How to clean your home properly

With coronavirus lurking, effective cleaning has become even more necessary.

Each room in your home needs a different amount of attention to keep it in top shape. The kitchen, where food is prepared, requires the most attention. Then come bathrooms, bedrooms, and living rooms.

Working methodically, one person should be able to clean a three-bedroom home in about three hours. The overall plan is to clean one room at a time rather than making all the beds, then vacuuming all the floors, then cleaning the bathrooms.

Alternating heavy and lighter tasks enables you to accomplish more work without getting tired. If you scrub one floor, make one bed, and dust the bedroom, your arms, knees, and back will have time to recover before you tackle the next heavy task.

Cleaning one room at a time also means that most of your home will be habitable, with only one room in a state of disorder at any time. You will lower your stress levels and feel as sense achievement with every room completed.

Kitchens

The kitchen requires the most frequent cleaning because it’s where you prepare food. Maintaining proper hygiene is essential to avoid dangerous bacteria coming into contact with foodstuffs – even without Covid-19.

Ideally, clean your kitchen daily. At the end of each day, you should, at the very least:

• Wash the dishes – or stack them in the dishwasher – and pack away the clean dishes.
• Clean the kitchen sink.
• Clean the hob and wipe up any oven and microwave spills.
• Wipe down the counter tops and dining area.
• Sweep and spot clean your floors.
• Clean stainless-steel appliances. Remember, the coronavirus can last on metal for up to three days.

When unpacking and storing your groceries, disinfect all surfaces that the groceries have come into contact with.

Bathrooms

The bathroom is where you clean yourself, so this room should always be spotless.

• Wipe down bathroom surfaces at least once a week. Use a disinfectant that is proven to kill the coronavirus.
• Vacuum or sweep bathroom floors weekly.
• The toilet should be bleached once or twice a week, depending on the frequency of use.
• Bath sheets or towels should be tumble-dried or hung on the washing line after every use, to keep them fresh. Replace hand towels twice a week, and launder bath towels weekly.
• Baths should be cleaned after each use. Keep a bath cleaning product and cloth within easy reach of bathers. Once a week, give the bath a thorough cleaning.
• Dry shower doors and glass panels after use to prevent mould build-up. A small squeegee is ideal for this purpose. If you have a shower curtain, keep it open until the shower enclosure has dried.

Once a month, deep clean the shower with a mildew-repellent cleaning product.

• Spray the liquid onto grouting between the wall and floor tiles, and pay special attention to any mouldy spots in the door tracks.
• Leave for an hour or so while you get on with other tasks.
• Use a long-handled brush to remove any stubborn stains. Wipe down all the surfaces with a clean, wet cloth or a mop.
• Run the shower to flush the bleach down the drain.

Be sure to open the bathroom window before you apply the liquid, as most of these products give off chlorine gas, which could harm your eyes and skin.

Bedrooms

To ensure a good night’s sleep, bedrooms should be sparkling clean. Weekly dusting and vacuuming can make a big difference to your well-being – especially if you suffer from allergies.

• Be sure to dust skirtings, curtain rails, lampshades, doorjambs, and doors – especially the top surfaces.
• Beddings should be laundered weekly. Wash throws and pillows at least once a month.
• In addition to regular weekly cleaning, you should deep clean your mattress – or have it professionally cleaned – at least once a year.

Living room

The living room is where friends and family relax and get comfortable, so you need to make sure it is always pristine.

• Vacuum or sweep floors and dust at least once a week – more often if you have pets.
• In addition to vacuuming the carpets, you should remove the couch cushions and vacuum the surfaces below. Use a narrow nozzle for getting into crevices that could harbour leftover snacks.
• Wipe down leather furniture with a soft cloth once a week. Once a month, clean with a good leather care product.
• Wooden furniture should be dusted weekly, and cleaned with a wood care product monthly.
• Regularly wash blankets, throws, or cushion covers on couches that get a lot of use.
• Once a year, have your couches and carpets professionally cleaned.

Each day, before retiring for bed, give the living room a general spruce up:

• Clear away any clutter.
• Plump the cushions.
• Fold up blankets and throws.

Safe and healthy

Home cleaning used to be the sole responsibility of housewives. In the 21st Century, though, things have changed, with everyone in the family now expected to lend a hand.

Although there is no right or wrong way to clean your home, these guidelines will keep your family healthy and safe from harmful germs.