Winter is here, which means plenty of snuggling up indoors to keep warm. In order to get your home feeling clean and cozy, it’s time to slip on your cleaning gloves and get specific tasks ticked off your list. Today we review our 10 best winter cleaning tips so you’ll feel cozy and clean in no time!
A good winter cleaning routine is essential, from dusting the carpet to deep cleaning curtains. Constantly changing weather conditions and varying temperatures means we often carry a lot of dirt into our houses. With most of us now working from home, and the threat of Covid-19, having a clean home is even more important than usual to make it as comfortable and safe as possible. Using a checklist is a great way to ensure all the important tasks are done, and you don’t leave anything out.
1. Get the Dust Out of Your Carpets
If not cleaned regularly, carpets can harbor dust, dirt, bacteria, and pet hair: To really be able to enjoy the warm and soft feeling underneath your feet in winter, make sure you clean your carpets thoroughly. Larger carpets or rugs should be shaken outdoors, preferably over a fence, at least two to four times a year. Handy tip – have a tennis racket lying around? A tennis racket is a great tool to beat the rug or carpet!
2. Look Out for Hidden Germs
From remote controls to door handles and laptops, don’t forget to clean areas potentially harboring bacteria. We often forget to clean, long-lasting viruses that can survive for several weeks on objects like these. Use a disinfectant or vinegar-based cleaning solution to keep them clean.
3. Clean the Tops of Doors, Trim, and Artwork
Tables and countertops aren’t the only household items with horizontal surfaces. In fact, just about everything in your house has some kind of flat surface where dust and dirt will nestle, often unnoticed. You’ll want to clean the flat top edges of:
- Interior doors
- Trim, including baseboards and chair rails
- Artwork and mirrors
- Electrical wall plates
- Wall-mounted smoke detectors, CO detectors, and thermostats
- Upper kitchen cabinets
- Light bulbs and light fixtures
- Computer monitors
- Books on shelves
4. Clean Blankets and Pillows
Love to cozy up with a soft blanket? Don’t forget to give those a good clean too! Just put them in the washing machine. Always wash duvets and pillows separately at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius, depending on the product. Extra tip: add a tennis ball to ensure the feathers don’t stick together.
5. Clean Out the Fridge
Fridges can soon start to look messy (especially when filled with all those festive leftovers), so why not give yours a much-needed clean. Start by emptying all your food from the fridge into cool bags. Then, wash and rinse your fridge drawers, doors, and shelves using lukewarm soapy water. Don’t forget the base of your fridge, which can become a breeding ground for crumbs and residue build-up.
With everything out of your fridge, it’s the perfect time to sort through any jars, sauces, and foods you no longer need. See what you can throw away and what you can use in a leftover meal.
Once you’ve cleaned the inside, place items back accordingly; while it can seem like a mammoth task, the experts recommend we should clean the fridge four times a year. Top tip: clean yours on the day you do your food shop to almost empty.
6. Dust Hidden Spaces
When it’s time to prepare your home for the winter season, it’s best to dust even those hidden nooks and crannies you tend to ignore. Make sure to include dusting in your regular house cleaning schedule! This helps prevent winter illnesses from infecting you and your family since fewer dust particles get into the air.
7. Wash the Windows
The sun sets early in winter, leaving us longing for more daylight. That’s why it’s vital to get the most out of what little daylight there is every day.
Clean windows are the best way to give you and your family as much sun as possible! Without clear windows, you won’t have the chance to experience the sunshine to its fullest. Many of us wipe down the indoor windowpanes, but now’s the time to do the outside as well. Professional house cleaning services make this job easy.
8. Reduce the Clutter
If you want to keep your home in order between cleanings, then it’s important that you keep it organized. The more clutter you have in your home, the more things will get dusty and dirty. At the very least, you should consider using seasonal storage. There’s no need to have pool gear lying around in the winter or puffy coats in the summer.
9. Prepare the Fireplace
Your fireplace often saves the day during those cold winter days, so make sure it’s ready to go before temp’s dip below freezing. Consider hiring a chimney sweep to remove the debris that built up throughout the year. Vacuum out the interior and brush down the walls. Remove any old firewood and clean the grate and glass doors.
10. Hire the Professionals
While it can be a good amount of fun to winterize your home and get it nice and clean, it can also be very time-consuming. And you also might be one of the many people who don’t like having to deep clean their homes.
That’s where we come in. Our highly trained staff will gladly take care of all of your winter cleaning needs so that you can spend your time doing the things that mean the most to you.
