Cleaning your home can often feel like a daunting task. The challenge of tackling dirt, clutter, and disarray in every corner can be overwhelming. However, with a strategic approach, it's possible to clean your home efficiently and effectively like a professional. If you need a bit more guidance on what to clean and how often, you can refer to a cleaning checklist.
How to Clean Your Home Like a Professional
If there is one main thing that differentiates the average person from a professional cleaner, it’s cleaning efficiency. We are experts at spotting dirt and determining the best products to handle the job. Here are a few rules that professional cleaners live by to ensure cleaning tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.
1. Choose the Right Tools
Having the right cleaning supplies at your disposal is akin to a chef using the best ingredients. Make sure you have the appropriate cleaners for different tasks and surfaces to make your work more effective and less tedious. Here are a few of my favorites.
2. Prep Your Space: Declutter First
Messy is different than dirty. A quick tidying up of any out-of-place items or trash before grabbing your cleaning supplies makes cleaning faster and more efficient. It’s about giving yourself a clean slate to start with.
3. Adopt a Top-Down Cleaning Approach
Gravity is your ally in cleaning. Start from the top (ceilings, shelves) and work your way down to the floors. That’s right – wipe those crumbs on the kitchen counter onto the floor, you’re going to vacuum after anyways. This ensures you’re not redoing any work when dust and debris fall.
4. Embrace the Power of Microfiber
Microfiber cloths and mops are your best friend. They’re effective for both wet and dry cleaning, making them a versatile tool in your cleaning arsenal. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study done at UC Davis Medical Center found that good-quality microfiber mops and cloths can remove up to 99% of bacteria from a surface with just water. Microfiber is designed to pick up dust, dirt, and bacteria rather than smear it around like a cotton cloth or paper towel does.
5. Let Cleaning Products Do Their Job
Apply your cleaning agents and allow them some time to penetrate the grime. Most cleaning products have a specified dwell time – or contact time – listed on the back of the bottle. Following these guidelines can significantly reduce the elbow grease required, making your job easier. For example, most toilet bowl cleaner requires 10 minutes to disinfect and penetrate calcium deposits. Apply the toilet bowl cleaner, clean the rest of your bathroom, then go back to give the toilet a good scrub after the product has time to work.
6. Clean First, Then Disinfect
Cleaning removes visible dirt and grime, ensuring your disinfectant (if you choose to use one) will work properly. A disinfectant cannot penetrate layers of grime to disinfect the surface underneath. It must be applied to an already clean surface to be effective.
By dividing your cleaning tasks into manageable, distraction-free chunks and following through with efficient cleaning techniques, you can maintain a spotless home without feeling overwhelmed. This approach isn’t just about keeping your space clean; it’s about doing so in a way that’s sustainable and manageable for you.
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