How to clean your house
Everyone cleans their homes differently, but there are some best practices when it comes to how often you should clean each area. Read our house cleaning tips, here are some general guidelines to help you create your ideal cleaning schedule.
Once a Year
People talk about “spring cleaning,” but really you can tackle these projects whenever you have a slow season in your year. This is often done during the spring because you can open the windows to air out your home, and because it’s often a less busy space in between the holidays and summer months. The tasks you should tackle during this time include cleaning outside spaces such as gutters, chimneys, windows and dryer vents. You should also take this opportunity to deep clean your carpets and upholstered furniture. You can do this by renting a steam cleaner or, if you’d rather not deal with wet carpets for a day, look into commercial carpet cleaning methods.
Every Few Months
Every three to six months, it’s time to tackle some areas you’re in contact with regularly but don’t need to be cleaned very often. These include the inside of your oven, refrigerator, and oven, and your pillows, comforter, and mattress. Now is also the time to spray down your shower curtain liner or throw it in the wash to prevent mildew from growing on it and to coax those dust bunnies out from under your furniture. Wipe down your kitchen cabinets to get rid of any dust and food splatters, and give your coffee maker and sink drain a good refresh. If it’s warm, do a quick sweep and hose-down of your outdoor spaces as well.
Monthly
Depending on your lifestyle, some of your monthly tasks may be biannual or weekly tasks for others. Figure out what works best for you, but try to hit areas such as your blinds, vents and light fixtures when you’re doing your dusting and vacuuming rounds during this time frame. This is also a good time to clean the items that do the heavy lifting for you: Your dishwasher, washing machine and vacuum all could use some love from time to time. Not only will it help them perform better, but it’ll also help them last longer.
Weekly
Stay on top of your home’s cleanliness by doing a solid once-over every week or two. Mop and vacuum your floors, wipe down your bathrooms, and dust surfaces and furniture. (A feather duster is a great way to do this quickly.) Keep your kitchen smelling fresh by getting rid of any expired food hiding in the back of your refrigerator and cleaning the inside of your microwave. Wipe down and sanitize your faucet and refrigerator handles to keep them from getting too grimy as well. It’s also a good idea to change out your sheets and towels during this time. Not only does it keep your bed and bathroom clean, but fresh linens make your bedroom and bathroom so much more relaxing, even if the rest of it isn’t perfectly clean.
Daily or Every Few Days
Think of daily cleaning tasks as the ones you need to do to reset spaces in your home for the next activity and to prevent messes from piling up. Even if you don’t actually do each of these every single day, tackling them more often than once a week will make a big difference in keeping your home clean. Many of these daily tasks focus on the kitchen and include washing your dishes, wiping down counters and tables, and sweeping the floor. Others include making your bed, squeegeeing your shower, and sanitizing any sinks that may have come in contact with raw meat. It’s also a good idea to pick up clutter as you go to prevent it from completely taking over.
While the best cleaning routine is the one that fits best with your lifestyle, these tips can provide you with a reference point to help you get started creating yours.
