After the holiday parties are over and festive decorations are tucked away, it seems only fitting that we ring in the New Year with a deep cleaned home!
Clearing out the fridge with leftovers, decluttering the closet and taking on the long-overlooked areas – whether you tackle them all in one weekend or tick them off your to-do list one at a time, you’re bound to welcome the year with a dirt free home, and probably have the motivation to keep it that way throughout the year!
Start fresh with a clean slate for the new year! Refer to this practical guide on how to clean your home for 2019.
New Year Cleaning Checklist
Kitchen
- Refrigerator – Aside from the holiday leftovers, also throw away old condiments and other food products that you haven’t used for the past month. Then, give your fridge a serious deep clean to get rid of moulds and bacteria that may have cultivated in it.
- Storage – Cleaning your storage is not hard. Sort through drawer by drawer and toss out items that have been long forgotten – it only means that you no longer need them. Consider buying additional organisers if your drawers and cabinets are still cluttered.
- Oven – When the self-cleaning function of your oven isn’t enough to remove the grime buildup, your next best alternative is to manually scrub the interior surface of the oven. But, if it still doesn’t work here’s a helpful guide on how to clean your oven using common household ingredients.
Bathroom
- Tub and Shower – Mould and mildew can easily build up in these areas if they’re not properly maintained. There are many commercial cleaners that work well with these but you can also make your own spraying solution using an equal mixture of white vinegar and liquid dish soap.
- Grout – In a spray bottle, mix a ½ cup of baking soda with a ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tbsp. of liquid dish soap to make a homemade grout cleaner. Spray the solution over the grout lines and let it sit for about 10 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing with water. Repeat the process if needed.
Living Room
- Bookshelves – The turn of the calendar is also a great time to sort through your bookshelves and donate or sell the books you’ll not read again – and while you’re at it, consider purging your newspapers and magazines, too!
- Flooring – Sweeping the floor is something you may be doing on a regular basis. But, what about the areas underneath the furniture? Don’t let these spots pass by running a vacuum through them. You’ll never know, you may even be surprised to find some lost objects under.
- Upholstery – Does your upholstered furniture get the attention it deserves? To start the year, consider hiring a spring cleaning service provider who will sanitise your couches inside and out, ensuring that dust, dead skins, sweat and any possible bacteria thriving in it are removed.
Bedroom
- Mattress – In addition to dust, dust mites could be living deep inside your bedding. So, take the time to have your bedding materials – comforter, duvet, pillows and mattress – professionally cleaned as well, at the beginning of the year.
- Closets – Now, this may be the hardest part of the new year cleaning: to sift through your closet and let go of the clothes you haven’t worn in the past year. Hard as it may sound, consider it a way to free up space for new clothes this year!
General
- Air Conditioning Vents – Over the past year, dust and allergens have accumulated on the air conditioning vents. In order to prevent these particles circulating in your home, remove the vents and soak them in a tub of hot, soapy water. Afterwards, wipe the vents clean and dry.
- Carpets and Rugs – Aside from the regular vacuuming, your carpet should be professionally cleaned at least twice per year to remove stubborn dirt, dust, stains and many other allergens that have been trapped over time.
- Windows – To cap off the cleaning guide, make sure all your windows are dirt-free for the New Year. You may also want to apply the same rain repellent you use for your car to your windows to help repel fingerprints, dust and dirt, so you don’t have to clean them as often.
Of course, everyone wants their home to be as clean and dirt-free as possible for the New Year! Aside from these tips, you can always turn to professional cleaning services to achieve a cleaner and sanitised home in as fast as four hours!
Clean Care is a professional cleaning service provider in Singapore that offers spring cleaning services you can rely on. Contact us today!