Over 90% of people engage in deep spring cleaning. But are you making these deep cleaning mistakes? Making cleaning mistakes results in a less-than-clean home and leaves you feeling overwhelmed as a homeowner.
The deep cleaning process seems daunting, but with a little planning and preparation, you can achieve a clean, tidy, and organized home.
If you’re ready to begin your deep cleaning, make sure to avoid these mistakes.
1. Not Making a List
One mistake to avoid is not making a list of places that need cleaning. Having a list keeps you on track and ensures that you clean every place that you want to clean without forgetting.
Start your list by going from room to room and writing down areas that need a touch-up or complete deep cleaning. This could be things like rugs, walls, baseboards, sinks, cleaning dirty counters, and so forth. Checking places off your list lets you know what’s clean and what still needs work.
2. Not Starting at the Top
Another mistake homeowners make while cleaning is cleaning on the ground first and then moving to the top. You actually need to start cleaning the top first – places like fans, tops of shelves, cobwebs, and so forth – so all the dust and debris falls to the bottom. Once everything at the top of your home is cleaned, then you can begin cleaning on lower levels.
If everything is particularly dusty, you may want to wait until the dust settles before cleaning everything. Regular floor-sweeping eliminates excess dust and makes it easier to clean once the dust settles.
3. Letting Messes Go
While not an immediate mistake, this suggestion helps make deep cleaning much easier. Over time, messes can pile up, old mail, dirty socks, or not wiping down appliances. Regular house cleaning eliminates feeling overwhelmed with all the chores when it comes time to deep clean.
You don’t have to clean much every day, but cleaning for a few minutes a day helps you stay on top of messes and may help keep your home more organized.
4. Cleaning Windows Incorrectly
Clean windows make your home appear brighter. But did you know there’s a correct or better way to clean windows? A sunny day isn’t the best time to clean windows; a cloudy day is better.
This is because the sun makes your windows appear clean when they may be dirty. Heat also causes the cleaning product to evaporate, leaving smudges behind.
Choose to clean your windows on a cloudy day with no chance of rain. This way, you will see all the smudges and nothing will be left behind.
5. Avoiding Declutter
While staying on top of messes is key to having a clean home, clutter is another monster to tackle as well. Your house can be clean but cluttered, and this makes cleaning a challenge.
Before you start your deep clean, you’ll want to clear the clutter as best you can. Put everything in its place, so you know how to care for it when it’s time to deep clean that area. If you need to, make several piles, throw away, keep, donate, or put away.
6. Wrong Deep Cleaning Products
Using the wrong deep cleaning products only makes cleaning more difficult and may ruin surfaces like granite or glass.
For countertops, you’ll want to use a soft rag to pick up debris but leave your counters unscratched. But you don’t want to use the same rag for debris that’s hard to remove. It’s important to know what tool to use for each task.
It’s also important to read cleaning label products and follow the directs precisely to avoid any problems. While one type might work for glass, it won’t work for other areas. Mixing cleaning products should be avoided as well unless specified.
7. Overlooking Details
Small details like drains, garbage disposals, corners, and so forth, often get overlooked when it comes to deep cleaning. These are some places that need cleaning the most, especially if they’re untouched during regular cleaning.
Choosing to overlook small areas means that dust, debris, and dirty water continue to build up. When this happens, these places become harder to clean and may lead to larger problems like clogged pipes or bugs. Be sure to give focus to these areas to keep your home clean.
8. Using Dirty Rags
Dirty rags collect dust and other germs, and without regular washing, they do not work well. Using these rags without washing them in between uses only spreads germs as well. Even after your regular cleaning, you want to wash dirty rags and ensure they’re clean before using them.
This refers to sponges and dusting mitts or rags as well. Sponges are the perfect places for bacteria to grow and thrive, so rinse them well after use. Vacuum microfiber dusting mitts if you can or wash rags to remove unseen dust.
9. Cleaning vs. Disinfecting
Cleaning and disinfecting are two different things. Cleaning involves removing dirt or debris from the surface. Disinfecting means you remove bacteria and other harmful germs.
In order to disinfect properly, you need to clean the surface. Only then will the disinfecting agent work to kill germs and bacteria. Be sure to follow the directions on the disinfectant, as some of them require several minutes of sitting time before wiping away the solution.
Don’t Make These Deep Cleaning Mistakes
Deep cleaning mistakes mean that you will have to clean again. By avoiding these mistakes and cleaning correctly the first time, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor until the next deep cleaning session.
Is the deep cleaning job too much for you? We can help. Contact us today to get a free quote for your cleaning job.