Do you ever wonder if your home cleaning is thorough enough? Odds are, it isn’t. Important details are often missed because people are too busy with work, parenting, and every day life. The average person simply doesn’t have the time to deep clean their home as often as they’d like. Pets and children make the job even harder, with the never ending spread of germs and dander. Whether you create more time for deep cleaning, or hire outside help is up to you. First, you probably want to know how clean your home should be. Let these facts help you decide.
Bathrooms
The hub of E.coli, also known as the bathroom, is usually the dirtiest room in a home. E.coli can be found as far as six feet from toilets and sinks. Therefore, toilets and sinks should be scrubbed every week. Don’t forget to wipe down the surrounding counter tops. How often the tub and shower should be cleaned depends on use. At the very least, showers should be cleaned once a month. . Don’t forget to also clean the shower curtain. When neglected, the curtain will build up mildew that can cause allergy like symptoms. Another neglected spot is the shower head. This doesn’t require too much attention. Just soak it in a mix of vinegar and water one a year to remove built up debris.
Kitchens
Just like in the bathroom, the sink harbors a lot of bacteria and should be disinfected weekly . The dish sponge should also be replaced regularly because of the bacteria build up. The rest of the kitchen has a little more flexibility, as it depends on personal preference. A benefit of hiring professional help is that they often clean the more neglected and forgotten areas such as the fridge. The top of the fridge collects a lot of dust and debris.
Floors
Try vacuuming the floors and carpet every other week. But if you have animals at home, you’ll want to vacuum at least once a week. Otherwise, their outside germs, fur, and dander will build up in the carpet and rugs. Built up bacteria and dander will spread sickness and trigger allergies. Remove sticky materials and stains from tile and linoleum with a good mop. Baseboards, which are often forgotten, should be dusted and vacuumed quarterly as well.
Laundry
Laundry is the most tedious and effective of the chores. Because of all the sweat, dandruff, and oil that is shed, your textiles need to be washed more than you think. Every week is how often bedding should be changed. Bath towels should be changed even more frequently because they are stored in the bathroom and exposed to more bacteria. Blankets should also be washed weekly, especially if used with pets or children.
Don’t Forget These Spots
There are many places people often don’t think of cleaning in their own home, or just don’t get around to. We all know that public doorknobs are full of germs and viruses, but the doorknobs in our own homes can be just as bad if you never clean them. The same goes for windows, blinds, remotes, light switches, and toys. If your child has a toy box or playroom, it should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected regularly.
So, do you think you can keep up with this list of weekly chores among your other responsibilities? If not, it is perfectly fine to hire extra help. There are many service options for all sorts of budgets. You can have the whole house cleaned, or just a few high traffic areas where you might have guests. A service can be provided weekly to keep regular maintenance, or once per month to get a little extra help with the deeper clean. To find services near you, search Angie’s List, Home Advisor, or Google’s recommendations.
