So your sister stops by to drop off a box of your painting supplies she borrowed a few weeks ago to paint her new apartment. She asks you where to put them and you point her to the basement. She returns horrified at the amount of dust and spider webs in your unfinished basement. You call her a “neat freak” and you laugh about it. But deep inside you start to question your cleanliness standards. Should you clean that basement even if you only use it for storage? Do you vacuum often enough? These are some good questions and our Maryland home cleaning experts are here to help you find the answers.
Why Cleaning is Important
To determine how often you should clean, let’s first determine what cleaning does and why it’s important.
CLEANING:
- Makes your home look, smell and feel nice
- Eliminates dust and other allergens
- Reduces spreading of germs
If having a clean and healthy home is important to you, then cleaning should definitely be close to the top of your priority list. The easy answer to how often you should clean is as often as necessary to keep the dust, clutter and dirt at bay, and keep you happy about the look of your home.
Cleaning in an Average Household
How often you clean will largely depend on how fast your place becomes messy and dirty. Generally, the more you use a room, the more frequently you should clean it. Consider cleaning the following rooms on a daily or weekly basis:
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Living Room
- Entrance hallway
Cleaning on a daily basis may sound extreme, but by doing a little every day you will avoid spending an entire weekend cleaning up a big mess.
On a daily basis you can:
- Break up clutter and put items where they belong
- Wipe kitchen countertops and stove top after cooking
- Wipe spills as they happen
- Collect dirty laundry in baskets
- Wash dishes as they get used
- Clean toothpaste residue inside sinks and wipe bathroom countertops
On a weekly or biweekly basis you can:
- Sweep/vacuum the floors
- Empty and clean kitchen sinks
- Do the laundry
- Wipe dust and fingerprints off the furniture
- Polish wooden furniture
- Empty trash cans and recycling
- Scrub the toilet, shower and/or bath as needed
- Clean the cat’s litter box and the space around it
- Throw away spoiled foods from the fridge
If you do all of the above, you will have a nice, neat house and won’t have to panic if a friend drops by unannounced or in-laws come for a visit. However, you would also need to invest a significant amount of time if you want to maintain a clean home. If you only have a few free hours a week, you probably don’t want to spend them scrubbing toilets. If this task list seems overwhelming, you can always rely on professional and affordable help of our friendly and experienced cleaning staff at Immaculate Clean.
Extra Cleaning Duties
We’ve covered the basics above, but there are plenty more places left around the house that may need cleaning. Some people choose to embark on massive annual cleaning sprees, also known as “spring cleaning.” But some of these things may have to be done on a more frequent basis, which will depend on your lifestyle and personal habits.
Consider tackling the following list on the quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis, or as you see fit:
- Wash all windows and glass doors inside and out
- Wash window treatments or wipe the dust off blinds
- Wash removable cushion covers from couches
- Steam-clean upholstery and carpets
- Wash baseboards and wipe dust from crown molding
- Clean door handles, light switches and cabinet knobs
- Clean lighting fixtures and ceiling fans
- Wash inside of trashcans
- Clean underneath movable furniture and appliances
- Wipe the inside and outside of the bathroom and kitchen cabinets
- Clean inside appliances: fridge, oven, dishwasher and washer
- Wash the kitchen backsplash
- Clean remote controls, cellphone and computer keyboard.
- Wash pillows, blankets, throws and comforters
Keep in mind that if you have small kids or pets, you might have to upgrade some of the above activities to a more frequent schedule. For example, if your dog likes to bark at passing cars, your glass front door may need a weekly cleaning.
Contact us today for affordable home cleaning services in Maryland if you need a hand with any of the above.
