6 tips for deep cleaning during winter

Deep clean before you deck the halls.

We all know spring cleaning is a thing (whether we like doing it or not), but did you know winter cleaning is just as important?

Winter brings holiday celebrations and flu season. With the questionable weather outside and more time indoors, there’s no better time to deep clean your home, from disinfecting faucets to replacing furnace filters. Here are seven tips to help you tackle your winter cleaning.

Tip no. 1: Help out your HVAC

The EPA recommends replacing your HVAC filters every three months. If you’ve let them slide, now is a good time to switch them out. You’ll want them working as effectively as possible with how much more time you’ll spend indoors.

We also suggest sprucing up your air vents—a good soak in hot, soapy water does the trick—to clear out any build-up and ensure better air flow. For added air freshness, place an AirSoap air purifier or two in your home. The patented Electric Wind Technology kills 99.99% of airborne viruses* and tackles dust, dander, and other allergens. Did we mention it’s HEPA filter-free?

Tip no. 2: Deep clean the kitchen

The kitchen is the gathering place of every home. It’s where most of the action happens—meals, crafts, conversations. Daily cleaning does a decent job managing everyday messes, but after six months, it’s time to really dig in.

Start with wiping down cupboards and counters, inside and out. We recommend spritzing with a DIY cleaning spray to minimize the use of harmful chemical cleaners. Once you’ve tackled those, it’s time to move to the:

• Refrigerator. Wipe down the floor, walls, and refrigerator coils. Remember to unplug the fridge before you begin. You can also tackle the inside of the fridge if it needs a good deep cleaning.
• Oven. Did you know you can clean your oven with baking soda and lemon juice? It’s way more pleasant than the strong smell of most oven sprays.
• Microwave. You may wipe it down frequently, but you should seriously clean and disinfect your microwave every few months.
• Dishwasher. Just because it cleans dishes all day every day doesn’t mean it’s clean. Taking time to deep clean your dishwasher, including the filter, helps remove food, soap, and hard water buildup.
• Faucets. Faucets breed mold, mildew, and lime—and you use the water from that faucet to cook and clean. Good thing deep cleaning your faucet is easier than you think. (It might be the easiest thing on this list!)

Tip no. 3: Deep clean bathrooms

You clean your bathrooms weekly, but weekly cleanings—especially if kids are in charge—don’t always cover every inch of that oft-frequented space. For winter cleaning, we recommend this bathroom deep cleaning guide. You’ll also find a handy weekly bathroom cleaning checklist to keep things in check until spring.

Remember to give your washing machine and dryer a solid once-over too. There are a few different ways to clean your washing machine; pick the one that works best for you. As for the dryer, pull it out from the wall and remove any lint that’s accumulated in the vent ducts. This guide offers an in-depth how-to.

Tip no. 4: Disinfect doorknobs and light switches

Disinfecting light switches and doorknobs is a definite must-do on our winter cleaning list, but you may also want to do this weekly. When cold and flu season hits, who knows what’s hanging out on these frequently touched surfaces. Ew.

Our SurfaceSoap UV wand makes weekly—and daily—doorknob and light switch disinfecting super easy. With a simple swipe, you’ll zap 99.99% of menacing microbes in seconds.** Throw it in your handbag or backpack for powerful germ fighting while you travel this winter.

Tip no. 5: Disinfect remote controls and other handheld devices

When the weather gets chilly, we often spend more time indoors. And that means more hands on game controllers, tablet computers, and remote controls. Good thing you can throw all that and more in the HomeSoap large capacity UV sanitizer and charger.

Regular disinfection of shared items and oft-used items like handheld gaming systems, favorite toys, sippy cups, and key cards can help stop the spread of freeloading bacteria and viruses. That’s a total winter win!

Tip no. 6: Clear out the chimney

Chimney maintenance is the one thing on this list that you’ll want to have a professional manage. But the annual expense is worth it. Having your chimney cleaned reduces the risk of chimney fires and helps ensure the air in your home is healthy.

Tip no. 7: Clear out the clutter

Some of us dejunk only when we move out and move in but clearing out clutter once or twice a year allows you deep clean the places you don’t often dust. It also provides an opportunity to take stock of what you have and decide if you really need it.

The more organized your home, the fewer places dust and dirt can collect. Pick one room a day and use these four simple steps to minimize clutter and tidy up. Donate what you no longer need or haven’t used in 3–6 months. Having trouble letting something go? Ask yourself if it could benefit someone else’s life more. The answer is usually yes.

Looking for more winter cleaning resources? Try these cleaning tips to disinfect your home or our guide on how to clean your home like a pro.

Once your winter cleaning is done, it’s time to celebrate. Grab some hot cocoa, a warm blanket, and a good book (or your favorite binge-worthy series). You totally deserve it!

*AirSoap has been laboratory tested and proven to kill more than 99.99% of even smaller viruses (Influenza A-H3N2). While AirSoap has been certified to capture particles down to 14 nm, we have not performed testing specifically on SARS-COV-2 (the pathogen responsible for COVID-19), as it is not yet available for testing.

**SurfaceSoap UV was tested by BIOSCIENCE LABORATORIES, LLC against Salmonella enterica (ATCC # 10708), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC # 6538), and Human Coronavirus strain OC43 (Zeptometrix #0810024CF). SurfaceSoap UV was tested by scanning glass slides containing these microbes and shown to kill up to 99.99% of the previously specified bacteria, and 99.9% of the specified coronavirus strain. Tests were performed with the SurfaceSoap UV moving at 3 inches per second and held 1 inch from the exposed surface.

†HomeSoap has been tested by an independent, 3rd party laboratory to be 99.9% effective against Salmonella, E. coli, MRSA, Staphylococcus, Coronavirus 229Ein. It has been tested on headphones, jewelry and baby bottles. HomeSoap has also been tested to be 99.9% effective against salmonella using ASTM 3535 for efficacy of UV light on hard non-porous surfaces such as glass, metals, and plastics.