look up an alternative method to safely empty the container.

Identify what you need then ask yourself – What kinds of surfaces do you have in your apartment? If you have marble countertops or other special surfaces, you might want a specific cleaner for those because they can be damaged with standard solutions.

Otherwise, most hard surfaces can be cleaned with simple, natural cleaners. If you want something that will cut grease on counters and surfaces but does not have harsh chemicals in it, try a product like Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day multi-surface cleaner. This is just one example of a number of products made from non-chemical ingredients that’s safe on a number of surfaces. You can also make your own vinegar based cleaning solution by mixing equal parts vinegar and water. Most surfaces are safe to use vinegar on except porous ones like marble and hardwood floors because the vinegar can harm the finish. Another benefit to using a vinegar cleaner is it disinfects.

Once you’ve identified what you need, you should be able to minimize your under-the-kitchen sink to about 3 bottles – a basic hard surface cleaner, a disinfectant or window cleaner, and a carpet or upholstery cleaner.

When you get simple, multi-purpose cleaners that work harder for you, you’ll benefit from the extra space.