Call nowExpert tips to quickly deliver a clean home
This article from Woman’s Day provides a wonderful insight into some quick and simple ways your cleaning routine can be tweaked to adopt tips from fellow cleaning professionals who know all too well that having a process for cleaning a home is far easier than stumbling your way through a clean and hoping for the best. Here’s what they had to say…
Follow these seven steps and the whole house will begin to sparkle before your very eyes:
The Plan of Attack: Top-to-bottom, left-to-right
A good place to start is the upstairs bathroom if there is one. For each task, start at the highest point in the room (if dusting, this might mean high shelves), and move from left to right across the room. This way, you don’t miss anything, and you won’t accidentally knock dust onto already-cleaned lower shelves.
Step 1: Dust Dust each room, including the topsides of all the furniture, undersides of shelves, and all handrails, as well as picture frames, TV screens and knickknacks. “When it’s possible to dry-dust, I do—getting something wet makes it harder,” says Lisa Romero, owner of Just Like New Cleaning in Colorado. To get rid of fingerprints, dampen a microfiber cloth with warm water. Pro tip: Look up top. “People don’t dust up on the very top of furniture, and that’s where all the dust collects and then falls off,” says Romero.
Step 2: Furniture Fabric Go through the house and strip and remake beds; neaten any pillows or furniture blankets. Brush furniture surfaces with a vacuum extension as needed.
Step 3: Mirrors and Glass Wipe down mirrors and windows throughout the house. Pro tip: Using one wet and one dry microfiber cloth won’t leave streaks.
Step 4: Surface Cleaning Wipe down all surfaces and counters throughout the house, disinfecting as necessary. Pro tip: Be sure to wipe down all places that fingers touch, like door handles, light switches, TV remotes and phones. Those are the places that people forget, and they really hold germs.
Step 5: Kitchen and Bathroom Walk through and spray cleaner on tubs, sinks and toilets. Return and scrub. Then, in the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, and cabinet and appliance doors.
Step 6: Floors Sweep, then mop or scrub the bathroom and kitchen floors, and any other floor that needs it. Remember to clean often forgotten areas, like behind toilets, so you know they’re 100% disinfected.
Step 7: Vacuum Finally, finish with a thorough vacuum of the house. “I vacuum my way out the bedrooms, down the stairs, through the living room and out of the house,” says Romero.
Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit
Here’s some more tips when it comes to products and equipment, especially useful for our one-off Cleaners and for homes requesting equipment supplied by you:
No pro cleaner likes to carry around too many supplies. Their five must-haves:
1. A 20-pack of microfiber towels (wash them as needed). “I’ve saved thousands of dollars on paper towels and window cleaner since I started using microfiber,” says Romero. Make sure to buy good-quality cloths, usually around $1 per cloth from a janitorial supply store, and never wash with dryer sheets or fabric softener. Pro tip: Before using a cleaning product for dusting, try just warm water and the microfiber. “It usually works,” says Romero.
2. A microfiber mop. On a tight budget, it’s cheaper and less wasteful than disposable mops. Pro tip: Great for picking up dust in high and low corners.
3. A nylon-bristle broom. “It doesn’t splatter walls or lose its bristles,” says Payne. Pro tip: Sweep your rug. It often works better than a vacuum.
4. A Shammy. A synthetic version of the traditional chamois cloth, this rubbery, hyper-absorbent towel is great for soaking up water and quickly buffing counters and furniture. Pro tip: Run a dry Shammy over a couch or floor to pick up pet hair.
5. A backpack vacuum. Professional cleaners love backpack-style vacuums because they’re gentle on back muscles and make it easy to move quickly from room to room. Pro tip: Look beyond the floor. It’s easy to quickly vacuum shelf surfaces, mantels, railings and inside drawers if you use lightweight hand extensions.