The days are getting longer and the sun is making an appearance more often — spring is here!
Which means it’s time for the annual deep clean. Rid your house of the dust and grime that may have accumulated during the dark winter months and prepare your home for summer by working through our handy spring cleaning checklist.
Cleaning room-by-room breaks what may seem like an insurmountable task into manageable chunks of time, which you can spread over several days or weeks. (Or if you fancy putting your feet up, why not give us a call and let our professional cleaners do the hard work?)
The Kitchen
This is where you prepare food and possibly eat your meals, so it must be germ and bacteria-free.
- Clean the oven — remove all grease, fat and burnt food and make the stovetop shine. To do a thorough clean, you will need to separately clean all removable items, such as the glass sheet in the door.
- Clean the fridge and microwave — remove all food items, clean any removable parts separately and dry before refilling.
- Defrost the freezer — this should be done at least once per year but may be needed more often if ice builds up. Allow up to 24-hours for the freezer to defrost. Your freezer will run more efficiently when excess ice is removed.
- Clean the kitchen cabinets — remove all items and clean inside the kitchen cabinets. Food remnants, germs and bacteria can quickly accumulate in dark, damp areas that remain untouched for months at a time.
- Mop floors and clean surfaces — use an antibacterial spray to clean countertops and mop the floor at least once. You may need to use a cloth or sponge to get into the corners and edges between the floor and the cabinets.
- Clean the drain — this one is often missed. Food particles, fats and grease can quickly build up in a kitchen drain. This can cause unpleasant odours and blockages. There are chemical drain cleaners available or you can try natural solutions such as baking soda.
The Lounge and Dining Room
Make sure the room you serve your family and guests in is spotless and germ-free.
- Dust surfaces and furniture — dust can irritate your skin, throat and eyes. It is also an allergen for many people. Remove any dust that has built up on the table, sideboard, window sill and other surfaces.
- Clean the curtains — many lined curtains cannot be machine washed so check the label for washing instructions. Vacuum the curtains, then take them down and wash by hand or take them to the dry cleaners.
- Clean the upholstery — consider how much time you spend sitting on your sofa. Now think about how often it’s cleaned. A professional upholstery cleaning service will remove hidden dirt and bacteria while protecting your prized furniture.
- Mop or Vacuum the floor — vacuum carpeted floors, then use a carpet cleaner to remove ingrained stains and odours. Mop and polish hardwood floors to make them shine.
- Clean the windows — remove dirt on the exterior and interior of the windows. It can be difficult to reach some windows and achieving a professional finish is not always easy, so it’s worth investing in a professional window cleaning service.
- Clean door handles and light switches — contact points such as door handles and light switches are a breeding ground for bacteria. Clean these thoroughly using antibacterial cleaning products.
The Bedroom
This is where you probably spend around a third of every day. It’s where you come to rest and rejuvenate, so make sure that it is free from dust mites and other allergens that could lead to health conditions and discomfort.
- Let some air in — open the windows and give the room a good airing. This is a good tip when cleaning any room, especially if you’re using chemical cleaning products.
- Wash the bedding — most bedding can tolerate a hot wash (check the manufacturer’s instructions), which will kill dust mites, and reduce allergens.
- Clean your mattress — your mattress can be a haven for dust and bacteria. According to research by The Sleep Council, we lose up to half a pint of fluid each night and shed around 10gm of skin per week. Vacuum and rotate the mattress, then leave it to air for a few hours before remaking it.
- Clean floors and curtains — follow the steps outlined previously for cleaning carpets and curtains.
- Have a clear out — okay, so this isn’t strictly a cleaning job, but the annual spring clean is a great time to sort through your clothes and pass anything you don’t wear anymore to charity.
The Bathroom
You come to the bathroom to get clean, which is tricky to do if the room is unsanitary. The chances are you keep this room pretty clean on a day-to-day basis but we bet there’s a few hidden spots that go ignored outside of the annual spring clean.
- Clean the tiles and grout — over time, the surface of tiles can collect dirt and debris. Grouting is porous and can also absorb dirt. Scrub your tiles using hot water to remove grime.
- Clean and disinfect the bath and basin — remove any mildew or mould and get ready to scrub that tub. There are plenty of eco-friendly cleaning products available that will deliver results without harming the environment.
- Vacuum the fan — this one is easily missed. Vacuum the dust around the bathroom fan, then use soap and water to remove tougher stains.
- Disinfect the toilet — you may squirt a little loo cleaner around the toilet rim regularly, but during a deep clean you should add a powerful detergent to the bowl and leave it for a few hours to remove stains and germs.
- Mop and scrub the floor — if your floor is tiled and grouted, it will need scrubbing, otherwise mop with an anti-bacterial cleaning fluid.
Customise this checklist by adding any additional rooms or spaces in your home. Using a checklist means that nothing gets missed or forgotten — and it’s satisfying ticking off another job done!
If this all sounds like a lot of work to fit in around work, childcare and other commitments, why not get in touch with MCS Cleaning and Maintenance? We have a team of professional and friendly domestic cleaners ready to spring into action and deep clean your home throughout. Contact us to discuss your needs and schedule a visit today.
