Once you seal the deal on your new home, now comes the exciting part – moving in. But before you can start transferring all your belongings to your new abode, it’s important to do a deep clean first.
Deep-cleaning your home is essential because it removes the bacteria, germs, and dirt left by the previous owner. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the floors, and the walls are the number one places to clean.
Here’s how to deep-clean your new home:
Have a game plan
Before you start deep-cleaning your home, it helps to know what areas you will be cleaning first. The most common place to start is the kitchen. Since it is one of the most used areas of the home, it tends to be the dirtiest. From there, move on to the bathrooms, the walls, and the other areas of the home.
Prepare all your cleaning supplies
Having all your supplies ready will make the deep-cleaning process go quickly and smoothly. The most important supplies that you’ll need include rubber gloves, a mop, a bucket, sponges, paper towels, baking soda, vinegar, bleach spray, and an all-purpose cleaner.
The kitchen
Before you start cleaning the kitchen sink, find out first what type of sink it is. A stainless-steel sink requires a different cleaning process, compared with that for a ceramic sink. For stainless-steel sinks, make a paste of baking soda and water and scrub away using an old toothbrush. For ceramic or porcelain sinks, drench the sink with one part white vinegar and three parts hot water. The solution will loosen the stains and whiten it in no time.
Tackle the oven and the refrigerator next. Remove the racks from the oven and wipe down the inside, including the stovetop and the racks. Make a baking soda paste and spread it all over the interior surfaces. Leave it overnight and wipe out as much of the dried paste as you can the next day.
When cleaning the refrigerator, remove the shelves and drawers if you can. Using a vinegar and water solution, spray the inside of the fridge and let it soak. Wipe everything down after. Don’t forget to wipe down the countertops and other appliances as well.
The bathroom
Aside from the usual cleaning products, you’ll also need tile and grout cleaner, a toilet brush, and a toilet bowl cleaner for this part of the house. Start by dusting the dry and upper parts of the bathroom – the ceiling, the light fixtures, the vents, and the corners.
When it comes to cleaning the toilet, start with the bowl first. Coat the entire bowl with toilet bowl cleaner and scrub the solution with a toilet brush. Try to get all the areas of the bowl, including the curved areas. Before flushing the solution, let it sit for at least five minutes. You can clean the exterior of the toilet and both sides of the lid with bathroom cleaner.
The bedrooms
Make sure to wash the walls and windows since this is where dust tends to build up in the bedrooms. Cleaning the window tracks and wiping down all surfaces are a must, as well. Any type of cleaner will do, whether it’s a glass cleaner, dusting spray, or antibacterial wipes.
Floors
Whether your new home has hardwood floors or carpeted flooring, each type of floor or floor covering has its own cleaning method. For hardwood floors, the way to clean is by using a floor-cleaning product and mopping small sections at a time. If there’s no floor-cleaning product around, then plain soap and water will make a great alternative.
A steam cleaner works wonders for cleaning carpets. But if you don’t own one, baking soda (or dish soap), a brush, a bucket, and a clean rag will work just as well. When cleaning the carpet, you don’t need to soak it completely. Just the right amount of water is needed to scrub the dirt away.
Tips to keep in mind
Test new cleaning products first – If you’re trying a new cleaning product for the first time, use it on a small area to see if it causes discoloration or damage.
Wear protective clothing when dealing with chemical products – Certain household or cleaning chemicals may irritate eyes and the throat and even cause headaches. When using these chemical products, make sure to wear the appropriate protective clothing.
Don’t move your furniture in just yet – Make sure you have completed your deep cleaning project before actually transferring your furniture and setting these up in your new home.
