Over the past few months, we’ve been reminded of just how vital it is to keep our homes clean and fresh, both for our mental and physical health. And there’s no better time than now, when we’re stuck in our homes, to go over that apartment cleaning checklist you’ve been putting off and give your home the TLC it (and you!) deserve.
To help you kick things off, we’ve outlined a simple and effective list of apartment cleaning resolutions that will help you maintain the kind of cleanliness that makes your friends think you hired a cleaning service.
1. Out with the old to make room for the new
Carving out some time to carefully go through what you have and evaluate what you use and what you don’t is essential for keeping clutter at a minimum and making apartment cleaning even easier and less time-consuming. While this resolution might seem overwhelming to you at first, it shouldn’t.
Considering if and how you use each item in your kitchen, closet or even in that junk drawer (that’s more like a black hole) allows you to really think about what you want to keep, toss and/or donate. To prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by the task, commit to clearing out one room or area each month. You’ll find that your space has a lot more, well, space! Make Marie Kondo proud and eliminate whatever doesn’t bring you joy.
2. Don’t forget the fridge
While the idea of throwing away food is enough to make some people cringe, there might be no better feeling than having a freshly wiped-down, clean and organized refrigerator rid of jars of food that you haven’t opened in ages.
Check expiration dates on everything, and toss whatever looks questionable or unappetizing. Use a non-toxic cleaner to wipe down the shelves, and then put the older food closer to the front. After you have a clean slate, resolve to examine the contents of your fridge at the end of each week. You’ll constantly be going through your food, so you’ll waste less as the year goes on, and save money at the grocery store.
3. Get all the nooks and crannies
There are some areas of the apartment that are just too easy to neglect (fan blades, air conditioning ducts, the top of the fridge, behind appliances, etc.), but dust and other airborne irritants can really build up in these places if they’re never cleaned.
There’s no need to do this weekly, but making a point to clean these hard-to-reach areas at least once every season is a cleaning resolution that only takes a few hours of your day. Schedule a weekend at the beginning of each season and put it in your phone’s calendar, so you don’t end up forgetting the time to do a thorough dusting has come again. Your allergies will thank you!
4. Clean those carpets, too
While this resolution involves a little more labor than the others, steam cleaning your carpets with a machine you can rent at the grocery store can make your apartment feel fresher than it did the day you moved in. Your carpet will look like it just had a facelift, and you’ll be basking in the glory of your clean home.
Seeing how clean it is will motivate you to stop neglecting your once-a-week vacuum session, and your carpet will stay pristine longer because of it.
5. Don’t neglect your bathroom
No one likes cleaning the bathroom, but don’t wait too long to clean the tile grout or wash your bath mat. Bathrooms are some of the most germ-infested places in your entire home and should be given proper cleanings on a regular basis. Thoroughly clean (and disinfect) your tub/shower, sink, toilet, floor, walls and mirrors, and wash and air out soft, fabric surfaces like bath mats, towels and shower curtains.
With all the moisture that hangs in the air in your bathroom, it’s bacteria central, so investing the time and energy in properly cleaning the space where you clean yourself is invaluable.
6. Disinfect frequently used surfaces
Another item for that apartment cleaning checklist is to keep nasty outside germs and allergens from taking up residence inside. It’s not enough to just clean frequently. Surfaces and objects that you regularly touch, like door handles, countertops and tables, should routinely be disinfected, as certain kinds of germs and bacteria can live from hours to days on surfaces. So, keep some disinfectant wipes or spray on hand.
7. Clean the air, as well
Make sure that the air in your apartment gets a proper cleaning, as well! Invest in a good, high-quality air purifier or, to bring a bit of greenery and plant life into your home, get some air-purifying plants for a more natural way to cleanse your indoor atmosphere of toxins and allergens and release oxygen.
8. Treat yourself to a cleaning service every once in a while
It can be hard to work up the energy and enthusiasm to really give your apartment a proper deep clean, but it’s important to do so for you and your health. And sometimes, you just gotta call in the pros.
So, when it’s safe to allow other people into your home again, hire an apartment cleaning service to come in and really give the place a thorough and proper cleanse once or twice a year. They’ll clean and disinfect all the hard-to-reach places, and you’ll get the comfort of knowing that your home received a professional level of care and attention.
A clean apartment promotes wellness
Since we’ve been spending so much time at home lately, we’ve been reminded that taking the time to properly clean and declutter our homes makes them safer and happier places to live.
Follow this checklist of apartment cleaning tips on a regular basis, and you (and your apartment) will thank you!
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Source: apartmentguide.com