How to Save Time on Cleaning: Tips from Professionals

To make cleaning take less time and avoid worrying about scratches and fingerprints, select the right materials for finishing and furniture. Which ones? Anna Krapivko, an architect-designer, shares her insights.

Anna Krapivko — Expert. Graduate of MAрhI

Flooring

For the kitchen, bathroom, and foyer, tile is an ideal choice. I don't recommend using monochromatic black or white tiles if your goal is practicality. Choose medium tones. If the style allows, opt for materials with an aged look — on such surfaces dirt is barely visible. When selecting parquet or laminate, prefer surfaces without beveled edges and medium tones.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Wall Finishing

Use paint with a high gloss content for walls: it's water-repellent and easier to clean. The best choice is such finishing in the bathroom and kitchen.

Design: Anna Krapivko

What's easy to clean in the bathroom is large tiles with minimal width joints. The joints should be slightly darker than the tile or in a matching tone, so they don't cause issues. On black tiles, water droplets will stand out.

Another interesting material for bathrooms is washable wallpaper. These are made from special bidirectional glass fiber fabric impregnated with a water-resistant solution.

Design: Margarita Rasskazova

On regular wallpaper, always check the labeling. There are symbols on the roll: three waves — high resistance to moisture, one wave — the material requires gentle handling.

Design: Berphin Interior

Kitchen Cabinet

It's better to choose cabinet doors without frames and beveled edges, as dirt accumulates there. Based on my experience, it's much easier to clean a kitchen in minimalism style rather than classic.

Glossy surfaces are the most prone to marks, especially black ones: fingerprints remain. If you want such a kitchen, install handles. The least prone to marks are light, flat matte cabinet doors.

Design: Anna Krapivko

When designing a kitchen, avoid too many joints. Built-in appliances are easier to clean. Also, use touch controls wherever possible — for switches as well.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Countertop

Marble is currently very trendy, but it's a demanding material: avoid spilling anything on it — acids or red wine. There are cleaning products for marble, but they require separate attention and time.

On soft wood, such as birch, scratches and dents appear quite quickly. On hard woods like beech, you have to try harder to make a dent. To protect from moisture, wooden countertops need oil treatment, which also takes time.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Artificial stone doesn't absorb anything, and no scratches remain on it — it's very easy to maintain. The exception is countertops treated with lacquer.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Plumbing Fixtures

For easier cleaning, choose wall-mounted plumbing fixtures and cabinets on legs or with a suspended design — this will make your life much easier.

In the shower, use frameless glass with aluminum frames and joints — dirt inevitably accumulates there. Also, always use special cleaning products for glass that repel water.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Furniture

Don't be afraid to use white furniture in interiors — it's just as easy to clean as dark-colored ones, and dust is less noticeable on white furniture than on furniture in veneer color. Choose soft furniture with removable covers that can be washed. Furniture on legs also simplifies cleaning.

Design: Anna Krapivko