1 day to deep clean - can it be done

[Arcadie]

I have the duration of the school day without my beautiful if messy children to get my house as clean as it can be. We're not talking a life of grime kind of territory, just that "grubby woodwork, hoovering only done to the edges of the furniture" kind of accumulated schmutz. Any thoughts on where to start so I make the most of the precious few hours?

I'm doing this tomorrow too. My advice is to divide your house into areas, work out how much time you have available to spend on each area and use a timer. It is definitely doable.

Make sure it is all tidied/decluttered in advance so you can just get on and clean.

Dont get sidetracked by the everyday jobs eg washing clothes, washing up - use the day just for the bits that don't normally get done.

knee pads and wet cloths to do the woodwork and edges of carpets

I've been meaning to do this for ages and keep finding somehitng else to do instead

or you could pay a co. to do a deep clean..am sorely tempted to do this before we redecorate in the spring

Thank you thank you. So tomorrow is declutter and sort washing etc and then Weds is just CLEAN!
My plan is windows, skirts, tops of shelves, coving removal of lacework cobwebs. Kitchen floor having pulled the cooker out too.

Should I do each room individually or all the skirting boards in the house then all the windows???

What else should I have a go at???

Get up and get going RKD

I'd do all the windows, then all skirtings etc, that way you get to tick off jobs as you do them.
Start high and end with jobs near the floor (skirting, hoovering) as the dust will end up here.

Wow Freakoid!!! Long time no see! How's tricks? Today is the tidying day. it's going ok. Tomorrow is the Big Clean

Rarely thank you - that was my thinking too. And good point on the height thing.

So the plan (more for myself than you guys)

DO NOT: Sort washing, put bins out, tidy endlessly.

DO:
Coving - get all cobwebs down
Tops of mirrors and pictures and shelves
Wash down doors and arcatraves(sp??)
Wash skirting boards
Wipe bathroom down.
Clean kitchen cupboards and behind toaster etc
Pull beds, tables, sofas out of the way and hoover.
Wash kitchen and bathroom floors.

That'll probably do me the whole day. If not I could tidy the linen cupboard or just sit on my bum.

Anything obvious that would likely be skanky and that I've not thought of?

Light fittings and curtain rails - dust?

LOVE it! Thank you lightfitting an excellent idea. Maybe the venetian blinds too...

Howdy! All good here thanks. Hope you are all well :-)
How did it go today?

How's your oven?

I hoover my skirting boards - even if you need to wash them down it stops the cloth getting clogged with dust.

Good luck - I've got my big clean this weekend. Great tip to make sure decluttering/regular jobs get done beforehand - I always get distracted with these things.

Ooh Ooh Ooh i have a special venetian blind duster that I've never used that you can borrow

Hey Caz - do drop it round!

Freakoid The house looks (considering it's had 6 children in it today) pretty gosh darned tidy. Laundry is out and airing. Irritating jobs have been done for tomorrow. Just about to bleach my mastic overnight. Never thought I'd be putting THAT sentence together.

If the d&v/pox lets me out I surely will

Ledge

Oh, and GO TO BED!

Jeeees people, I don't think I've ever done any of that (apart from window-cleaning spread over several days) in the 5 years of living in this house.
the sheer size of the house (4-bed, 2 reception) puts me off any big job. In fact, it takes me so long to just de-clutter and vacuum, I start on say Mon and finish say Wed, and come Thurs it all has to be started all over again

That said, I only get about 2 hrs DS-free time a day. Maybe when he starts nursery (can't wait! )

Best of luck OP!

Thanks - so I spent from 10 - 3 solidaly cleaning. No let up. No lunch break. Not even a facebook to speak of!

Have achieved from list:

Yes Coving - get all cobwebs down
YEs Tops of mirrors and pictures and shelves
Upstairs Wash down doors and arcatraves(sp??)
Upstairs Wash skirting boards
Not really. Wipe bathroom down.
Sadly nothing close C lean kitchen cupboards and behind toaster etc
Yes!!! Pull beds, tables, sofas out of the way and hoover.
Nooooo. Wash kitchen and bathroom floors.

But I cleaned ALL the windows and skanky mouldy sills. And demoulded the conservatory.

The house looks no different - but I know it is. And so will MIL

Turquoise Nor had I but the grime is getting to me now. If you have a 2 yr old boy like me, then to a certain point, deep cleaning is a bit redundant as the rest of the house is probably so sticky / toy car / gunged up that you'd never notice!

I know
I do de-mould window frames and sills about twice a year though, and de-cob-lace covings while hoovering. And mop hard floors from time to time.

The house still looks filthy though..
just got a rug doctor coz carpets haven't been cleaned ONCE in 5 years (we do have a dyson though) and are a complete mess! AND stink!