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Tips for deep cleaning?

6 replies

GreenCaterpillarOnALeaf · 22/10/2026 11:49

Hello, my childhood friend has been suffering very bad depression. This has resulted in her kids going to live with their dad at her MILs house. The house has become a real mess, and her kids and their farther are due back soon as she has started to get better, but she’s pretty overwhelmed by the house.

Me, her husband, my husband and her are going to scrub the house top to bottom this weekend so it’s ready for the kids but honestly I’m not really sure where to start? I’ve never done a deep clean like this. We have a van to do tip runs ect and the men folk are gonna deal with that, but I was just wondering on any pro tips for cleaning? Obviously I’ve cleaned my own home but really I’ve never taken anything on like this. My mum is a pro cleaner but my friend is too ashamed to let her help which I understand, and I don’t wanna ask my mum because she will inquire as to why I’m asking.

Product recommendations for removing grime? Where should we start? I’m at a bit of a loss. The plan is clear all surfaces ect first, then start the actual cleaning. There no animals involved thank god and it doesn’t smell awful, more like stale so I think opening the windows and airing it out will probably remove that?

OP posts:
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peanutbutterlife · Yesterday 16:50

I would be using
LOADS of cloths - I like the Costco yellow microfibre ones
scrubbing brush, crevice brush, mop
possibly some wipes for anything that’s too bad to use a cloth on
couple of buckets for hot water
harpic black for the loo
elbow grease
pink stuff
washing up liquid
limescale remover like viakal
black mould remover
cif infinite anti bac - this can be used on fabrics too

excelledyourself · 22/10/2026 18:49

You and your husband are good eggs, OP Star

mainecooney · 22/10/2026 14:45

I usually do one part white vinegar to 2 parts water. You can get a litre of the vinegar for around £5 on amazon.

GreenCaterpillarOnALeaf · 22/10/2026 14:33

mainecooney · 22/10/2026 13:21

Washing up liquid is an amazing all purpose thing with some hot water. I did similar for a friend and used it all throughout the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom window ledges and skirting boards etc. It gets grime, soap scum and grease off very easily. I then went through and disinfected with an all purpose spray.

If you can get access to a carpet cleaner that hugely helps smells, and can really freshen up a room, but make sure you dry them as thoroughly as you can with the machine and then leave windows open to help dry. I like to do a vinegar rinse when I'm carpet cleaning- the smell doesn't linger but it makes the carpet soft and fluffy.

What ratio of vinegar?

OP posts:
mainecooney · 22/10/2026 13:21

Washing up liquid is an amazing all purpose thing with some hot water. I did similar for a friend and used it all throughout the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom window ledges and skirting boards etc. It gets grime, soap scum and grease off very easily. I then went through and disinfected with an all purpose spray.

If you can get access to a carpet cleaner that hugely helps smells, and can really freshen up a room, but make sure you dry them as thoroughly as you can with the machine and then leave windows open to help dry. I like to do a vinegar rinse when I'm carpet cleaning- the smell doesn't linger but it makes the carpet soft and fluffy.

Jellycatspyjamas · 22/10/2026 13:19

Start at the top of the house and work down. Gather up rubbish, laundry, general crap and bin, put in laundry basket/recycling/charity box (though if it’s that bad I’d bin anything I didn’t want just to get clear). Then clean surfaces, windows etc again starting at the top and working down. For removing grime hot soapy water will best most things, just a squish of fairy liquid in a mop bucket, a few cloths and clean. Yes to opening windows to get rid of stale air.

Best advice is to finish one room at a time, it’s utterly soul destroying to have 5 rooms all in various stages of being cleaned. And remember it always looks worse before it looks better.