How to Clean Your House Like a Pro
With all the grocery shopping, soccer tournaments, meal preparation, and not to mention the long hours at the office, keeping a tidy home can be difficult. So, it's no surprise that almost every homeowner’s dream is to have a professional maid clean their house each week. Unfortunately, hiring help can get expensive very quickly, so the most affordable option is to find a process and schedule that works best for you. Don’t feel discouraged if your mother-in-law's system or the cleaning schedule you found on Pinterest doesn’t work well for you. Everybody’s home, energy levels, and routines are different, so you can experiment with various methods until you find the most efficient way to keep a sparkling clean house.
Some prefer to spend a few hours on one day a week to clean their entire home. That way, they can enjoy a clean home for the rest of the week. For those who don’t have the energy or time to dedicate an entire day to cleaning, you can just tackle one room a day. This breaks down the to-do list so you can tidy your house a little each evening.
Whenever you choose to clean your house, here is the step-by-step list to make your home look like it was cleaned by an army of professional maids!
Stock a Cabinet or Closet with the Essentials
If you have the right tools and products, cleaning your house can actually be enjoyable! Feel free to make grueling chores by blasting fun music, buying sweet-smelling sprays, and taking breaks to dance in between folding the laundry and washing the windows.
Purchase a plastic caddy to haul your cleaning sprays and rags around the house. It’s much more convenient than having to run downstairs every few minutes because you forgot the toilet bowl cleaner or the feather duster.
Mirror Cleaner: SprayWay Glass Cleaner
Why we love it: This glass cleaner is perfect for mirrors and windows. Not only is it streak less, but it will also dissolve fingerprints, dirt, and smudges upon impact.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Why we love it: There’s not a single stain or smell that this cleaner can’t power through. Not only can it kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, but it leaves a pleasant wintergreen scent.
All-Purpose Cleaner: Method All-Purpose Cleaner
Why we love it: If you’re looking for a naturally formulated cleaner that doesn’t skimp on strength, look no further. This spray will cut through dirt, stains, and smudges and will leave your bathroom smelling like a lavender meadow.
Cleaning Sponges: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
Why we love it: I didn’t believe in magic until I tried cleaning my bathtub with a magic eraser. Better than any sponge, rag, or scrub brush, these will LITERALLY erase any soap scum and dirt.
Rags: Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Why we love it: These microfiber cloths are incredibly absorbent and soft so they won’t scratch any delicate surfaces.
Mop: Swiffer Wet Jet and Disposable Pads
Why we love it: This tool is for those who hate mopping. You just purchase the Swiffer mop once, then you can buy disposable mopping pads. No need to wring out dirty mop water or lug around a heavy bucket. Throw away the pads after every use, which is much more sanitary and convenient.
Vacuum: Dyson Cordless Vacuum
Why we love it: No more tripping over vacuum cords and emptying filter bags. While a bit pricey, this high-power vacuum has a long-lasting battery, so you can vacuum your entire house without it dying halfway through.
Feather Duster: GM Royal Feather Duster
Why we love it: This vintage-looking duster is made from genuine ostrich feather that will pick up every single speck of dust on your windowsills and tabletops.
Dish Soap: Dawn Blue Dish Soap
Why we love it: Dawn dish soap has never met a stain that it couldn’t scrub through; it may even do a better job than your dishwasher. Always keep this dish soap underneath your kitchen sink if you want sparkling dishes.
Stainless Steel Cleaner: Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes
Why we love it: Say goodbye to fingerprints and smudges on your new stainless-steel fridge. These handy wipes will leave your appliances shining brighter than the day you purchased them.
Laundry Detergent: Arm & Hammer OxiClean Laundry Detergent
Why we love it: The intensity of OxiClean paired with the deodorizing capabilities of baking soda creates a top-notch laundry detergent that can power through any stain on your clothes.
Room Spray: Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Spray
Why we love it: Before using the toilet, spray Poo-Pourri onto the water. It releases a fresh lemon scent so any unsavory smells are completely masked, thus avoiding any embarrassing moments.
How to Professionally Clean Your Kitchen:
- Clear away any mail, books, kid toys, backpacks, or anything else that doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Take time to return them to their proper places so that you’re not just spreading the mess throughout the house.
- Gather all the dish towels and floor mats and toss them into the washer on a hot cycle. Dish towels tend to get mildewy very quickly, so you can add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the water to neutralize any stink.
- Gather all of the dishes around the kitchen and run a full load in the dishwasher.
- Using an all-purpose spray, wipe down the exterior of the stove, the kitchen table, and the countertops.
- Fill a bowl 3/4 full of white vinegar and microwave it for about 3 minutes. The steam from the vinegar will loosen the baked-on bits of food, making it easier to clean. Wipe out the microwave with an all-purpose spray and a sponge. For more tips on how to deep clean a microwave, check out this article.
- If you have stainless steel appliances, wipe down the fronts with stainless steel wipes. These will quickly clear away sticky fingerprints and grime. Look through the fridge and toss out any expired foods. Sometimes that bagged lettuce goes bad a little bit too quickly, right?
- Scrub the sink with dish soap and rinse all the food bits with hot water down the drain.
- Sweep or vacuum the floors and then mop.
- Take out the trash and put a new garbage bag in the can.
- Diffuse essential oils, using a fresh scent such as lemon or peppermint. Or spritz the air with room spray.
How to Professionally Clean Your Bathroom:
- Remove everything from the bathroom. Take shampoo bottles off the bathtub edges, pick up all the clothes and towels off the floor, and remove any items on the countertop. Throw the bathmat, hand towels, and shower curtain into the washer, on the hottest cycle possible.
- Turn on the fan or open a window. This will help circulate the air in the bathroom, so you won’t be harmed by the cleaning product fumes.
- Squirt toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet, then spray the lid and exterior with an all-purpose cleaner, then wipe down with a rag. Scrub vigorously with a toilet brush. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, while you clean the rest of the bathroom. Flush the toilet clear of the cleaner when finished with all the other tasks.
- Spray an all-purpose cleaner on the countertops, sink, and faucet. Wipe with a microfiber cloth and rinse out the sink with hot water. Spray the light switch and all the doorknobs.
- Spray the mirror with glass cleaner and squeegee off the excess to avoid streaks caused by rags. If you don’t have a squeegee, unused coffee filters will work just as well.
- Use your favorite bathtub cleaner or mix white vinegar and blue Dawn dish soap together to spray the solution all over the bathtub and/or shower. Fill the tub with a small amount of hot water and scrub away the soap scrum, mold, and dirt with Magic Eraser or a scrubbing brush. Rinse away the debris and excess cleaner with hot water.
- Dry all the surfaces with a soft cloth. Return the products back to the countertop and the bathtub shelves.
- Vacuum or sweep the floors. This will pick up any hair strands, dirt, and stray pieces of floss, and will also prepare the floor for sanitation.
- Mop the floors, either using disposable mopping pads or a homemade mixture of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda. Let the floors dry thoroughly before walking on them.
- Hang up the damp shower curtain, fully extended, to let it dry. Replenish the towel racks with clean hand towels and keep a few stashed underneath the sink just in case.
- Take out the trash and put a new garbage bag in the can.
- Spray air freshener or diffuse lemon essential oil to give the bathroom a fresh boost.
How to Professionally Clean Your Bedroom:
- Open the windows to let fresh air in and dust the blinds or curtains. Dust any shelves, dressers, desks, and nightstands.
- Strip the bed of all blankets, sheets, and pillows. Throw the bedding into the washer on the hottest water cycle and gentle detergent.
- Take a few minutes to clean up any clutter. Toss dirty laundry into the hamper and hang up clean clothes. Return everything to its rightful place, whether in a drawer, closet, or in a separate room.
- Wipe down hard surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner and cloth.
- Vacuum the carpet and rugs. If you have hardwood floors in your room, consider mopping.
- Wipe down the door handles and light switches with an all-purpose cleaner and cloth.
- Diffuse essential oils, using a fresh scent such as lemon or peppermint. Or spritz the air with room spray.
How to Professionally Clean Your Living Room:
- Open the windows to let fresh air in and dust the blinds or curtains. Dust any shelves, side tables, desks, and the fireplace mantle.
- Take a few minutes to clean up any clutter. Pick up shoes, books, and toys that may be littering the floor. Return everything to its rightful place, whether in a drawer, closet, or in a separate room.
- Wipe down hard surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner and cloth.
- Use a screen cleaner, such as PhoneSoap Shine, to clean fingerprints, smudges, and dirt off your TV screen. This water-based solution is safe for all screens including, phones, televisions, tablets, and car electronics.
- Vacuum the couch and underneath the couch cushions to catch any stray popcorn kernels and other crumbs.
- Fluff up saggy pillows and fold blankets.
- Vacuum the carpet and rugs. Mop too, if you have hardwood floors in your living room.
- Diffuse essential oils, using a fresh scent such as lemon or peppermint. Or spritz the air with room spray.
Striving to wipe up spills, pick up dirty laundry, and make your bed every morning will keep your house looking clean for much longer. It will also prevent the mess from getting too overwhelming so you won’t run out of steam before finishing your chores.
How do you keep your home tidy?
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