While I must admit that it is not every day that I meet someone who really enjoys cleaning their home, am sure we all appreciate the comfort of clean and orderly living space. Yes, there is something really special when you enter a clean house.
But what makes a clean house really clean? It's not just elbow grease and a host of cleaning products... It's also knowing exactly what to clean and when. To help you optimize your cleaning sessions, here is a general annual cleaning schedule that you could adopt.
Weekly Cleaning Tasks
- Sheets: While washing your sheets once a week may seem "a bit much," especially if your household includes more than one bed, I can assure you that a weekly wash is the best practice. Plus, you know how nice it is to go back to your room, lie in bed, and curl up in sheets that smell fresh?
- Towels: Believe it or not, bath towels should actually be replaced more than once a week – ideally after three or more uses. You'll be able to rate this number yourself based on how often you shower and how quickly your towels dry between uses.
- Floors: If you see dust building up on your floor, it's time to sweep, vacuum, and mop.
- Sinks: From the buildup of toothpaste in the bathroom to piles of dishes in the kitchen, your sinks need to be cleaned more than once a week. Take out the multi-purpose cleaner and quickly wipe the sinks every time you finish using them to save time.
- Toilet: Cleaning the toilet is not the most glamorous task, but it is a necessary evil.
Monthly cleaning tasks
- Windows: A major cleaning of all interior and exterior windows can be subject to an annual frequency, but a quick cleaning of the inside of your windows? I strongly advise you to do it once a month.
- Showers and bathtubs: Monthly cleaning of the shower or bathtub may not be mandatory, but these are places where you have to be careful with bacteria and especially moisture. Take your favorite bathtub or tile product and use a soft scouring brush to keep the situation under control.
- Shelves: Not much to say here really, give your shelves a thorough cleaning and degreasing monthly, or as soon as they appear dusty.
Seasonal Cleaning Tasks
- Carpet: Vacuuming carpets is not enough. In addition to doing it every week, request once a year for professional carpet cleaning, steaming for example. It is also important to pay attention to curtains and floors. Especially if you own pets. Research has shown that the air quality of your home can be eight to ten times worse than that of the street.
- Ventilation ducts: If your home is equipped with a ventilation system that contains ducts with vents that go into your home, you will need to schedule regular maintenance and cleaning. At least once a year, an inspection and cleaning should be scheduled. Always consider working with expert duct cleaning services for the best results.
- Refrigerator: While it's always effective to give your fridge a little fresh air every week, it's also a good idea to give it a little more attention every few months. Clean and wipe the shelves, make sure your condiments are not out of date, and take the time to rearrange them as needed.