Basic house cleaning tips apply regardless of the type of dwelling you live in. Whether you live in a compact city condo, a sprawling suburban cottage, or a summer house by the lake, there are parts and elements of a house that need to be cleaned regularly—at least weekly for optimal results.
These areas include the washrooms, kitchen, front yard, and backyard, and if you entertain often, the living and dining rooms. The bedrooms, garage, and study don’t need to be cleaned as frequently but should still be looked after at least twice a month.
As for the elements, we’re talking about appliances and fixtures that require weekly cleaning: the fridge and oven, since these are the fixtures where food is prepared. Hygiene dictates that they be cleaned regularly to avoid the growth and spread of bacteria.
Let’s start with the schedule.
Work Out a Cleaning Schedule
House cleaning isn’t exactly an exciting activity, but it has to be done. What some people tend to do is neglect cleaning for weeks and then, when they feel a burst of energy or are expecting company, they go on a cleaning marathon that can take at least two or three days. The reason it takes that long—even if the dwelling is just a single’s pad—is due to negligence. When the cleaning is finally tackled, it’s because there are telltale signs of neglect.
We recommend that you schedule certain chores for specific days of the week. For example, we vacuum the second floor on Mondays, and the first floor on Tuesdays. Vacuuming is essential to prevent dust from permeating the entire house and causing allergies.
The bathroom and toilet scrubbing and disinfecting are done on Thursdays or Fridays, and the appliances are taken care of over the weekend.
The key, as you may have guessed, is NOT to cram all cleaning chores into one or two days. This is how house cleaning becomes tedious and we begin to resent the activity because of physical fatigue. By spacing out chores across several days, it doesn’t become an overwhelming task, making us feel uninspired and demotivated. When house cleaning turns into a marathon, we dread the next round and put off what needs to be done.
House Cleaning Tip: Hardwood Floors
Wouldn’t it be nice if our floors could look brand new every day, minus the scratches, chipped edges, and dull appearance?
When we moved into our home, the hardwood floors were so beautiful and shiny that we were afraid to step on them. We considered spreading large area rugs to protect the finish. We almost bought a bucket of cleaning chemicals eager to maintain the sheen. But instead, we asked a construction expert who was installing our lighting fixtures for advice on how to care for hardwood floors. His advice: vacuum regularly, and occasionally, wipe with a damp cloth soaked in lukewarm water. Follow this with a quick dry using a soft cloth. He said never to use any chemicals—just plain water. We’re glad we took his advice because, four years later, our floors have maintained their shine.
For the fridge: we wash the removable storage compartments with warm water and dish soap. For the interior, we simply use warm water and vinegar—1 cup of vinegar mixed with 3 cups of water. After cleaning, we leave a fresh box of baking soda in one corner to absorb odors.
For the oven: if you have a self-cleaning oven, you’re in luck. For those with old-fashioned ovens, a good scrub with warm water and vinegar should suffice. Occasionally, there are grease spots that remain on the corners and glass door, which can be scrubbed with a small amount of household cleanser. For modern ovens with ceramic tops, a special whitish solution can be purchased from supermarkets, drugstores, or hardware stores. Make sure the label reads “for ceramic glass top ovens.” This solution is an excellent degreaser.
Dealing with Cobwebs
This is where your ordinary broom comes in handy. Make sure the broom is clean and free of ingrained dirt before you use it to “swat” down cobwebs from the ceiling and wall corners. If you’d rather avoid cobwebs on your broom, wrap it with an ordinary cloth before cleaning the cobwebs. The cloth can be discarded or thrown into the wash.
One writer suggested buying two products that serve as broom substitutes: a cobweb eliminator and a telescoping duster. These are perfect for hard-to-reach spots. Telescoping dusters range in price from $20 to $150. The higher-priced models come with multiple accessories for cleaning paneling, molding, and intricate carvings. Some dusters have a soft brush head and an extension pole that can reach vaulted ceilings, skylights, and air grates.
Don’t Go Overboard with Cleaning Products
One valuable lesson we learned when we became homeowners is that there’s absolutely no need to go overboard with cleaning products. Are you sometimes surprised when you look in people’s cupboards and see dozens of cleaning brands—one set for the bathroom, another for the kitchen, and yet another for the living room and dining room?
If you have a brand-new home, you usually don’t have to deal with stubborn stains or dirt accumulation. What we’ve learned is that we only need the following:
- Dishwashing detergent
- Vinegar
- Cleanser
That’s it! We use dishwashing detergent not only for dishes but also to scrub bathroom walls, toilets, and sinks. We use nothing on our floors, just water. Cleanser is used to clean soap stains off aluminum and metal fixtures, and vinegar is used to disinfect the fridge and coffee brewer. In our old apartment, we had an arsenal of chemicals: toilet fresheners (the kind that turned toilet water blue), Murphy’s oil, CLR, and other toxic solutions requiring careful handling. But with a brand-new house, buying a whole bunch of cleaning products is unnecessary.
When your house is over five years old, however, it’s time to invest in stronger cleaning agents to deal with wear and tear, and lingering smells. In very cold climates like Canada, homes don’t get aired regularly, so the windows are kept closed during harsh winters. This is when more diligent cleaning becomes essential.
