Cleaning your apartment might be the chore you hate the most, but it doesn’t have to be.  Breaking it down between rooms and using the right products will have you finishing up in no time, and leave your apartment sparkling.  Check out these tips to make cleaning your apartment a no-nonsense matter.

Plan Your Attack

Deep cleaning your apartment doesn’t have to be done in one day.  If you keep the place tidy throughout the week (make your bed, do your dishes, put away laundry), you’re already one step ahead.  Making a schedule can help you stick to the routine, but also breaks it down so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Start with the dirtiest rooms, usually the bathroom and kitchen.  Here you’ll need to scrub and disinfect, so clean those areas on the same day.

Cleaning the living area and bedrooms should be done on another day.  This routine can easily fit into your schedule, and you won’t spend hours cleaning the whole apartment and dreading it the entire week.

Order Matters

To give your home a deep clean, what you do first matters.  Mopping the floor and then dusting is backward.  All the dirt and dust will just fall onto your clean floors.  Try these tips to work smarter.

• Start with the dirtiest rooms where you’ll spend the most time.
• In each room, start from left to right.  This gives you a clear beginning and endpoint.
• Work from top to bottom.
• Dust before mopping or vacuuming.
• Use a vacuum, with attachments if needed, to suck up hair before cleaning the bathroom (Hair and dust that is wet will make your job ten times harder).

The Tools

To clean effectively, you need the right arsenal of tools.  Here’s a list of the basics.

1. Microfiber cloths for dusting.
2. Vacuum and mop
3. Scrub brushes for those hard to clean areas.
4. White cloths can be used to wipe down cabinets, outside of toilets, sinks, and baseboards.  The best part is you can reuse them after laundering with some bleach to clean and disinfect.
5. Cleaners — This comes down to preference, but to clean kitchens and bathrooms, you’ll need to disinfect.  Using bleach and hot water can get the job done, but there is a proper way to mix a solution.

Get Cleaning

Now that you have a plan and the proper tools, it’s time to get cleaning.  Start with the dirtiest room.

Bathroom

Begin by tidying up.  Use your solution of bleach and hot water to clean your toilet, shower, and sink.  A scrub brush may be needed for tough grime.

Clean faucets with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water.  Put the mixture in a baggie, and tie it around your shower head and bathroom faucets.  Leave on for a few hours.

Finally, mop your floors, but make sure you run a vacuum through first to pick up any hair.

Kitchen

Clean cabinets and countertops with your bleach solution, followed by the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher.  Use a cleaner to keep the top of your stove in pristine condition.  If you have stainless steel appliances, these cleaners will leave them streak-free.

Use your vacuum attachments to get in the grates of your refrigerator and under the stove.  Finish up with mopping the kitchen floor.

Living Area/Bedroom

Tidy up these areas — put away laundry and add new sheets to your bed.  Dust with your microfiber cloth — don’t forget the ceiling fans and any window blinds!  Use your vacuum attachment to clean baseboards and furniture.  Finish up by vacuuming the floors.

If you’re looking to move into a clean apartment, contact us to schedule an appointment.