Do you struggle to keep your home clean and organized? If you’re like many homeowners, giving your house a deep clean is an arduous and time-consuming process.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are seven essential cleaning tips that will not only help you create a tidier environment at home but also reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning!
1. Invest in an Air Scrubber
One of the easiest ways to promote a cleaner home is to invest in an air scrubber. This device will improve the air quality within your home and help prevent a range of health-related issues in the process—from headaches and migraines to certain respiratory diseases.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. Enhance your quality of life right off the bat with a high-quality air scrubber!
2. Declutter the Area First
Tidying is an essential first step to cleaning any space. Without returning rogue items to their original spots, it will be difficult to not only get around your home but also complete simple tasks—such as vacuuming, cleaning baseboards, dusting crowded surfaces, and more.
Taking 10 minutes or so to tidy up will allow you to perform your deep clean in record time!
3. Dust from Top to Bottom
When dusting, it’s important to work systematically. Otherwise, dust can easily be swept onto surfaces that have already been cleaned—negating all of your hard work!
Start with your highest surfaces—such as door headers, headrails, and shelves. Any dust that falls from an upper surface will be removed when it comes time to dust your lower surfaces.
4. Sweep Before You Mop
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is mopping a dirty floor. Particularly if a floor hasn’t been cleaned in a while, it has likely collected a significant amount of dirt and dust.
Using a wet mop on an overly dirty surface will only shift the dirt to other areas of your floor. Sweep the entire surface first so that your mop can do its job—bringing up stains, grime, and other blemishes!
5. Don’t Forget the Sofa
The sofa is often neglected during the cleaning process, as dust and dirt can easily blend in against the backdrop of neutral or earth tones.
Remove all cushions, pillows, and throws, and vacuum them individually before also vacuuming the main sofa assembly. Be sure to use the vacuum’s hose and brush attachments to remove any gunk hiding in your sofa’s crevices.
6. Focus on High-Touch Surfaces
In a recent study from BioMed Central Ltd., Â 70.6% of high-touch surfaces were contaminated with bacteria. To prevent these agents from running rampant throughout your household, pay special attention to light switches, doorknobs, drawer handles, countertops, and toilet seats.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all surfaces. Carefully read the labels on your sanitization and disinfecting products to identify the most appropriate cleaning products for each surface.
7. Throw Away Old Sponges and Rags
Believe it or not, the kitchen—not the bathroom—is the dirtiest room in most homes, and old sponges and rags are often the culprit. In a germ study from NSF, over 75 percent of kitchen sponges and rags contained E. coli, salmonella, or fecal matter.
Keeping these old cleaning products around can have a counterintuitive impact on your cleaning efforts. Replace them frequently!
