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 is an expert. Graduate of MAрhI (Moscow Architectural Institute).

Flooring

For the kitchen, bathroom, and hallway, tiles are an ideal choice. I do not recommend using monochromatic black or white tiles if your goal is practicality. Choose mid-tone colors. 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 mid-tones.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Wall Finishing

For walls, use paint with a high gloss content: it is water-repellent and easier to clean. This type of finish works best in bathrooms and kitchens.

Design: Anna Krapivko

What is easy to clean in the bathroom is large-format tiles with narrow joints. The joints should be slightly darker than the tile or in the same tone to avoid problems. On black tiles, water droplets stand out.

Another interesting bathroom material is washable wallpaper. These are made from special bidirectional glass fiber fabric soaked in a water-resistant solution.

Design: Margarita Rasskazova

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

Design: Berphin Interior

Kitchen Cabinet

It is better to choose cabinet doors without panels and beveled edges, as dirt easily accumulates on them. Based on my experience, it is much easier to clean a kitchen in minimalist style rather than classic.

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

Design: Anna Krapivko

When designing the kitchen, avoid many joints. Built-in appliances simplify cleaning. Also, use touch controls wherever possible — for switches as well.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Countertop

Marble is currently very trendy, but it is a capricious material: it’s better not to spill anything on it — neither acid nor red wine. Of course, there are care products for marble, but such care requires separate time and attention.

On soft wood like birch, scratches and dents appear quickly. On hard woods like beech, it’s harder to create a dent. To protect from moisture, wooden countertops must be oiled, which also takes time.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Artificial stone does not absorb anything and leaves no scratches — it is very convenient for maintenance. The exception is countertops treated with lacquer.

Plumbing

For easier cleaning, it is better to choose wall-mounted plumbing fixtures and cabinets with legs or suspended design — this will greatly simplify your life.

In the shower, use frameless glass with aluminum frames. Grease inevitably accumulates at the junctions of the glass and frames. Also, always use special cleaning products for glass that repel water.

Design: Anna Krapivko

Furniture

Do not be afraid to use white furniture in interior design — it is just as easy to clean as dark furniture, and dust on white furniture is usually less noticeable than on furniture in colors like veneer. Choose soft furniture with removable covers — they can be washed. Furniture on legs also simplifies cleaning.

Design: Anna Krapivko