Avoid a Dirty House! Here's When to Clean Each Area

Have you ever had this happen? You arrived home from work and settled in for a relaxing evening when you notice your glass end tables are covered with fingerprint smudges and your banister is smudged with brown dirt. And that’s just the start. While you’re at it, you decide to look more closely at your kitchen. Is that a film of grease on your cabinets? 

Or, while your kids are roughhousing on the family room floor, your daughter asks, “What’s that fuzzy thing under the sofa.” You bend down to see if a stray stuffed animal was kicked under there. It’s a dust bunny. Gross. 

We get it! It’s hard to keep up with cleaning. Even if you think you’re meticulous, you may inadvertently neglect certain areas of your home. Avoid this by creating a schedule for yourself. Even better, hire a professional house cleaning service. An experienced home cleaning service can create a customized plan to fulfill the needs of your home and family. 

Here is a guide for how often to clean each part of your house, whether you’ll be cleaning, or a house cleaning company will. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a great place to start!

Tasks to complete every day

·       Kitchen  

Every kitchen needs daily cleaning. Wiping down counters and sinks prevents the spread of food-borne illnesses. On your range, spray and wipe the top and clean grease or food that has spattered onto the vent hood.  

Remove crumbs from counters and tables and sweep and mop. Never leave a pile of dirty dishes in your sink for more than a few hours. This is an open invitation for mice, roaches, and other unwanted house guests. Lastly, tidy up stray items.  

·       Surface areas

Walk around your house every day to avoid the accumulation of clutter from items such as toys, junk mail, books, school supplies, and other personal items.

Tasks to complete every few days 

·       Carpets, rugs, and hard floors 

Carpets and rugs collect much more dirt and dust than hard floor surfaces, which is why you need to vacuum every few days. The longer the detritus accumulates, the more it will penetrate the fibers, making it more difficult to clean later. Undertake more thorough cleanings every few weeks.

Although hard floor surfaces don’t accumulate as much dirt and dust as carpet, you’ll still need to remove surface grime every few days. This is especially true in high-traffic areas. 

·       Bathroom sink and counters 

Bathroom sinks are much dirtier than you think. You may be surprised (and possibly disgusted) to know that fecal matter can accumulate in your bathroom sink simply from washing your hands after using the toilet! In addition, bacteria and viruses can live on bathroom surfaces for up to seven days. And don’t forget high-touch areas such as sink knobs and flush handles. 

Tasks to complete weekly

·       Showers, tubs, and toilets

Your bathroom is prime real estate for mold. To prevent mildew from proliferating and viruses and bacteria from spreading, clean and disinfect your showers, tubs, and toilets once a week. 

·       Bed linens

Did you know that most of us sleep 49 to 60 hours a week? That means your bed linens have that much time to accumulate germs, sweat, dead skin, dust mites, and pet dander. You must change your bed linens once a week at a minimum.  

Tasks to complete monthly

·       Ceiling fans and baseboards 

Dust, pet dander, and dirt all accumulate on both your ceiling fans and baseboards, creating an icky film that you should remove once a month. If your fan is in your kitchen it will get greasy and attract loose dirt and dust. It can also fling pollen and other particles into the air, causing problems for those who suffer from allergies. 

·      Pantry

Undertake a good pantry cleaning every month by throwing away all expired or stale food. Annually, conduct a more thorough cleaning, in which you remove everything from the shelves.

Tasks to complete once a year 

·       Curtains 

All drapes attract dust, dander, and pet hair. Therefore, you’ll need to clean them once a year at a minimum. For delicate fabrics such as silk or linen, or any stains, turn to an experienced dry cleaner. For machine-washable fabrics, remove them from the dryer while they’re still a little damp, and follow with gentle ironing.

·       Steam clean or shampoo carpets and upholstery 

Carpets and upholstery retain odors and dust. Annual cleanings will help keep fabric colors vibrant and carpet or rug fiber textures as they should be, and eliminate stains and dirt. 

Housekeeping Maid Easy – Your premier house cleaning company

At Housekeeping Maid Easy, we provide exceptional cleaning services to communities throughout the Indianapolis area including Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Lawrence, McCordsville, Zionsville, Noblesville, Midtown Indy, Downtown Indy, Fortville, Geist, Meridian-Kessler, and Nora. Whether you’re looking for weekly cleaning or less frequent deep house cleaning services, we can accommodate your needs and schedule! Want to learn more? Read our FAQs or testimonials from our ecstatic customers. Contact us to request a free quote!