Listed below are five mobile apps that will help you jumpstart your cleaning regimen, whether you’re indoors or pulling weeds that uglify your lawn.
Home Maintenance by BrightNest (iOS Free)
Home Maintenance by BrightNest, an iOS exclusive app, is tremendously useful for whoever heads the household’s cleaning brigade. The app provides expert advice on cleaning, household creativity, organization, home and appliance repair. Articles are filed under categories including: Healthy, Clean, Handy, Green, Creative, Hungry, Savvy, and Curious. Some articles are affiliated with specific tasks, like organizing your closet or purchasing smoke detectors, that you can schedule with the tap of a button. Home Maintenance by BrightNest also suggests weekly how-to articles based on those you’ve favorited, so the app is useful year round.
Need an app to help you stay on task when performing chores? Check these selections out.
Good Housekeeping @Home (iOS, Android Free)
The official app for Good Housekeeping is divided into four sections: Stain Buster, Do-It-All Cleaning, Home Decor Gallery, and News & Tips. The first provides an A-Z listing (and a Top 10 Stains list) of loads of common stains and effective techniques for cleaning them. The Do-It-All Cleaning section also employs an alphabetical list of how to clean various surfaces (marble, wood, leather), appliances, windows, and much more. You can search through the Home Decor Gallery for inspirational ideas that can improve the feng shui of pretty much any room in your home. The only real issue with this mobile application is that the gallery photos do not come with any context for where furniture was purchased or any DIY suggestions.
My Measures & Dimensions PRO (iOS $7.99, Android $4.99)
Another popular chore is home improvement. My Measures & Dimensions PRO, while pricey, is a great tool for capturing the dimensions of objects and rooms and keeping track of various DIY projects. A well-executed project can clean up your home better than any broom, vacuum, or sponge. The Pro version comes fully loaded with iCloud sync backup, tutorials, and the ability to share PDFs, Images, or Projects through email. This way you and your housemates can stay on the same page.
Landscaper’s Companion (iOS $4.99)
Cleaning is not limited to the epic indoor battles with dust balls and mold. Recently updated in March, Landscaper’s Companion is a necessary resource for gardeners, botanists, and anyone who appreciates things that grow. The app features over 26K plants across 17 categories and is startlingly comprehensive. For each plant or vegetable, the database lists the proper environment and characteristics, like the amount of water and sunlight, required for specific plants to flourish. With this mobile app you can take notes or just gawk at splendid pictures of flowers all day long.
Exec Cleaning (iOS Free)
It is a real shame that the Exec Cleaning app is only available for iOS devices. It is the perfect alternative for anyone who can afford a cleaning service or is downright lazy when it comes to tidying their living space. Upon launching the app, Exec Cleaning reminds you that they use only eco-friendly supplies and offer a 200% guarantee (free second cleaning if the first doesn’t impress). Their service is currently available in major U.S. cities, including: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area. To book service, specify how many bedrooms and bathrooms, if you have pets (dogs or cats) and your address, which all factors into the total cost. From this point, you can set up cleanings for one-time-only, every week, or every two weeks.
