Many of us aspire to thoroughly clean our homes from top to bottom. But when it comes time to do it, we can’t figure out where to start. Should we come in with a plan or should we just start cleaning? And how can we maintain the resistance to carry out such an important project?
“When tackling such a large project, like an entire house, it’s important to break the project down into smaller, more manageable parts,” says Joanna Wirick, professional life and home organizer at Joanna Organize. She recommends asking yourself two simple questions. First: where do my family and I spend the most time? So: which space oppresses me the most?
Meet the expert
- Joanna Wirick is a professional life and home organizer at Joanna Organize.
- Ashley Murphy and Marissa Hagmeyer are the co-founders of the NEAT method.
- Holly Blakey is a professional Breathing Room organizer.
- Meg Markland is a professional organizer of NEAT Meg.
“If you focus on the space that overwhelms you the most, you will feel the gratification and calm, which is usually what you need to keep the momentum going.”
Once you’ve asked yourself these questions, it’s time to dig deeper. To help you along your way, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide that you can follow as you thoroughly clean, tidy and organize every room in your home.
How to thoroughly clean your living room
Materials:
- duster
- Empty
- Upholstery cleaner
- Wet cloth (optional)
- Broom (optional)
- Mop
Step 1: Quickly reorder
Kick things off by tidying up your space. Don’t worry about making your space perfect for photos. They simply declutter quickly by putting away the things they belong to.
Step 2: Dust off all of your furniture
Dust loves to hide in living rooms, so take out a duster and clean any surfaces where the dust might be hiding. Start with flat surfaces, such as mantles, tabletops, and shelves. So tackle your decor. Make sure you also get those hard-to-reach spots, like ceiling fans, vents, and roller shutters.
While a damp cloth can help you clean dusty surfaces, those spots further up the ceiling are nearly impossible to reach without a duster.
Step 3: Vacuum and clean your sofas
Remove all cushions from the sofa and vacuum the interior. But if it isn’t, rest easy knowing you have a couple of options.
For starters, you can shake the pillows to get rid of any lingering dust and debris. And if your pillows need a little more love, you can use upholstery cleaner to get rid of stains and stink. Before cleaning your upholstery, be sure to read the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions carefully. Upholstery is expensive, so it’s not worth playing around with it quickly and freely here. 12 vacuum cleaners that will keep your home clean
Step 4: Clean and organize your shelves
If there are any racks in your living room, empty them. Then, use the duster to dust them or use a damp cloth to clean them. We recommend that you do the same for any other place where items are stored. This could include your cloak, coffee table, lockers, or any other place you keep things.
If you’re happy with the way things are organized, stock your shelves. If not, take advantage of this moment to get organized.
Step 5: Vacuum and clean the carpet
If your floors are carpeted, vacuum them. And if you come across any stains or stains, you can use a store-bought upholstery cleaner to treat them.
If you have a removable carpet in your room, take it outdoors and shake it off. If it’s machine washable, put it in the washing machine for quick cleaning. And if it’s not, use that store-bought upholstery cleaner to clean up any stains or stains. Then, move the carpet to the side until you have swept and scrubbed the floors. Best Carpet Cleaning Services of 2021
Step 6: Sweep and clean the floors
Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to clean dust and debris. So, finish things off by cleaning your floors with a broom.
Step 7: Put everything back in place
Once your space is clean, take a moment to put it back together. “Undo those cushions, fold the coverings and wash the coffee table,” says Wirick.
If you want to keep your space in tip-top shape, she recommends tackling these tasks every day. “Each accepts less than 3 minutes, permits the room to sense good and conditions it for the next day,” she says.
How to thoroughly clean your bedroom
Materials:
- Laundry detergent
- Upholstery cleaner (optional)
- Empty
- Duster or damp cloth
- Broom (optional)
- Mop
Step 1: Quickly reorder
Quickly pass your room and pick up anything that is out of place. Throw the dirty clothes in the basket, take out the trash and put the items on the shelves where they belong.
Step 2: Strip, clean and make your bed
- Remove all sheets from the bed. That means quilts, sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, throws – all nine meters.
- Then, put anything that is machine washable in the laundry room. If something is hand washable only, now is the perfect time to hand wash it – this is a deep clean after all – and if something is dry sanitary only, believe carrying it to a nearby dry cleaner.
- If you don’t feel like taking that extra effort, you can always shake the sheets off to get rid of dust and debris, and you can use upholstery cleaner to treat any stains.
- While your bed is out of linen, clean the mattress. Vacuum it up and then use that upholstery cleaner to spot clean it.
- Once done, turn it over and repeat these steps on the other side.
Yes, you need to clean your mattress – here’s how
Multiple people suggest twisting the mattress every 3 months. If your mattress is made of the same material from top to bottom, this is a great idea. Though if your mattress is layered, this clearly won’t work for you.
Step 3: Dust off all of your furniture
Try to wipe all the dust out of your space, using a damp cloth or duster. Clean up every surface you see, clean up your decor, and tackle often overlooked spots like vents, ceiling fans, and crown mouldings.
Step 4: Vacuum and clean everything stuffed
If there is something padded in your space, remove the cushions and shake them. Vacuum the interior of the cabinet and use an upholstery cleaner to treat any stains.
Step 5: Clean and organize any shelves or surfaces
If there is any furniture in your bedroom, empty it and clean it up. Then, use the duster or a damp cloth to clean it.
If you were happy with how the furniture looked before, stock it exactly as it was. If it seemed a little messy to you, rearrange it. Blakey recommends reducing the number of items on the dresser, nightstand, and other important surfaces during this process.
“Your bedroom should be a place of rest and calm,” he says. “Destroying the external chaos will be of excellent help.”
Step 6: Sweep and clean the floors
And that’s right, you’re almost done already. Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to remove dust and debris from your floors. Then, use a broom to finish the cleaning.
Step 7: Put everything back in place
Before moving on, make sure your bed is made and everything else is in place. “Make your bed,” says Wirick. “It helps the room sense more united and releases all those embellishing pillows from the bed and chairs.”
She recommends tackling this task every day to keep your space clean and organized.
