With having twin boys I am always cleaning my home, like 3 times a day! But, I feel like I always loose my self in the process wondering if there could be a better order to it. So, I've asked my good friend Jessica who owns Brilliant Cleaning with her friend Faith, here in Tacoma, to give my readers a step by step tutorial on how to properly clean a home.
(The Team)
12 Steps for Deep Cleaning Your Front/Living/Bedrooms/Hallways
There is every day cleaning and then there is DEEP cleaning. It really does not need to be a complicated process. With the correct rhythm of steps and tools you can do a better job cleaning and save a ton of time. It is important you set aside an extra hour or two for deeper cleaning but do what you can with the time you have. If you can’t get to everything…so what!
- Pick up the space
You need to de-clutter the space before beginning to clean so you aren’t spending precious time shuffling stuff around. Pick up toys, clothes, stacks of papers, shoes and anything that has been brought in to the space but is not supposed to live there for good.
- Light Fixtures/Fans
Unscrew fixtures and carefully hand wash in warm soapy water. Let air dry as you clean. If it is not something you can take down, like a fan, then vac with a brush attachment and wipe down with a dry microfiber.
- Curtains/Bed Skirts/Table Covers
Take these down and clean them. These are dust & hair traps. Another easy way to rid them of dust is to put them in the dryer without heat. Use natural dryer sheets or dryer balls. It helps get rid of the hair and dust (Always check care instructions).
- Blinds (Tools: vac with brush attachment and dry microfiber rag)
Turn the blinds so they are facing you. Vacuum over the blinds with a brush attachment. Run dry microfiber over it to capture remaining dust particles.
- Dusting (Tools: dry microfiber rag)
Go around the room and dust everything with dry microfiber rag. Since you are deep cleaning make sure you are pulling objects out so that you are getting in/around/under everything. This means all knickknacks, pictures, books, etc. Don’t forget that dust sticks to vertical surfaces too. Wipe it ALL down. Some objects are difficult to dust, such as lampshades or fabric surfaces. Use a brush attachment on your vacuum.
- Wiping Surfaces (Tools: microfiber rag & non-toxic all-purpose cleaner)
After dusting, lightly mist a clean microfiber rage with a neutral non-toxic all-purpose cleaner. Wipe down any surfaces that get grimy with food/body products/fingerprints. This could be tables, chairs, light-switch plates, door knobs & surrounding door areas that get touched, dresser knobs & surrounding area, window ledges, walls. Re-mist cloth & surfaces as needed but the microfiber should do most of the work.
- Glass & Mirrors (Tools: glass microfiber rag & non-toxic glass cleaner)
Spray cleaner to lightly mist mirrors or glass and wipe. For framed pictures it is wise to spray your rag them wipe the pic. This way you do not accidentally damage the internal pic if the spray were to run down in to the frame.
- Anything else?
Before we go to the bottom of the room, is there anything else not on this list that needs to be cleaned? Do it at this point!
- Baseboards/Ledging/Cobwebs (Tools: vac w/ brush attachment)
As much as you are able, move furniture away from walls so you can clean under/behind. Tons of dust back in those spaces. Use brush attachment and vac all baseboards and ledging (i.e. on doors). Now look up and vac all cobwebs you see. Don’t move furniture back yet!
- Hard Floors (Tools: non-toxic all-purpose concentrate cleaner, bucket, microfiber rag, gloves, microfiber mop)
Vacuum up floors around walls and where furniture has been pulled out. Dilute all-purpose in to some warm water. Get on hands and knees and wipe baseboards, floor around ledge and areas where furniture sits. Let dry and move furniture back. Now vacuum rest of room, moving other furniture pieces around in middle of space as needed. Mop floor.
- Carpeted Floor (Tools: vacuum with ledger tool, non-toxic all-purpose concentrate cleaner, bucket, microfiber rag, gloves)
Use ledger tool to go around the perimeter of the room and vac up all of the dust and debris that your vacuum head can’t pick up. Then vacuum the spaces where the furniture was moved from the wall. Wipe baseboards and ledging. Move that furniture back. Vacuum the rest of the space moving furniture pieces around in the middle of the space so as to vacuum underneath them as well.
- Put the room back together
Replace light fixtures, hang curtains, put objects back you removed for cleaning. Don’t leave the room until it is put back together and tidy. Leaving loose ends creates more work for yourself later. Get it all done and enjoy a completely clean space.
Tips to Remember:
· Get kiddos and pets out. If you are deep cleaning this is not a good time to have others in your space. You need to focus, use your time wisely and not feel like a tornado is following you as you clean.
· Know your chemicals and the surfaces you are putting them on. Always read the care instructions or contact the company who installed it to know what is best. Even vinegar, though non-toxic, can etch in to certain materials and damage them since it is an acidic chemical. Also, dilute chemicals properly. More does not equate to better.
· Think logically for cleaning. Top to bottom. If you start with cleaning the floor you will just have to go over it again and waste time.
· Do one task at a time. If you are dusting, dust everything in the space, and then move on to the next cleaning task. You save yourself LOADS of time.
· Don’t get caught up in organizing or other tasks. It is easy to get sidetracked and use your time scattered in many other little tasks you know exist in that space. Keep to your cleaning and make a list of everything you would like to get to later.
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