5 Things Indianapolis Professional Cleaners Do First Every Spring — That You're Probably Skipping

"Most people start cleaning without a plan, and they end up moving dirt around instead of actually removing it. There's a system to doing this right, and once you know it, you'll never go back to guessing."
— Monika Schindler, Housekeeping Maid Easy

Schindler created the cleaning training program for her Indianapolis-based company and has worked in hundreds of homes over more than two decades. She says the same five steps are consistently skipped by homeowners — and they make all the difference.

Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Declutter before you clean — not after

Cleaning around clutter is one of the most common mistakes homeowners make. Professionals always clear a surface completely before cleaning it. Wiping around objects leaves dirt hiding underneath and behind them, which means the room isn't actually clean — it just looks it.

This applies everywhere: countertops, bathroom shelves, nightstands, the tops of furniture. Take everything off, wipe the surface clean, then put things back. It takes a few extra minutes and makes a significant difference in the result.

Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Don't forget what you can't see

Baseboards, door frames, window tracks, and the tops of cabinets rarely get attention during regular cleaning — but they should be near the top of your spring list. These are the areas where dust, allergens, and grime accumulate quietly all year, and skipping them means your home's air quality suffers even if every visible surface looks spotless.

"When we do a deep clean, we wash every cabinet front, door, frame, and baseboard. Clients are always shocked at how much grime comes off, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. It makes the whole room look brand new."
— Monika Schindler

Her advice for the single biggest impact with the least effort? Start with the baseboards, door frames, and vents. "When these areas are dirty, the whole room looks dirty — even if the counters are spotless. Wiping them down makes a huge visual impact for minimal effort."

This is exactly the kind of work covered in a professional deep cleaning — and it's why clients often say their home feels brand new afterward.

Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Start at the top, always

Before wiping down a single countertop, professional cleaners work from the ceiling down — fans, light fixtures, crown molding, and vents first. Dust and debris fall as you clean, so anything you wipe below gets contaminated if you haven't cleared what's above it. Most homeowners do this completely backwards.

"We see this difference every single time we clean. Ceiling fan blades are usually caked with dust and grime that's built up over years. If you clean the furniture and floors first, you re-dirty them the moment you wipe the fan. We always start high, so that dust settles onto the floor where it gets vacuumed up last."
— Monika Schindler

The sequence matters: ceiling fans and light fixtures → shelves and wall décor → countertops and furniture → floors. Work your way once around the room at each level before moving down.

Spring Cleaning Tip #4: Let your cleaning products do the work

Professionals apply cleaning solutions and walk away. Letting a product dwell for several minutes before scrubbing breaks down grime, bacteria, and buildup far more effectively than wiping it immediately. This single habit cuts cleaning time significantly and delivers a deeper clean with less effort.

It makes the biggest difference on soap scum in showers and hard water stains on shower doors, sinks, and tubs — exactly the surfaces that frustrate most homeowners the most.

"Apply product, activate it with a sponge, and let it sit for five to ten minutes — without letting it dry. If it's not coming off with light scrubbing, it needs more dwell time. You're letting the chemistry do the work for you."
— Monika Schindler

The rule of thumb: read the product label, and when in doubt, wait longer. A product that has properly dwelled on a surface often wipes away with almost no scrubbing at all.

Spring Cleaning Tip #5: Finish with the floors last

Floors should always be the final step. Everything you've loosened and disturbed during the cleaning process — dust, crumbs, residue — eventually settles on the floor. Cleaning floors first and then cleaning everything else above them is one of the most common and costly mistakes homeowners make during spring cleaning.

Schindler also recommends extending this philosophy to carpets year-round — not just for appearances, but for longevity.

"People think of carpet cleaning as a reaction to a stain, or something you do when it looks bad. But regular professional cleaning prevents soil from bonding with the fibers, which is what actually ruins the carpet over time. It saves money in the long run when you don't have to replace carpets early."
— Monika Schindler

If your carpets are overdue, professional carpet cleaning removes the embedded soil that vacuuming can't reach — and spring is the perfect time to schedule it.