How to deep clean? Advice for cleaners welcome

[Greenissle]

Complete silly question I know. I keep reading posts from people with cleaners and I dream of having one but can't justify the cost whilst I'm home in maternity leave.

If I was a cleaner coming into my home (3 bedroom average house). How would I deep clean? Is 2 hours enough per week for this type of thing. How do I break it down.

I generally decluttering and tidy a lot but I've realised I don't actually do much deep cleaning apart from wiping down bathrooms and kitchen etc.

My version of deep cleaning is hoovering under sofas and beds, behind furniture etc rather than just a quick whizz round. Washing windows, wiping down kitchen cupboards and sorting out drawers.

My normal weekly clean is hoovering the whole house, dusting all surfaces, hoovering the couch and straightening up the cushions, washing floors and cleaning the bathroom, emptying all bins and changing beds. It takes about 3 hours.

My deep clean would be all of the above but moving furniture to hoover/dust places that usually get missed, dusting the shutters, cleaning the inside and outside of kitchen cupboards and fridge, cleaning the oven, microwave and toaster, cleaning windows and mirrors indoors. Doing all the little nooks like the wardrobe runners and shower seal. This takes a couple of days and I do it every few months.

I own holiday cottage and deep clean every time. 2 hours would just be dusting and hoovering and a quick bathroom and kitchen clean. 4 hours I could clean properly, do skirting boards, polish furniture, mop floors. 6 would be pulling out all furniure, cleaning windows, mopping and scrubbing floors, cleaning grout lines, cleaning fridge and cooker.

I'm not a cleaner but I do enjoy a good sort out and deep clean.

My tips would be to first of all start one room at a time to avoid half arsing lots of rooms at once or feeling like you've done sod all cos you've done bits everywhere.

Gather what you need to do that room together so you're not back and forth and end up distracted elsewhere. Include a drink too.

Be realistic with your time (don't start it if going out somewhere for the evening as you'll likely be knackered and sore of you really go for it. (learnt from emptying a hoarder relatives 3 bedroom house. 2 people needing to take 2 days per room working on it 12 hours a day.)

Don 't let yourself get sucked in to sorting with your heart (ie put things that need time sorting to one side or in a clear area like pics so you can spend time really sorting and not find you've spend four hours reminiscing through memories and got nowhere)

Clean what cleans for you to/lightens the load for you first - empty your bin if full or nearly fh so you have an empty one to start with. If doing the kitchen clean the washer, empty the dishwasher and clean it etc, change the steamer pad, check the hoovers empty and the roller isn't jammed with hair etc, make sure your sink is empty and clean, clear your draining board etc. That way you can set them off doing what they need to.