To ask if you deep clean your house and HOW?

[WilliamKnott]

I often see it mentioned on MN and I want to do one but I'm a bit of a slattern don't have a clue where to start or what to do.

I finished work last week and have two weeks before I start new one so I want to embark on a deep clean as the house is a shithole

Any help would be much appreciated as I'm currently lay in bed drinking coffee and dunking digestives

@EatYourVegetables

wash skirting boards instead of dusting them

My version of a deep clean might include dusting them (which i’ve not done) I do not live in a show home and have a life other than being Dobbie the house elf!!

This is why for me it's a twice a year deep clean job and not an every day occurrence...!

Room at a time.
Declutter/throw out.
Dust sides, windowsills, skirting boards, pictures
Use vinegar spray to clean any windows
Change bedsheets (if bedroom)
Put everything straight e.g. piles of books etc
Hoover ceiling, walls, floors

Ooh and mop hard floors

Hang worn but not dirty clothes on hangers and then on the back of the doir/wardrobe door but limit to 1 or 2 outfits, if they haven't been reworn by the end of the week, wash and put away

Worn clothes go on a heap on a bedroom chair; that’s what bedroom chairs are for. Once the heap is big enough I consider them to have had enough air and they get shoved inside the wardrobe. If I’m feeling really fancy I might put them on hangers.

My version of a deep clean might include dusting them (which i’ve not done)
I deep clean by taking my contact lenses out. Gives the house a nice soft-focus feel and everything looks glorious.

I try to but it's becoming increasingly difficult with working and the kids wrecking the joint 😂. The days of blitzing the house in a day or even a weekend are long gone

Try breaking it down. One room at a time. I try and empty a room of everything except heavy furniture. All of the drawers and cupboards get emptied too and then anything that doesn't have an actual home goes in the bin. Anything to go in a different room goes in a bag/basket and put to one side. Once all sorted I wipe all the skirting boards and do a full hoover/mop. Then close the door and ban the kids from entering that day 😂.

@WilliamKnott

Can I ask for views on worn clothes? Where do you put them if not in wardrobe/drawers?

Washing basket, wardrobe, valet stand or in the charity shop pile. If it's old and no longer wearable I put it in a bag of rags to take the charity shop as they get money for them

I love cleaning too. It's therapeutic for me 😂

Definitely do one room at a time. Be methodical and thorough.

Worn clothes are either put in the laundry or hang back up. Don't put them over a chair or similar. They then become clutter.

I'm trying and failing to deep clean, declutter and decorate. I keep finding new jobs to do. Send help!

@WilliamKnott

So it's best to start with one room rather than, say, washing all the doors in one go or dusting behind the radiators?

Dusting where😳 Washing what😳

crowls into a shame corner

Worn clothes either get put away (you’ll be able to smell perfume on them next time you wear anyway) or in the washing.

Worn clothes, on a hanger, hung from my bedroom curtain pole for a day (window is always open) then back in the wardrobe to be worn again.

One room at a time , maybe even one corner to start , do easiest room first

I'd focus on declutter this week and then get a cleaner in next week to do a deep clean. Then you can forget about the cleaning and just keep things ticking over going forward.

twice a year jobs like emptying out and washing all the cupboards or properly washing down the skirting boards

God, do you really do those twice a year? I don’t think I’ve ever washed a cupboard or skirting board

Another vote for decluttering. So satisfying.

If it's a wretch for you to throw things out, try putting things you might be prepared to throw out in a bin bag and store it somewhere out of sight.

In six months when you haven't needed anything, throw it out with a clear conscience.

It will get easier to throw things out.

Clear, uncluttered spaces are a lot easier to keep pristine all the time. No need for a special, deep clean because there is nothing cluttering up and preventing regular cleans. Good luck.

@PattyPan

twice a year jobs like emptying out and washing all the cupboards or properly washing down the skirting boards

God, do you really do those twice a year? I don’t think I’ve ever washed a cupboard or skirting board

I rarely dust my skirting boards and to be honest they are so gross now washing will be the only way to get them clean.

You probably dust and vacuum more than twice a year so you don’t see how bad they can be 😂

As most pp have said, decluttering first is the way forward!
My dh and I declutter first before we do a deep clean. Its amazing how quickly you can acquire things! We have a toddler and we could fill up a room with just her toys/clothes/books etc!

We give ourselves a week to do it. We do abit each day, declutter, sort through old clothes etc . Then at the weekend , my dh goes to the tip or drops bags off at the local charity shop. It's much easier to do a deep clean with a clutter free home. We de clutter regulary, every 2 months, I reckon. It makes everyday cleaning easier too.

@PattyPan

twice a year jobs like emptying out and washing all the cupboards or properly washing down the skirting boards

God, do you really do those twice a year? I don’t think I’ve ever washed a cupboard or skirting board

Probably about twice a year, I don't keep a calendar when I notice my cupboards getting a bit grimy / sticky I just dump everything on the table and give them a scrub, it doesn't take very long.

But then I'm in a houseshare, I only have two cupboards!

1. Start off by black bagging any clothes, toys, books and other household items that you no longer need or want. Drop them off at the charity shop.

1. Do one room at a time. Starting with your kitchen. Try and organise your kitchen by keeping food items and cookware & crockery etc in separate cupboards.

Use jars and containers to keep things uniform. Tip - square and rectangular storage is a space saver.

1. Do the bathroom next. Make the most of your existing storage and try and keep the sink and bath surfaces clear of clutter by putting things away.

1. Hallways & Entrance. Keep seasonal things out, winter coats and shoes. Put summer shoes and coats away in storage.

Try and keep the entrance and hallways clear of clutter as it becomes easy to use these areas as a dumping ground.

1. Bedrooms. Keep any clothes that you regularly wear at more accessible areas and put occasionwear away.

Also try and keep clothes in some form of order. T-shirts together, long sleeve tops together, dresses together etc.

Top tips

-Square containers fit more neatly together.
-Keep food storage in trays, this will make it easier to pull out the trays and wipe down the surface.
-Declutter every few months and give any unwanted items away.
-When it comes to cleaning, do little and often.

Definitely declutter first before you think about cleaning. Maybe spend your time off decluttering (it may take longer than you think) then deep clean one room per week once you're back at work. Then once it's less cluttered and properly clean you'll feel more motivated to keep it that way. I recommend the Marie Kondo book and Netflix TV show about decluttering.

I'm pretty good at keeping on top of cleaning but I live in an old house that gets dusty quite quickly so I do have "deep cleaning" sprees occasionally where I will pull out all the furniture and hoover behind it, wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant and a microfibre clothes, clean the windows, wipe down skirting boards empty and clean cupboards etc. If you don't have a lot of clutter it doesn't really take that long.

Decluttering can seem very overwhelming but once you get into it I think it's fun and very cathartic.

• Can I ask for views on worn clothes? Where do you put them if not in wardrobe/drawers?*

I have a special drawer for warn but wearable clothes. It’s just one drawer so there is a natural limit to how much stuff ca be “on the go”. DCs have hooks on their doors. DH has a pile on the bedroom floor

@PoshWatchShitShoes - I am in awe of you

I deep clean by taking my contact lenses out. Gives the house a nice soft-focus feel and everything looks glorious

I did the opposite today - put my reading glasses on whilst I was washing doors/skirting boards. It was a revelation!

Baskets, baskets and more baskets! virtually everything in my food cupboards is in separate baskets. So one for pasta, one for packets and so on. It’s then so much easier to find what you need, no more rooting around. And easier to clean. I also have clear containers in the fridge. I have a lot of craft/hobby stuff and that is all sorted into different fabric boxes. Oh and drawer organisers are magical! I had a drawer of doom in the kitchen for years but now it’s all organised and I can see everything at a glance. I have a lot of stuff and zero intention of getting rid of any of it. But it is all neat and organised and I know where everything is. I don’t think “stuff” in itself is the issue. It’s whether there is space for it and how it’s stored. The one Kondo thing I do follow is her folding method for clothes. That works well.

I tend not to do a specific deep clean as I’ll do jobs on rotation throughout the year. But my standards aren’t nearly as high as some on MN so others may think I should do more!