Everyone wants a clean apartment, but not everyone does what they should do to get it. If an apartment is inhabited then it is only expected to have dirt in some places around the house, especially ones that are frequently used, like the kitchen or bathroom.
Maintaining a clean apartment not only improves personal hygiene but also makes your living space more conducive. So here are some home cleaning routines you should never miss.
Have a routine for your cleaning
Choosing a particular routine is completely dependent on you, and your schedule. While some people are convenient with a daily cleaning routine, others prefer doing so weekly or monthly. Daily routines have the advantage of preventing work pile-up, while weekly and monthly routines are more convenient. The thing is, whichever one you choose is totally fine as far as it allows you to keep a clean living space.
You can fix weekly routines for cleaning the floors, dusting the chairs, or washing the bathrooms. If you have more than one room in the house, you can try cleaning one room each day so you don’t end up doing them all at once. Things like getting rid of cobwebs or washing out the kitchen trash container can come up monthly.
Wash off the tub after using it
The stains you find on your bathtub or the walls of the bathroom have accumulated over days of frequently using the bathroom. While bathing, splashes of water carry dirt that is washed off from the body, onto the wall. They eventually dry up and form patches of stains on the walls and bathtub.
To reduce this, slightly wash off your walls or tubs after bathing; you can do a quick spray when you get out of the shower. These areas are a lot easier to clean immediately you are done using them, as opposed to the amount of scrubbing you may need to do if the dirts are allowed to build-up. Steam and hot water are very effective for this as they loosen grime, making it easier to clean.
Floors and Hallways
If you stay in the apartment alone, this may not be so much work, as these parts of the house will not require regular cleaning. However, if there are more people staying in the apartment, this is very much needed and could be a lot of work. Places such as the hallway and floors will require regular cleaning. Even if you decide not to do a general daily cleaning routine, these areas require some attention every day, since people tend to walk over them the most and they are always exposed to dirt. You can take 5 minutes each day to clean these areas and prevent dirt from building up.
Curtains and blinds
Curtains and blinds gather dust over time. Although they may not be so obvious for some time, the stains will eventually show at some point. To clean curtains, you can vacuum them with a handheld vacuum and a soft brush attachment set on low suction. This cleaning procedure can be done monthly, as it takes a long time for curtains to get dirty, depending on its exposure to dust and dirt.
Pay attention to the kitchen
Extra attention and care is required here, since this is where foods are kept and prepared, and so the area needs to be kept clean at all times. Weekly cleaning is required for the refrigerator, but this can also be done monthly if it is more convenient this way. Wipe the interior of your refrigerator, paying attention to each of its compartments. Throw out bad foods and avoid stuffing the refrigerator with too many items, this way you can keep check of what you have in there.
Wipe the kitchen sink with water and soap. Clean out the shelves, and dust off kitchen equipment like ovens and toasters. Be sure to throw out the trash in the kitchen daily, this way you can avoid offensive odors in the kitchen. Also, ensure to clean your kitchen after the day’s activities and avoid going to bed with a dirty kitchen.
Make frequently used items more accessible
One major reason why things get so untidy in apartments is that needed items are sometimes not easily accessible. To correct this, try to keep frequently used items within reach. Have a constant location for your items so they can be easily located when you need them. Having things muddled up only makes it difficult to locate them, and will eventually take a lot of your time. Cleaning items such as mops and disinfectants should be placed in an area where they can be easily obtained.
Wipe off stains immediately you can
Tough stains are usually a result of neglecting smaller ones when you could have cleaned them up immediately. Once you find a stain, it is preferable to wipe it off as soon as you are able to. This is one more reason why cleaning items need to be kept close. Cleaning off stains earlier will save you from doing much work later on.
Other places
Also keep an eye on places like windows, doors, rugs, and the basement. Rug cleaning South Yarra is very important especially if you have pets. Hair strands from these pets easily stick to your rugs, sofas, and even clothes. A vacuum cleaner should help with removing the ones on rugs and sofas, while a lint roller should do quite well in removing the ones on clothes. Also, ensure to clean out the basement from time to time.
Before we go
If you have clothes that you longer use, it is good to dispose of them as well. Keeping them piled up in your apartment will only leave less space for new ones to come in, and consequently, lead to your closet getting unnecessarily filled up. So one way to reduce this is by setting up a donation box for these clothes, you can also do this for other items that you no longer use.
If you do not have a donation box, you can simply use a bag. Place the box or bag in a place where it can be easily seen. If you have kids, you should instruct them to use the donation box as well; this is a good habit to learn for the future.