By: Maid Easy Cleaning Professionals:
While it can be easy to feel overwhelmed as the days get shorter and fall passes into winter, one way to organize your thoughts and your home is by doing a deep clean! We have all the best tips for how to transform your home into a seriously organized, uncluttered, immaculate abode that is ready for visitors all through the holidays.
If you want to hire a professional maid to clean your Tampa home, then we can help you there too!
Start Outside by Cleaning Your Gutters:
Be forewarned, this job is not for everyone. It involves pulling out the latter and standing on it to reach the gutters attached to your roof so that they can be relieved of all the junk that’s collected there over the past couple weeks (or months).
Depending on the size of your house, this can become a dangerous job, so you may want to consider contacting a professional. Gutter maintenance should always stay on the mandatory cleaning list, however, since clogged gutters can cause water to pool on your roof and may lead to leaks, which can attract termites or create issues with windows, doors, or the foundation of your home.
You’ll need a plastic garbage bag, narrow trowel, stiff brush, thick gloves, and a hose with a pressure attachment to get this job done. While you’re outside, why not rake up those leaves scattered on the lawn?
Declutter Your Kitchen Next:
Since the holidays are a big time for cooking and general use of the kitchen, it is smart to degerm and sanitize your kitchen as much as you can before they kick off. Wash your curtains, replace shelf liners, review bottles and cans living under your sink, and remove and clean ceiling fixtures. Don’t forget to give some major attention to your appliances, including:
Refrigerators:
Refrigerators get dirty enough for a regular cleaning, inside and out. We recommend removing everything from inside the fridge and completely cleaning out all drawers and surfaces with an antibacterial cleanser, then doing a full clean of the exterior of the fridge. After that, be sure that you sweep below the fridge or pull out the vacuum cleaner and take care of bits of food and trash that’s accumulated there and the area in the back of the fridge. To keep the contents inside your fridge smelling nice, put a stocking full of activated charcoal or a box of baking soda on a shelf.
Stoves:
While stoves can be frustrating to clean, they are an obvious place for leftover food and grease to accumulate and a must for the list of places to deep clean. Placing a cup of ammonia in a ceramic dish in the oven overnight will loosen some of the caked on particles inside, and heating the ammonia slightly right before cleaning will work even better for it. Just be sure to wear gloves and open any windows nearby. Wipe down the exterior of the stovetop and range hood, being sure not to forget the area under the burners and any range hood charcoal inserts.
Dishwashers:
For this job, put a bit of baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe down the interior liner of the dishwasher. Try a plastic scrubber on stubborn stains.
Countertop Appliances:
This would include things like your toaster oven, food processor, blender, or coffee maker. Anything that lives on top of your counters and can quickly accumulate dust and food particles.
Additional places to look out for in the kitchen would be any areas of grout and the wood of any cabinets. Wash and disinfect all trash and recycling receptacles, as well.
On to the Bedroom (and Closet):
While the bedroom may feel like a sanctuary, it still needs regular and thorough cleaning. Start by washing all linens on the bed and window. Refresh bedding that doesn’t get washed, such as pillows and comforters. Replace bed sheets with cold-weather linens. In the closet, pack up summer clothes and shoes and replace then with seasonally-appropriate options. Be sure to place tubs or garment bags in an area that will remain safe from little critters.
Living Room:
In the living areas, there are a lot of surfaces that can use a healthy cleaning. Be sure to vacuum upholstered furniture and the area underneath cushions, as well as the floor around and under your couch, chair, and coffee table. Polish any wood furniture and wash artificial plants, or clean up around real ones and dust their leaves. Wipe down all screens including TV and computer, and clean the keyboards and remote controls that get a lot of skin contact.
Around the house, you should take care to wash the walls and all the windows, window sills, and grooves. Clean both your washer and dryer.
For your washer, run a cup of white vinegar through the warm cycle to break up mineral deposits and clean out any dirt caught in the drain. Use a sponge or a wet rag with a 50/50 vinegar to water solution to clean the outside. For your dryer, clean the lint filter over the sink by gently rinsing it with warm water. It’s also good to check the dryer exhaust on the exterior of the house to make sure it’s clear of any blockages or debris. Use a vacuum and a damp towel to clear out any dirt or dust built up around the dryer’s exterior base or underneath it.
Make sure to run a cleaning solution over all doorknobs, doors, and light switch plates. Vacuum under beds, couches, tables, and other furniture around the house. Dust all flat surfaces and spot clean carpets and rugs.
Handling Some Seasonal Maintenance:
These are items that don’t need attention as frequently but shouldn’t go completely ignored. Changing the filter on your HVAC is one item, as is replacing the fire alarm batteries in your kitchen. Any leather furnishings could be conditioned and ceiling fans dusted. To go the extra mile, take a look at your car and clean it out, including removing all trash and leftover remnants from summer trips, and stocking up on winter essentials such as an ice scraper and a blanket.
Cleaning isn’t always the easiest job or the most fun, but the feeling that a person gets after they’ve completed a deep clean is unlike any other. If you need a little extra help this year with your big clean, contact us to set up an appointment. Our professionals would be happy to tackle all the difficult cleaning jobs you need to make your home sparkle.
