Ever looked at your walls and wondered how often you need to clean them? Maybe you have no idea when the last time you washed your sheets was or if your furniture has ever been cleaned? If this sounds like you, this guide is for you! We break down how often you need to clean everything in your home, room by room.
Entire House
Every room in your home has walls and floors that must be cleaned regularly.
A good rule of thumb is to clean your walls about once a month, though this can vary depending on the conditions of your home. The walls in your kitchen, especially around your stove, probably receive more grease and food spots so they should be at least spot-cleaned more often. If you have children with sticky fingers, you’re going to want to make sure that you regularly do spot checks along the areas they can reach. When you clean the walls, be sure to pay attention to the corners, particularly along both the ceiling and the floor, and remove any cobwebs you find. You can do this with a broom or a duster if you can’t reach.
As for your floors, how often you need to clean depends partially on the type of flooring. Sweep hardwood and tile floors a few times a week and mop weekly. Obviously commonly used rooms like the kitchen should be swept and mopped more often than out-of-the-way rooms. Meanwhile, carpets and rugs should be vacuumed about every week, more if you have pets shedding or kids making messes. Industry professionals also recommend scheduling professional cleanings every 3 to 6 months in order to remove dirt and dust that build up.
Living Room
Your living room probably accumulates a lot of clutter during the day, from mail to shoes to kids’ backpacks. This is why we recommend that you do a quick pickup of the living or front room every night before you go to bed. Have your entire family pitch in to pick up their mess and this won’t be a long process at all. This will make it easier to perform other cleaning tasks like vacuuming, and you can avoid an overwhelming mess later on.
Just like your carpets, your upholstered furniture should be cleaned by professionals on a regular basis. Ideally, it is recommended to professionally clean your upholstery once or twice a year. You’ll want to vacuum up any dry spills and wipe up any wet spills as soon as they happen to keep your furniture stain-free.
Living rooms often accumulate a lot of dirt and dust. The most common culprits are bookshelves, ceiling fans, entertainment centers, and other large pieces of furniture. Take the time once a week to dust these areas. Remember that even if you don’t see it, like at the top of bookcases, dust still accumulates and then circulates around your home.
Kitchen
Everyone knows that the kitchen is the source of some of the biggest messes in the house. Proper maintenance can easily prevent these messes from getting out of hand. Handle spills immediately when possible especially wet food spills. Allowing them to sit allows stains to set and cause potentially permanent stains on the counter or floor. Food spills can be a perfect spot for dirt, which you definitely don’t want around your food preparation.
Kitchen sinks are often the source of odor in the kitchen. To prevent this, make sure that you do the dishes every night, and wipe the sink out when while it’s empty. Replace your sponges regularly and wash your washrags, as they are full of dirt and odors.
Your microwave also gets quite dirty if you use it often. Clean up spills or explosions in the microwave as soon as they happen to keep them from baking in. Also clean your oven, toaster oven, and other places where you often place food.
Bedrooms
Did you know that experts recommend changing your sheets every 1-2 weeks? If you’re like most people, you forget about your sheets. Get in the habit of changing them out every other week. It helps if you have more than one set of sheets so you don’t have to do a huge load of laundry when you remember to change your sheets right before bed.
Speaking of doing laundry, this is an area in the bedroom that needs to be kept on top of. Be sure to put your dirty laundry in a hamper instead of letting it pile up on the floor, and do it as soon as the hamper is full. If your clothes get wet for some reason, don’t throw them straight into the hamper with the rest of your clothes, as that will allow mold to grow. Wash wet clothes immediately or allow them to air dry separate from the rest of your laundry.
Bathrooms
Train yourself to give your shower a quick wipedown while you’re in it. This will help prevent mold and mildew from growing. Also be sure to switch out your bath towels every few days to keep you clean once you’re out of the shower.
Every few days, check the sink and clean any built-up residue with a damp cloth or paper towel. Wipe down the mirror too while you’re at it. Give the toilet a quick scrub with a toilet brush once a week. Once a month, give your faucets and showerhead a good cleaning to prevent calcium buildup.
It can be overwhelming to think about all that is involved in keeping a home clean and healthy, but when you break it down it down and do smaller tasks regularly, it’s really not too bad!