A regular house deep clean should be on everyone’s calendar. However, many of us find it too easy to let regular cleanings fall to tomorrow. Then to next week, next month, and before you know it your home is well-overdue.
Keeping our surroundings clean is an important step in keeping ourselves healthy.
This is especially true as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, as research shows that the virus can survive for days on some surfaces.
So to help keep yourself and your family healthy, follow these easy steps to deep clean your house.
Table of Contents
1.Declutter
Before you can begin cleaning in earnest, you need to clear the space in which to do your work.
Even if you’re normally good about keeping your space clear, most of us have a tendency to let mail, laundry, or other miscellaneous items pile up from time to time.
So the first step is finding a home for all of this clutter. Or better yet, sorting out things that you can dispose of permanently.
2.Start at the Top and Work Your Way Down
The next phase of the process should be to tackle the most difficult areas first. Specifically, we’re talking about the large, hard-to-reach areas like the ceiling, the ceiling trim, and the light fixtures.
From there, you can work your way down the walls, then to the baseboards, and finally to the floors.
3.Tend to the Windows
Cleaning the windows should be pretty straightforward. Start by vacuuming the windowsills, or the tracks if you have sliding glass doors.
Then just give them a good spray with ordinary glass cleaner from top to bottom.
After you’ve let the cleaner sit for a moment or so, simply squeeze it off.
A good tip is to wipe in one direction on the inside, and then the opposite direction on the outside. This will make it easier to see any streaks that need touching up.
And while you’re at it, give your window treatments a good cleaning. For blinds, all you really need is the brush attachment on your vacuum.
For curtains, you can launder them if you feel that they’re especially soiled. And given the state of the pandemic, it may not be a bad idea. But otherwise, just tossing them in the dryer on fluff will get the dust off of them.
4.Deal With the Floors and Surfaces
The next step is to clean the floors and any remaining hard surfaces.
For shelves, tables, and the like, you’ll only need a basic dusting. Though again, you may feel compelled to use a sanitizing product out of caution. Just remember to use a mild enough product that it won’t damage your wood furniture.
The floors will be a more involved process.
Doing this right will mean moving all of the furniture. For heavy pieces like beds and couches, a set of furniture sliders can make the job much easier.
For hard floors, you’ll need a microfiber mop and a surface-appropriate cleaner.
For carpets, vacuuming should be the minimum, and if you can rent a professional-grade carpet cleaner then even better. Because washing your carpets can sometimes become a handful – particularly if you’re inexperienced in the matter – then searching for a carpet cleaning MN service (or wherever necessary) can help to save you a lot of time and headaches.
In both cases, you’ll want to pay particular attention to corners in crevices where dust and dirt tend to accumulate.
5.A Deep Clean Isn’t Just for Surfaces
Cleaning every surface in your home is a great start, but it shouldn’t be the end of your deep cleaning checklist. After all, what’s more, important than the air you breathe?
Even at the best of times, the air in your home can find itself full of allergens and other pollutants.
But during this pandemic, and with flu season imminent, you especially want to be concerned about air quality.
Even if your home is not contaminated with dangerous viruses, everyday irritants like dust can stress your respiratory system.
That’s why the final step in your house deep cleaning should be an air purification solution. It’s the best way to ensure that you and your family are living in the cleanest environment that you can.
6.Cleaning the Bathroom
The previous tips were general-purpose advice, but certain rooms will warrant extra attention. Starting with the bathroom.
Cleaning the toilet, shower, and sink should all be givens, but don’t forget those easy-to-overlook areas.
Shower curtains can become havens for all kinds of mold and scum, so they need to be on your checklist.
Most plastic curtains are washable, though be sure to check the label or the packaging if you still have it. If in doubt, now’s a good time to get a new one anyway.
Now is also a good time to declutter the vanity and under the sink. Over time, most households will accumulate an abundance of make-up, hair products, and cleaning supplies.
Now is a good time to sort through it all and bring order back to your bathroom.
7.Cleaning the Kitchen
If any room in your home is likely to make you sick, it’s your kitchen, so it should be a top priority in your cleaning list.
Deep clean all of your counters and around every appliance, with the strongest cleaner your surfaces can handle.
And while you’re there, sort through the pantry, toss anything you’ve let expire, and clean all of the shelves.
A House Deep Clean is Good for Your Comfort and Your Health
Keeping your home tidy isn’t just a matter of staying healthy. The longer that you let clutter, dust, and the like pile up, the less comfortable you’ll be in your own home.
And with so many outside activities being canceled due to COVID, you don’t want to resent being indoors any more than you already would.
That’s why doing a house deep clean is important to your mental as well as physical well-being. Even at the best of times, no one likes a dirty house.
But giving the place a good going over can practically make it feel brand new.
And if you really want to make your home feel brand new, be sure to keep up with all the latest home improvement tips and tricks on our site.
