In these challenging times, most of us are spending more time at home than ever. While the world outside might seem a little chaotic, a deep clean and some home organizing can make you feel in control. Can you think of a better time to deep clean your place? Consider it spring cleaning in winter for your health.
Ask Team Clean will show you that a deep clean doesn’t need to be as labour intensive as it sounds, especially once you break it down into manageable steps. And it’s a proven stress-buster. Put your phone down, put on some music and let a clean, organised home help you clear your mind. Here's how.
You might not think you need one but making a checklist will make the cleaning process much smoother. Take a quick walk around your home and note the areas that could use a good clean. It could be anything from your entertainment centre and kitchen counters to your bathroom or hallway. Once you have your list, group similar tasks together: wipe-downs and dusting (countertops, tables, cabinets), scrubbing (stovetop, sinks, shower), laundry, organizing and vacuuming, etc.
You want a cleaning kit that works for you — it can be as simple or as specific as you want. Gloves can make tough jobs easier but aren't required. But you'll definitely want a surface disinfectant, a glass cleaner for glass and mirrors and a mop. If you have wooden furniture, you'll want microfibre cleaning rags and furniture polish. Invest in a good vacuum with attachments like a brush head, upholstery tool and crevice extension, which is ideal for hard-to-reach places like in between furniture, corners and window ledges.
You could go all-in and unplug your refrigerator for a full scrub down or simply organise and wipe it down. First assess each item and pull out anything that's expired, forgotten or almost empty. That will give you more room to organise what's left over. Then grab a paper towel, spray it with some cleaner and wipe down any of the exposed glass surfaces and shelves. Start at the top and work your way down to the bottom. Take out the vegetable drawers and give them a thorough rinse in your sink. Don't forget the corners or the inner doorframe — including the rubber gaskets, which somehow catch a lot of dust and spills.
Do the same with your kitchen pantry.
An overstuffed closet makes your life complicated. It makes it harder to find something to wear and makes it more difficult to store the clothes you actually do wear. Do a quick scan and purge your wardrobe of everything you haven't worn in a year and likely won't wear in the future. You can donate or sell it online. Trust us, you won't miss it. Then, emboldened by your decisiveness, take another pass. Chances are, you'll find a few more unnecessary items to get rid of. Do the same with your shoes. With all that new space, you'll be able to organise and store everything neatly. It will also make it easier to maintain over time.
You wash your sheets weekly, but when was the last time you washed your bedspread or duvet cover? If you can't remember, it's due for a wash. Curtains and blinds can also get pretty grimy, so it's really in your best interest to clean them every three months, otherwise you'll end up breathing in that dust. You can easily clean blinds using an old sock and a vacuum with a dust brush attachment, which makes quick work out of it. If your curtains are machine washable, toss them in the washer on cold and then just hang them back up to dry. If they're not washable, try vacuuming them with a brush attachment to get rid of the surface dust, followed by a quick steam to lift bacteria.
Once your house is super clean and you’ve removed all of the little crumbs that have gotten into all of the sneaky corners now is the time to lay the traps for those pesky cockroaches.
The TV ads would have you believe that the best way to get the crawlies is to chase them down like you’re the Lone Ranger picking them off one by one until there’s no more insects left alive. In reality, most sprays only work on the individual cockroach. Hint: There are thousands of them back at the ranch (nest) just waiting to take their fallen comrades place in the front line.
That’s why baits are the best. They work in two ways, they take out the first roach that eats it (but here’s the important bit) they die back in the nest infecting their comrades in arms. It’s the secondary kill that gets you the control and your house back.
We recommend Combat roach baits and gels. They eradicate infestations directly at their nest by disguising the poison as food, which kills roaches and ants in a Domino-Effect. Then you can enjoy your sparklingly clean and fresh house without any unwanted visitors!
After everything is done, you'll feel like a new person. Ask Team Clean wishes you a fresh new start.