Moving into a new year is the perfect time for you to get those big jobs done around the home. Once you clear the holiday decorations away and have more space, it’s the ideal time for you to get those bigger deep clean jobs taken care of to see you through the rest of winter until the season changes.
While spring cleaning is a fair way off just yet, if you’re planning on rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck into those tasks you’ve been putting off or you simply want to freshen up, let’s run through a few jobs you can tick off in January. Completing these tasks will not only help your home look and feel fresher than ever but also give you a sense of accomplishment and pride in your living space.
Upholstery Cleaning
Post-Christmas is the ideal time to get your sofas and upholstered furniture cleaned to remove any stubborn stains, ground-in dirt, and smells you can’t quite get rid of. Whether you need to remove pet odors, dried-in food, drink stains, or just general life accumulation, professional couch cleaning and steam cleaning for your upholstered furniture can give them a new lease of life and make them more comfortable and accommodating instead of tired and worn as that case can be sometimes.
Under Appliances
Most people don’t clean under their appliances as much as they should; however, now is the perfect time to pull everything out as much as possible and check what is happening underneath them and out of your line of sight.
Cookers, especially, can accumulate food debris and a build up grease and grime, while your washing machine can be home to random items, bits of fluff, and general nastiness from the cleaning process. Take it one appliance a day if you wish, and get a different appliance out to clean under it and around the casing before putting it back each day.
Light Fittings, Switches and Sockets
Pull out the ladder and get up high to see what is going on around your light fittings. Just because they’re not touched doesn’t mean they won’t get dirty, especially those in cooking spaces, your bathroom, or by external doorways.
Light fittings are frequently overlooked when it comes to cleaning schedules. So, while you’re checking off those overlooked cleaning tasks around your home, include your lights as part of this, too. Whether they need cleaning with a soft cloth, dusting or removal, or polishing, look up and give them the TLC they need.
After cleaning your light fittings, remember to wipe over your light switches and sockets. These small, frequently used aspects of your home may not be as obvious, but their cleanliness can bring a sense of freshness and renewal to your living space. The rejuvenating feeling of a clean and well-maintained home is just a few wipes away.
Clean Inside Appliances
When was the last time you cleaned your microwave? Or your oven? Do you have a buildup in your dishwasher or the drawer in your front-loading washing machine? Make a list of all your appliances, both big and small, from your toaster to your fridge freezer and your coffee maker to your ice cream machine, and give them a good clean, descale if required, and then marvel at how much better they’re performing now that any residue has been removed.
Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning directions when cleaning your appliances. This will ensure you don’t cause any damage and will help you maintain your appliances in good condition. Be especially careful when moving parts to clean, ie, glass in oven doors, and when reattaching them to ensure you do so correctly.
Clean Cupboards and Drawers
Cupboards, drawers, pantry, laundry areas, cleaning sections, storage units, etc. Get them all emptied and cleaned, and then add everything back in again. This can be done alongside decluttering the space for a two-in-one special deep clean and update.
Make a list of all the cupboards, etc., you have in each room and then work your way through the list room by room, emptying each one, then putting everything away again, removing those items you don’t want, need, or cannot use again so you can dispose of them appropriately. To make the task more manageable, consider using storage containers to keep similar items together and label them for easy identification. This will leave you with a clear, organized space that is easier to manage.
Carpets and Rugs
Sure, you vacuum them frequently, but when was the last time you cleaned any rugs or carpets you have in your home? You need to add cleaning carpets and rugs to your New Year’s cleaning schedule to enable you to remove any dirt that might be trapped in the fibers. You can buy or hire carpet cleaning machines, or you can hire a service provider who can do this for you so you can have them professionally cleaned. But if you really want to get your home free from dirt and buildup, starting with what is under your feet is a great place to start.
Mattresses, Beds and Bedding
When was the last time you cleaned your mattress or beds? Your mattress is used every single night, as is your bed frame and bedding. While sheets and comforters are washed regularly, you should also wash pillows, not just the covers. Regularly cleaning your mattress; experts recommend you do this every six months, and bedding can help remove dirt, dust mites, and dead skin cells, ensuring a healthier sleeping environment.
Your mattress can accumulate a lot of dirt, dead skin cells from your body, and dust mites. You need to frequently vacuum your mattress to remove any buildup and accumulation of dust mites on your bed. Giving it a deep clean can help you freshen it up through to the center of the mattress so you can remove any lingering body odors, for example, from musty smells. Even mattresses on spare beds used infrequently can benefit from this attention, too.
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