House Cleaning Tips For Winter

Winter Cleaning Checklist

Are you ready for old man winter? Make certain your check list includes reviewing the following items to prepare for cold weather.

Winter Cleaning Checklist

• Clean gutters, check for leaks and plugged downspouts
• Clean the chimneys, fireplaces, wood stoves and pipes
• Replace the furnace air filters and clean the vents and ducts
• Drain gas from the lawnmower and other yard equipment
• Check car tires, belts, plugs, radiator fluids etc. Do you have snow chains and ice scrapers?.
• Toss all old paint, varnishes etc. Keep any products you keep in a safe dry place.
• Check your home for any cracks in the foundation or walls that might need sealing. Clean your windows and framing.
• Trim bushes back away from the house. This is not only safer, looks neater, and reduces the chance of nasty insect problems, but also helps reduce mold and mildew growth of your plants and gives your foundation the breathing space it needs.
• Replace all the batteries in your smoke detectors.
• Have your fire extinguisher checked to make sure it is working. If you do not have one, get one.
• Clean barbeque grills. Properly store propane gas.
• Stock up on natural cleaning products to clean your home. The toxic buildup of chemical fumes cause a multitude of health problems. This worsens during the winter when windows and doors remain shut. Newer homes are built to be somewhat air tight. They don't let cold air in or fumes out. If you are suffering from headaches, asthma or other health problems it could be caused from the chemicals you use.
• Dry winter air is hard on leather, vinyl and wood furniture. The heat from fireplaces and furnaces dries and cracks them. Clean and condition all your furniture.

Professional House Cleaning Check List

Nooks, crannies, corners and cobwebs. We admit it, house cleaning is a chore. This house cleaning checklist will get you on the right track.

We promise it is not impossible to get it all done But it does take a bit of determination, focus and time to make your house shine. Use a copy of our house cleaning check list to keep yourself (or your delegates!) on track, and you can be sure to have your house clean in no time.

Depending on the specifics of your home, not all of the items will apply. But if you follow this list, checking off the items that do apply, every corner your house will shine.

House Cleaning Checklist Help and Tips

House cleaning is not at the top of most peoples list of fine things to do, but if you let your mind wander too much, you'll spend even more time cleaning. Focus on what you're doing, make every move count, and you'll finish more quickly. Clean top to bottom, back to front, right to left and work your way around the room, cleaning as you go, just one area at a time. Carry your cleaning supplies with you in a basket or cleaning bucket so you don't waste time having to go back to retrieve them.

Dust First, Vacuum Last. Start dusting from the top of the highest shelves, the tops of cabinets. These tend to be less dusty than lower shelves. Even if you dust quickly, you'll be moving the dust down to a lower level, usually the floor, where it is easily vacuumed away.

• Make a schedule, and stick to it. The mess gets worse the longer you put it off. If the house is too big, hit a floor at a time, or clean all the bathrooms on Tuesdays.
• Identify your trouble spots, and determine how you're going to get them cleaned up. Do you need any special cleaning products? Is soap scum or mold and mildew taking over the bath? Select the tools you'll need, and who you can assign the task to.
• Get help. If there are others living and breathing in the house with you, who are most certainly contributing to the mess, get them to help. My favorite is to assign tasks to each child for a week at time, and rotate tasks. Don't forget to throw in deep cleaning items, like the mess under the sink, or spraying down and wiping the trash compactor.
• Gather all your cleaning supplies and place in a bucket or tote. Don't waste time running around getting a broom or cleaners or whatever you need to complete the task that you're doing. Your bucket should contain glass cleaner, disinfectant, detergent de greaser, soup scum remover, comet, soft scrub, scrub brush, sponge, toothbrush, and a green scrubbier for starters
• Use the right product for the job. Use natural cleaning products if possible. We don't use fancy products to clean with. Get good quality heavy duty cleaning products that do a great job. This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money either. We use a solution of vinegar and water to damp mop linoleum or vinyl floors. It works great.
• Dump your junk. Get clutter free. This is a hard one. I like stuff too, and I was raised in a family of pack rats, so this doesn't come naturally to me either. The room will feel kind of bare at first, but trust me, you'll get used to it, (you'll actually come to prefer it) and it makes clean up a breeze.

Professional House Cleaning Check list

Nooks, crannies, corners and cobwebs. We admit it, cleaning is a chore. Here is a check list that you can use as you go about your daily duties. This house cleaning checklist should get you on the right track.

Bathrooms

Sink cleaned, disinfected and rinsed
Tub and/or shower tiles cleaned, disinfected and rinsed
Chrome fixtures shined and cleaned
Toilet base, rim, inside and outside disinfected and wiped
Vanity top cleaned and items organized and put away
Towels changed Mirrors cleaned
Window sills wiped down
Trash emptied
Baseboards dusted and/or wiped
Vacuum and mop and dry floor
Spot wipe walls and switch plates

Kitchen

Countertops and backsplash cleaned
Cabinet fronts washed and wiped
Sinks scrubbed and disinfected
Floor vacuumed and mopped and dried
Outside of appliances (oven, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, stovetop)
Small appliances wiped
Window sills cleaned
Baseboards dusted or wiped
Spot wipe walls and switch plates
Trash emptied
Dishes washed
Wash or dust table and chairs

Bedrooms

Carpets vacuumed
Beds made
Linens changed
All areas dusted – on top, on front and underneath
Picture frames dusted
Mirrors cleaned
Window sills cleaned
Spot wipe walls and switch plates
Trash emptied
Baseboards wiped and dusted
Lampshades dusted