Deep cleaning Tips and Checklist

​What is a deep clean?
A deep clean is when you take time to really get in there and scrub the nooks and crannies, pick up every little thing (and then put them back where they belong), mop or vacuum that floor. You know, all those things you'd think about doing if only it wasn't such a big job.
 
How do I start deep cleaning?
You might be thinking, "How am I going to fit this into my schedule?" The most important tip here is that you pick a day that you will have time to devote the whole day to the process. Next, choose a room or area to start with and block off the entire day for deep cleaning.
 
What is a deep cleaning checklist for a house?
Deep cleaning is a process that involves using special tools, products, and methods to clean every nook and cranny of your home. This includes items such as:

• Curtains
• Blinds
• Dishwasher
• Toilet bowl and inside the tank
• Inside cabinets and drawers
• Inside the microwave and refrigerator
• Windowsills
• Doors and door frames

 
For a good deep clean, the listed items below will help you get the job done.

• A toothbrush or nail brush -To scrub any tough stains
• A broom – To sweep up dust from corners, under furniture, etc...
• A wet rag – To wipe away dirt, dust, etc...
• Rubber gloves – To protect against rough surfaces.
• A bucket – To collect dirt or dust for disposal.
• Water & dish soap - To clean away tough stains (dish soap is harsher than regular bar soap).
• Baking soda – For scrubbing tough spots like oven grease.
• Old rags and paper towels – For drying wet areas and dusting surfaces.

 
In the Bathroom:

• Toilet cleaner – To remove stains from inside and outside of the bowl.
• A plunger – For removing tough toilet clogs.
• Bleach – For disinfecting toilets, sinks, bathtubs, grout lines on tiles, etc...
• An old toothbrush – For scrubbing areas that are difficult to reach.
• A non-corrosive scouring sponge – For cleaning soap scum, mildew or hard water deposits.
• Cleaning sponge – Great for scrubbing countertops, sinks and other hard surfaces.
• A vacuum cleaner – For picking up dust, lint or pet hair that may have accumulated around the bathroom or any other room in the house.

Airing out Bedroom:

• Top to bottom ventilation – Open windows from top to bottom to allow fresh air into the room. Use a fan to maintain air flow while bringing in the fresh air. Also, make sure that your curtains are clean. Dust off furniture, blinds and shelves for optimal results.
• Clean window screens - Combined with plenty of air circulation, this will cut down on dust accumulation within the house to ensure healthier living conditions for you and your family.
• Clean up clutter - Remove all clutter including newspapers, magazines, clothing or any other items that are not being used.
• Empty Cabinets - Even if you have no intention of rearranging your cabinets, clean them thoroughly to remove the dirt and grime they accumulate over time without regular attention. Open all kitchen cabinet doors to ensure that you have properly cleaned the cabinets in their entirety.
• Clean behind appliances - Ensure that all your kitchen appliances are completely clean, including under them! This will not only improve air circulation throughout your home but also prevent dust build-up.
• Clean around the garbage disposal - If you have one of these modern conveniences in your kitchen, then it should be absolutely spotless. In addition to the garbage disposal itself, clean around it to remove leaves and debris that could have been drawn down into it.
• Automatically schedule a complete cleaning each month to keep your cabinet-cleaning efforts efficient and easy going forward.
• Use a sponge - Using a clean sponge will reduce the number of dishes and utensils needed.
• Spray and trap - To make your clean up even easier, spray your dishwashing equipment with a non-stick cooking spray before you start to use it. This will make the stuck-on food much easier to remove as it's softened by hot water. It will also reduce the amount of time spent on cleaning as the food will normally slide off very easily.

What is the quickest way to deep clean a house?
The easiest way to carry out a deep clean in your house is to simply start and finish with the kitchen.

This room generally contains more germs than any other area of the home, as it's where we prepare our food and drinks before we eat them.
 
How often should you do a deep clean in your home?
Ideally, it should be done every three months.
 
As mentioned above, your deep clean will involve window cleaning so this is a good time to move the furniture out of the room and onto the deck or patio. This way you can wash down any surfaces if necessary without worrying about staining them with dirty water.
 
If you haven't carried out a deep clean before, you can probably expect to spend most of a weekend doing it. If you've done one recently and only need to do some spot cleaning in-between times, then your time will be more limited.
 
What equipment and products will you need for a deep clean?
To do a deep clean properly, some tools will come in very handy:

• Don't forget to purchase gloves for use when carrying out any work on the house. There are many household cleaning products which you should not use without gloves.
• Bucket and mop for the floor
• Stiff bristle brush or nylon scrubbing pad for bathtubs, showers and sinks
• Rubber gloves to protect your hands when cleaning
• Scouring pad for use on non-slip surfaces to remove hard soap scum and stains
• Window cleaner, the kind that you spray on glass rather than having to wipe it off afterwards.

Just remember to keep the fan/ extractor running while you clean so as not to spread dust throughout the rest of your house.
 
What is the difference between a deep clean and a regular clean?
A deep clean is intended to take care of stubborn stains, grime and dust that has built up over time while a regular clean is something you might do on a weekly or monthly basis to keep things looking presentable.
 
What surfaces should I deep clean?
You can clean just about every surface in your home except for couches, mattresses and non-washable fabrics. So basically the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, windowsills etc., can all be cleaned.
 
What tools and products do professional cleaners use for deep cleaning?
There are quite a few tools you can find at your local grocery/hardware store to assist in the deep clean. For example, scrubbing brushes of different shapes and sizes, bleach wipes or sprays, thick sponges or cloths that have been dipped in water with dish soap, the list goes on.
 
What is the deep cleaning cost for a standard property?
Professional deep cleaning can cost anywhere from £150 to £600 depending on the size of your house. The average time it takes for a cleaner to deep clean is about 4 hours, but this also depends on the condition of your home.
 
Should I use a professional cleaner for my deep cleaning tasks?
Professional cleaners are recommended when there is too much furniture in your home, there is a lot of pet hair or you have been unable to clean for a while. If you are looking to get the best results from a professional cleaner, deep cleaning should be done about twice a year.
 
Services offered will depend on the company you choose to hire, but as a general rule of thumb, you can expect your home to be deep cleaned, dusted and polished. Some companies may also offer window cleaning or washing up services as well as carpets shampooed.
 
How many hours should it take to deep clean a house?
The time it takes to deep clean a house will depend on the size of the house and its contents. On average, however, if you hire somebody to do your cleaning you can expect them to spend about six hours in your home.
 
This is because professional cleaners are trained in methods that get the required results quickly. This may even include stripping the beds and washing the duvets.
 
However, they don't tend to work on a time-based system so when you get your quote it is generally for all the hours of cleaning available in a day.
 
Can I deep clean my house in a day?

• Make a checklist of the most important places to clean in your house and start with them first. You can do each room in 30 minutes or less! Before you know it, all the rooms will be done and you'll have more time left over for something fun.
• The WC is easily forgotten about when cleaning the rest of the house. Also, clean behind the toilet and the shower area with a good disinfectant.
• Don't forget to do all the windows, inside and out. You can use towels to dry them off if you don't have a tumbler drier.
• Use some bleach on your bathroom floor, then mop it up with clear water. You can also vacuum your bathroom floor, just be careful when doing this in case you have loose flooring.
• Check ceiling fans and light fixtures for cobwebs or rot. Spray them with a special cleaning solution you might have around the house. Use a broom/duster to get up any cobwebs that are directly above your head, you don't want to be reaching for them with a vacuum cleaner.
• Dust all your picture frames, ceiling fans, doorknobs and pieces of furniture that are normally touched by people/children daily before vacuuming or using a wet wipe.
• Have a good think about what you want/don't want to clean, there are all sorts of methods like steam cleaning, dry vacuuming (to suck out cobwebs), etc.