How to Spend Less Time on Cleaning: Tips from a Professional

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

Anna Krapivko is an expert. An architect-designer and graduate of MArхI.

Flooring

For the kitchen, bathroom, and foyer, tiles are the ideal choice. I do not recommend using monochrome black or white tiles if your goal is practicality. Choose medium tones. If the style allows, opt for aged-effect materials — dirt is barely visible on such surfaces. When selecting parquet or laminate, prefer edges without bevels and medium tones.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Wall finishing

For walls, use paint with a high gloss content: it is water-repellent and easier to clean. The best option for bathrooms and kitchens.

Design: Anna Krapivko

What is easy to clean in the bathroom is large-format tiles with minimal width joints. Joints should be either slightly darker or the same color as the tile itself, so there are no issues with them. On black tiles, water drops 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

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

Design: Berphin Interior

Kitchen Cabinet

It's better to choose cabinet doors without panels and bevels, 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 stains, especially black ones: fingerprints remain. If you want such a kitchen, it's essential to install handles. The least stain-prone are light, smooth 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 capricious material: avoid spilling anything on it — acids or red wine. Of course, there are care products for marble, but they require separate attention and time.

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

Design: Anna Krapivko

Artificial stone, on the other hand, absorbs nothing and doesn't retain scratches. It's very easy to maintain. The exception is countertops treated with lacquer.

Plumbing

To make cleaning easier, choose wall-mounted fixtures and cabinets with legs or suspended design. This will significantly simplify your life.

In the shower, install frameless glass on aluminum frames. Dirt inevitably accumulates at the joints with glass. Also, use special glass treatment products 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 furniture, and dust is almost always less noticeable on white furniture than on veneer-colored ones. Choose soft furniture with removable covers that can be washed. Furniture on legs also makes cleaning easier.

Design: Anna Krapivko