Getting Your House Clean One Step at a Time

Cleaning a dirty home is tough. It’s even tougher if you wait too long to do a thorough sweep of every room. And by sweep, we’re not talking about a simple wipe of the floor with your favorite broom.

Granted, those can be useful to get the cleanup done, but house cleaning can require some effort. For those people, a house cleaning service is an option, though you can keep trying it out for yourself. Other household members can help you out, so try and schedule it on a day when everyone’s at home.

Follow the guidelines below to make this easier. And the more times you do it, the easier and more rewarding it’ll be. Keep reading!

House Cleaning Checklist to Get You Started

Having a professional house cleaning checklist will guarantee that you cover all the surfaces that should be sanitized in your home.

But no one ever said that you don’t have to entertain yourself while tidying up. Below is a step-by-step list of house cleaning checklist supplies to have at the ready, mixed with helpful cleaning tips.

• Add a bit of rhythm in your step – Turn up your speakers and put on your favorite playlist, preferably something that can get you pumped and ready for deep cleaning house furniture and floors. When vacuuming them, feel free to turn it up when your favorite song plays.
  
• Vacuum well – Don’t skip areas where the vacuum won’t travel. This is where having a helping hand would be useful. Shift furniture around to clean in spots that may accumulate dust.
  
• Dust where you can – use a duster or static cloth that can pick up dust and lint from surfaces that are prone to collecting it, such as electronics. The rear side of TVs, your speaker playing music, and large pieces of furniture are magnets for dust. Dust can consist of anything that sheds into the air, including your skin cells. Wipe down everything well, then follow up with another next relatable tip
  
• Change your filters – Your AC filters won’t do as good of a job in purifying the air if they’re dirty, which can make it easier for the dust to accumulate. Prevention is key here, so be sure to check the filters often, even on days that you’re not cleaning the house.

While You’re in the Kitchen

• Sweep or dust the floor with a broom before mopping – Never mop the floor first, as you would be spreading around large pieces of debris instead of picking them up. Sweeping is the task for this, either with a traditional broom or one with a static pad that’s similar to what you used for the electronics.
  
• Mop thoroughly – The kitchen is a heavily trafficked area and can have some nasty bacteria on the floors. Use a cleaner that disinfects just as well as it smells. If you’re allergic to bleach, consider trying something milder or making your own cleaner. Never mix bleach with other chemicals, especially ammonia. Doing so would create chlorine gas, which is highly toxic and dangerous to inhale.
  
• Clean in the corners – The counters are easy to take care of but don’t forget about the corners. These are areas where pests can be found when there’s an infestation. Use an insecticide when you’re done, unless you’re allergic or have small children.
  
• Don’t forget about the refrigerator – You can tell when a refrigerator hasn’t been cleaned in a while because the odor will cling to the walls and ice, even when empty. You could allow everyone to consume most of the food before cleaning to not risk anything spoiling. Add an opened box of baking soda inside, which can help trap some of the odor.

Moving on to the Bathroom

• Use a scrubbing brush for tile and grout – If you see mildew on the tiles, the best way to get it up is with a scrubbing brush, one that’s not too soft but firm. Use a heavy cleaner for disinfection.
  
• Clean your toilet with a toilet brush – You can add bleach to the toilet. It’s great at getting rid of tough toilet stains on the outside and inside. Drop a toilet freshener in the back to reduce odors when someone uses it.
  
• Clean your mirrors and shower windows – LIke regular windows, you can use a heavy cleaner or something mild to do the job. Vinegar is recommended, especially for people that are annoyed with streaks.
  
• Wipe down the sink with a cleaning cloth – Leave no residue on your sink, and use a brush to get up trouble spots where you notice mildew.

To summarize the house cleaning checklist, impart these cleaning tips to your children if they’re old enough to help you freshen up. Open the windows if you must, and vacuum with essential oils to keep a lasting fragrance throughout. Wet vacuums are recommended since many have HEPA filters, which are made to trap pathogens without releasing them through a machine’s vents.

Why Is Cleaning the House So Important? Here’s What You Should Know:

You’ll Feel Much Better Mentally

You’re probably already aware that germs and other viruses can be lessened with a clean home. But did you know that a properly sanitized residence can have a profound impact on your mental health? No one likes to come home from a hard day’s work into a dirty household.

It can make some tired, exhausted, and even depressed. This has manifested by some into hoarding conditions, which are unlivable, hazardous, and would require extreme house cleaning to deal with.

A Moldy Mess

Fungi can also grow when house cleaning is neglected. Things like mildew and mold thrive in damp, moist, and wet conditions. Granted, not every dirty home can possess these conditions, but places like basements, kitchens, bathrooms, and any other place that’s frequently exposed to water can.

Fungi spread when airborne spores land on an ideal growing surface. Even if you can’t see it, mold can exist on your tiles, carpets, upholstery, sinks, and clothing hamper. Killing mold can be done when house cleaning, of course, but preventative measures are best.

If you clean or change out your air conditioning and heating filters when they’re supposed to be clean, you can reduce the spore court in your home. Spores will always be around, even in a pristine residence. But clean air and dry rooms are the best preventers of nasty mildew stains.

It’ll Take Less Time if You Keep Doing It

Yep, that’s right, the more you clean, the less you’ll have to clean in the future. Think of this the same as room service at a nice hotel or resort.

Unless you indicate to the employer that you don’t want a room clean by posting a do not disturb sign, you’re going to have it freshened up every day during your stay. It makes duties easier for hotel workers. Likewise, it can also make cleaning your home easier for you.

Be persistent in your routine and you’ll get to a point where it’ll take you less than an hour to have the entire house in a picturesque condition.

Creepy Critters Will Stay Away

A house cleaning checklist is essential for keeping out dirty pests. Imagine walking into your kitchen at night to find an icky cockroach running across the floor. Cockroaches can get into your home easily, even if you’re clean. However, whether or not it leads to an infestation can depend on your cleanliness.

They’re resilient little critters capable of living up to a month without food but will survive for just a week without water. That’s why they’re found in places that are wet and have many cluttered objects for them to hide around, namely kitchens and bathrooms.

Cockroaches are vectors for all kinds of diseases, including E. Coli, and Salmonella, and can even carry parasitic worms. With all that potentially coming into your home from cockroaches, deep cleaning house floors, sealing cracks, and keeping everything dry is important. The same applies to other pests like mice and rats.

Everyone Will Get Sick Less

An unkempt home can be a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria that can make you sick. Deep cleaning house areas where you and everyone else lounges are the usual places where they’re found. Things like remote controls, door handles, and rugs can host pathogens that make it into your nose, eyes, and mouth.

One of the dirtiest places in your home is your hands. If left unwashed, the hands can have the same number of germs as the floors you walk on. Anything that you or someone else touches with them should be cleaned on the regular.

About Jennifer Hanzlick

Clutter Trucker is a Denver-based hoarding clean-out company founded by Jennifer Hanzlick. Jennifer leveraged 15 years of corporate experience in to start the company in 2008. Her mission is to help and educate individuals and their loved ones who have hoarding disorder. A featured speaker at Ted X Boulder, Jennifer works directly with community and non-profit organizations to boost public awareness about the condition. To that end, she founded the Colorado Hoarding Task Force in 2015.