After you’ve found a place to move in, the next big hurdle for homeowners is home maintenance. Regular cleaning ensures a clean, tidy, and spotless living space. However, it surely is not enough. Every home needs a thorough deep clean, either every six months or after a year.
Cleaning is particularly a hassle for people who live in cities like Houston, where floods and hurricanes are common. Over the years, dirt and grime can accumulate, wreaking havoc on the floors and surfaces, making regular and deep cleaning all the more necessary.
While cleaning each and every surface in every corner of the house might seem like a daunting challenge, taking one step at a time will help. Here are a few tips to begin your project and make your home cleaner this year:
1. Clear the clutter
Hoarding unnecessary items is one terrible practice that can unnecessarily clutter your living space. You might not realize it at first, but there are likely many items in your home that you don’t really need. Begin by giving your possessions a thorough once-over and get rid of unneeded items.
It might seem tempting to store nostalgic possessions but keep them to a minimum; hoarding these items will only take up space. One way to make decluttering effective is to select what needs to be kept instead of taking out what doesn’t. Everything that doesn’t fall into the ‘needed’ category should be discarded.
However, not everything unnecessary can be discarded; it has to be stowed away.
If you live in or around Houston and are looking for storage Houston has many service providers you can contact. Especially if you have moved homes and have furniture that you do not currently have space to keep, self-storage providers can help.
2. Stow away unseasonal items
As you say goodbye to winters and welcome the scorching heat of Houston, it is time to store away your winter gear. Similarly, as summer ends, clear away all the seasonal items and prepare for the next season.
Unseasonal clothes, bedding, electronics, etc., only manage to add to the clutter. Schedule a time of the year for every season and make it a habit to pack away unnecessary belongings. For this purpose, you should designate a specific storage space in your house, like an old unused room or attic.
3. Tidy the place one room at a time
For the most effective surface clean-up, the ideal approach is to clean one room at a time. You could start with your bedroom because it is where you spend the most time. It is all about storing things in their proper place. If you haven’t already, assign specific storage spots for your clothes, bedding, accessories, cosmetics, etc.
Next, move on to the kitchen. This is where it gets tricky; all the cabinets are stuffed with dishes, pans, cutlery, and whatnot. For a deep clean, you must remove everything and clean each cabinet one by one. It is an innovative practice to do the floor last because your potentially dirty feet and dust that fall off the cabinets will likely put your efforts to waste. When you do clean the floor, opt for a wet mop or a vacuum.
4. Deep clean the floors
Inevitably, the floor is the dirtiest of all surfaces. In the lounge, it is the dirty feet that bring in the mud and snow from outside. In the kitchen, frequent spills, grease, and sticky residue are the culprits. It becomes all the more difficult if the crevices between the kitchen tiles are not sealed with grout.
Experts recommend a deep clean with a soap-less pH-neutral cleaner every week. Yes, daily sweeping or mopping is surely not enough. PH-neutral, soap-less cleaners are recommended because acid or alkali damage the grout, and soap-based cleaners make the surface sticky and more likely to attract dirt.
5. Get rid of dust
Dusting away all surfaces is perhaps the most effective technique to refresh your living space. Dust doesn’t just look bad; it poses a serious health risk, particularly the annual Saharan dust in Houston. This annual dust wave can be terrible for those suffering from allergies and lung diseases.
For this part of the cleaning process, you would have to go room to room, starting from one corner and back. Make sure to reach every crevice you can and clean each shelf.
As for carpeted or tiled floors, vacuuming is the ideal solution. Plug in your vacuum and go over the entire house to get rid of any dust particles lying around.
6. Refresh the paint job
Repainting or renewing the color is a quick-fix solution that greatly impacts your home’s overall aesthetic. What’s more, it will also add to your property’s value. It is a good idea to go for a different color scheme this time; change is always appreciated.
To achieve this, you can either go DIY or call in the professionals; either way, it is one of the cheapest ways to renew your living space. If you see paint peeling off or any water stains, know it is time to revamp the paint job.
7. Establish a cleaning routine
An annual deep clean will be much easier if you fix and strictly follow a regular cleaning schedule. Apart from thorough cleaning, you must also ensure that your house ‘stays’ clean; and for that, adopt the following practices:
- Firstly, make it a routine to make the bed as soon as you get up
- When you’re in the kitchen, clean as you cook instead of leaving it for later
- Clear any spills on the spot, sweep the floor frequently, and place things where they belong
- At night, a power clean of the entire house is a wonderfully effective practice
- Final words
A simple but thorough cleaning of your home can go a long way in refreshing your living space; a complete makeover is not always necessary. For occasional deep cleaning, begin by clearing the clutter and stowing away unnecessary belongings. Then clean each room one by one, cleaning the floors and wiping the surfaces. A new paint job is also an amazing way to add to your house’s aesthetics. Try to clean your home frequently to make your annual deep clean a lot easier.
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