Deep Cleaning Tips for Every Room of the House

Looking for new ways to stay busy? Deep cleaning is the perfect use for that extra time you have on your hands right now. However, most people don’t know where to begin and what a deep clean actually entails.

To help you out, here’s a helpful room-to-room guide on how to get started on a deep clean.

But first, let’s talk about how it is different from everyday cleaning.

Standard cleaning vs. deep cleaning

Standard cleaning is done regularly to maintain cleanliness. Our ‘Bless the Mess: Momma’s Cleaning’ post covered what you need to do on a daily basis, as well as some tips on decluttering during springtime.

Deep cleaning, on the other hand, involves dusting, wiping, and scrubbing surfaces that are not usually given much attention. These are the areas that are often hard to reach, like underneath appliances. It requires cleaners to be more meticulous about the details — the smallest spot has to be cleaned thoroughly.

It’s important to note that deep cleaning takes some extra effort and commitment. You will need to clear away the clutter and do standard cleaning (using our previous guide) before getting down to the nitty-gritty details of this monumental challenge.

New York-based housekeeping service Maid Marines states that it adds about an hour of cleaning for every room of the house. But if it’s your first time, then you might even need a few days to complete it. So, be mentally and physically prepared as things are definitely going to get dirty (pun intended), but the end result will be extremely worth it.

What you’ll need:

• Microfiber cloths
• Dish soap/all-purpose cleaner
• Rubber gloves
• Spray bottle
• Scrub brush
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Paper towels
• Bleach solution (1:3 bleach to water ratio)
• Essential oils (optional)

Kitchen

The kitchen is a good place to start, as CNN reports that it has the most germs in the house. Bacteria usually levitate to sponges, which is why experts recommend replacing them every week. Here’s what else you need to do:

Storage:

• Empty the cupboards and drawers.
• Scrub the tops, sides, and insides.
• For painted or laminated surfaces, use diluted dish soap.
• For wooden cabinets, use a wood cleaner.

Refrigerator:

• Empty the fridge and unplug it.
• Scrub the tops, sides, and insides.
• Remove the shelves and wash them in warm water.
• Remove the coil cover carefully (refer to the manual) and use a coil brush or dust cloth to clean it. Wipe down the coil cover too before reattaching it.

Dishwasher:

• Clear the dishwasher drain and remove any food particles.
• Place a cup of white vinegar inside and run it through a hot-water cycle, which should help release grease and odors.
• You can also sprinkle a cup of baking soda at the bottom. Run a quick hot water cycle.

Other appliances:

• With any other kitchen appliance, move it to one side to properly clean underneath and at the back. Wipe down the legs of the appliances with your disinfectant of choice.

Sink:

• Cover the sink with 1 cup of baking soda.
• Use diluted dish soap and scrub the entire surface, especially the drain. Wash everything off.
• Soak paper towels in white vinegar and line your sink up with them. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
• Use diluted dish soap or all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the faucet. Sanitize using vinegar-soaked paper towels.

Bathroom

Some of the steps mentioned in the kitchen cleaning portion can also apply here, like the storage and sink sections. But there are key tasks specific to the bathroom. HomeServe points out that mold can really thrive in this type of environment due to excess moisture. Cleaning showerheads and grout are especially crucial to preventing any mold from building up.

Showerheads:

• Remove the showerhead from the hose and unscrew the pipe.
• Soak for a couple of hours in diluted bleach solution then scrub any signs of mold away before reattaching.

Grout:

• Using a bleach solution, spray the affected areas and let the solution soak for 30 minutes.
• Scrub the grout to clear the mold. Rinse with dish soap and pat it dry with a cloth.

Toilet:

• Using a disinfectant or homemade bleach solution, spray the surface of the toilet thoroughly, including the handle. Wipe down any excess moisture.
• Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing it clean and flushing the toilet. This should remove any dirt or stains.

Bathtub:

• Since bathtubs are often made with the same material as the toilet, the steps to clean it are very similar.
• You can also pour hot water all over the tub and scrub it with dish soap.

Bedroom/Living Room

The living room and the bedrooms are probably the easiest rooms to deep clean. They mostly require standard cleaning like dusting, replacing linens, and the like. So, there’s not much deep cleaning to do aside from these key areas:

Couch:

• Pop Sugar notes that it’s crucial to identify the fabric of your couch to know what kind of cleaning agent is safe to use. These are the common symbols found on couch tags:
  • W: Water
  • S: Solvent-based cleaner
  • SW: Water or solvent-based
  • X: Vacuum
• Sprinkle baking soda all over the couch and let it sit for 20 minutes.
• Vacuum using the brush attachment.
• For hard to remove stains, spray a small amount of dish soap directly on it, and rub.

Mattress:

• Flip the mattress — you should do this every few months.
• Sprinkle baking soda across the mattress and rub it in. You can also add a few drops of essential oils for a good scented mattress. Leave it on for at least an hour.
• Vacuum thoroughly and ensure all the baking soda is gone.

Once you’ve replaced the beddings, you can finally go to bed and have a good night’s sleep. You definitely deserve it!

Sincerely,

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