Everyone loves a clean and well-maintained home. However, some of the cleaning and maintenance tasks are often overlooked and neglected. Busy schedules and other obligations take priority over these tasks.
This guide will provide you with a checklist for cleaning your home, along with tips for easy maintenance and cleaning in a hurry.
Supplies
Whenever you begin any cleaning task, you need to have your supplies prepared in advance.
Always have on hand the following items:
- Cleaning bucket
- Sponges, old toothbrushes, cleaning spatula
- Cleaning rags- use old towels or t-shirts and cut them into different sizes.
- Baking soda and cornstarch
- Spray bottles
- Rubbing alcohol
- White distilled vinegar
- Cleaners
- Essential oils
- Small Ziploc bags
DIY Cleaners
Knowing how to make DIY cleaners money and time when it comes to cleaning because DIY cleaners are often multi-purpose cleaners that can be used on any surface.
Here are some DIY recipes:
Basic multi-purpose cleaner
A basic multi-purpose cleaning solution will be a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water. You can store this in a clean, labeled spray bottle and add a few drops of essential oils or fresh lemon juice to disguise the vinegar smell.
Windows and glass cleaner
For a streak-free shine, combine 1 cup of hot water, one cup of rubbing alcohol, and 4 tbsps of cornstarch in a large bucket or mixing bowl. Pour the solution into a clean and labeled spray bottle.
DIY air freshener
Use a clean, labeled spray bottle and pour one cup of hot water in the bottle. Add chopped sage leaves, 1 cup of distilled white vinegar, and ¼ tsp of salt to the bottle and mix well, place in a cool, dark area for 12 hours.
DIY Toilet Cleaner
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of baking soda and 15 drops of each tea tree and lemon essential oils. When you clean your toilets, you will let this sit in the bowl for half an hour before scrubbing using a toilet brush.
Seasonal Maintenance Checklist
Everyone talks about the daunting tasks that need to be performed during spring cleaning. However, each season you should have an accessible checklist to make sure each task is completed.
Winter
Before you hideout in your home for the winter months, you should complete a few home maintenance tasks. Here is your winter checklist:
- If you live in an area prone to snow and ice during the winter months, you want to make sure that you cover your outdoor air-conditioning units with a cover or canvas tarp. This will prevent damages.
- Winter months mean turning on heating units. If you don’t want to face rising energy costs check windows and doors for drafts. If you have a basement, close your foundation vents, and check your basement for leaks.
- Always check your roof and gutters for signs of damage, i.e. melted snow or ice trapped in these areas.
Spring
After the winter months have passed and you are ready to enjoy the smell of flowers blooming, you should inspect what the winter left behind. Here are things to check before the summer rolls around:
- Check your roof and gutters again for damages such as draining issues. This needs to be addressed to prevent further damage to your home and its foundation.
- In the summer months, you will be running your air conditioning units more frequently, therefore you need to check your doors and windows once again for cracked caulking and drafts.
- Make sure to schedule a tune-up of your HVAC before the summer season arrives.
- Power wash the home
Summer
Before you relax and enjoy the warm weather, there are some minor tasks that you should do. Here is your summertime list:
- Check for leaks. (dishwasher, toilets, and around cabinets)
- Do some lawn maintenance, such as trimming the hedges, pulling weeds, etc.
- Test your sprinkler heads and replace them if necessary.
- Inspect your crawl space for leaks- look for cracks.
- Inspect the siding of your home, make sure there are no cracks or soft spots.
Fall
The fall maintenance checklist includes the following:
- HVAC inspection
- Check your chimney and fireplace, if applicable
- Check for drafts and sealing issues around the windows and doors.
- Don’t forget to check your basement crawl space and foundation for signs of leaks and damages.
Cleaning Checklist
Your cleaning checklist should be used to make sure that overlooked tasks are being addressed at least every 1-3 months.
Seasonal
At the change of every season, you should complete a few tasks that you normally don’t do. This includes the following:
- Dusting light fixtures, ceiling fans
- Cleaning and vacuuming lint traps and vents
- Flip and air out your mattresses and mattress pads
- Wash your windows including the blinds and window sills
- Switch out your clothing for the appropriate season
- Wash your blankets, curtains, and throws before storing and swapping out.
- Clean your doors, floors, shelves, and cabinets. This includes trims, knobs, and baseboards.
- Clean roof and gutters
- Clean out your drains around the inside and outside of your home.
Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Cleaning Tips
- Create a monthly, weekly, daily checklist to address all tasks.
- Sort your laundry in advance and have separate hampers to make it easier to wash on laundry day.
- Spot mop and sweep daily
- Clean fridge out on garbage days or at least once a week
- Wipe surfaces and dust before vacuuming, mopping, and/or sweeping.
- Clean your pantry out once a month.
- Clean your ceiling fans and window sills monthly to make your seasonal cleaning more efficient.
- Wipe down surfaces daily
- Stay on top of your laundry
Need to Clean in a Hurry?
Here are a few things to help make cleaning in a hurry easy:
- If you have cleaners that need to sit, such as toilet bowl cleaners, apply to the surface while cleaning other areas of your home.
- Pick up clutter around the house before cleaning.
- Keep all your supplies together so you can carry them from room to room.
- Do the same task in every room of the house instead of focusing on cleaning room by room.
- Save your detailed cleaning as a monthly or bi-weekly task, so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day
Rome wasn’t built in a day, so your cleaning doesn’t have to be performed in one day. This guide should have given you basic information that you need to organize and create the checklists to make cleaning and maintaining your home easy.