Do you ever wonder how some people manage to maintain an absolutely flawless house, yet you never see them cleaning? This is because they do not attack the house in one sitting. Most of the time, they have a home cleaning checklist. 

A cleaning checklist gives you a system that enables you to continually keep your house in tip-top shape without feeling like you are running around like a headless chicken.

Four Reasons to Maintain a Home Cleaning Checklist

1. When you have a house cleaning checklist, you can prioritize what needs to be cleaned, and when you need to clean it. This makes it easier to handle different tasks. By breaking down your cleaning chores, you accomplish more than trying to tackle everything at once. 
2. Sometimes, the people living with you may not ‘see’ what needs to be cleaned. Having a cleaning to-do list also helps you to delegate duties as everyone will know what is expected of them. 
3. Consistent cleaning will prevent clutter and make your house safer. Routine house sanitization and disinfection prevents the spread of germs. Dust is less likely to build up, reducing the chances of allergic reactions and respiratory diseases.
4. A home cleaning schedule can save you from the embarrassment of a messy house, especially when you have unexpected visitors. It is not a nice feeling to apologize for the ‘state of the house’ when company just drops in. 

Basic Cleaning Equipment

Before you begin spring cleaning your home, you will need some products and equipment to help you get the job done right. No, you don’t require a hotel housekeeping trolley, but there are some necessary cleaning supplies you would need to stock up on if you don’t already have them. These include:

• Microfiber cloths or disposable rags
• Scrub brush, scrub sponges and abrasive scrub pads
• Mop and bucket
• Extendable duster
• Toilet brush 
• Grout brush or an old toothbrush
• Lightweight vacuum 
• Rubber gloves
• Indoor broom (if you have a balcony or patio, have a separate broom for that area)
• Dustpan 
• Squeegee 
• Plunger
• Stovetop scraper – only for flat-glass ceramic cooktops

Cleaning Products You Can Purchase for Your Home:

• All-purpose cleaner – these are generally mild solutions used to remove grease and dirt. They can be used on a variety of surfaces such as stovetops, countertops, and sinks. It is good to note that all-purpose cleaners are not disinfectants. 
• Disinfectant – This is essential for the kitchen and bathrooms. These should be left on the surfaces for at least 5 minutes before wiping them off to kill germs.
• Tile and grout cleaners – Scrub free solutions are the better option for shower tiles and bathtubs as they will not eat through the enamel. 
• Wood cleaner – This should match the type of wood you have in your house to maintain its appearance. 
• Glass cleaner – A no-streak or streak-free glass cleaner will give you the best results.

If you are not a big believer in commercial cleaning products, there are several things around the house that can be substituted for cleaning supplies. 

The Best Way to Maintain a Clean House

It may sound like a daunting task, but a daily home cleaning routine will ensure that you are not living in a never-ending mess. This little known secret to keeping a clean home goes a long way. When you get into a daily cleaning routine, you will find that it takes just about 15 minutes a day to get your house in order. 

Before we get into the daily cleaning checklist, there are a few tidy habits you could start on:

• Make your bed as soon as you get out of it.
• When you take off your clothes, either hang them if they are still clean or drop them in a laundry hamper.
• Try your best not to leave dirty dishes in the sink before you go to bed.
• Use wet wipes to clean bathroom counters and sinks after use.
• Keep kitchen counters free from appliances to make wiping down easy.
• Teach kids to put away their toys before they go to bed.
• Squeegee the glass walls after a shower to prevent stains.

Daily cleaning checklist

Your daily cleaning schedule should tackle the areas in your home with the most traffic. This includes the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms. 

Kitchen:

• After your last meal, load dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
• Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down kitchen counters, dining table, and food preparation surfaces.
• Sweep and mop dirty floors.
• Clean the coffee maker.

Rooms: 

• Straighten up the living room – fold blankets, tidy up remotes, magazines, or paperwork.
• Wipe down tables in the living room, playroom, or home office.
• Make beds and collect dirty laundry.

Bathrooms: 

• Wipe down the exterior toilet, sink, and bathroom surfaces.
• Squeegee shower walls.
• Fold or hang towels.

Weekly cleaning checklist:

Having a weekly home cleaning checklist can help you knock down one household task every day. This way, you do not get overwhelmed by a load of laundry or a messy kitchen. 

Mop up Mondays

After all the weekend activities, you would like to start the week with a clean home. Dedicate Mondays to moping and vacuuming:

• the entrance hallway 
• family room
• stairs
• corridors 
• bedrooms 
• bathrooms 
• kitchen

Be sure to go under the dining table to collect any crumbs that may have fallen there. Keep this weekly mop up to areas that can be easily accessed. 

Scrub down Tuesdays

A day of pulling out those gloves and dealing with the bathrooms. 

• Scrub and sanitize the toilets, bathtubs, showers, sinks, and counters. 
• Plastic shower curtains and bathmats can be sprayed with disinfectant. 
• Change towels and do an inventory of toiletries. You do not want to run out of toilet paper. 

Wipe away Wednesdays

• Using an all-purpose cleaner and microfiber cloth, wipe away any dirt or smudge from the kitchen sink, stovetops, faucets, counters, and backsplash. 
• Wipe down the exterior surfaces of the microwave, oven, coffee maker, toaster, fridge, blender, mixer, and other kitchen appliances.
• Dust and wipe furniture; lamps and lampshades, picture frames, windowsills, doorknobs, light fixtures, ceiling fans, and vents. 
• Wipe the TV, entertainment system, and remote controls. 
• Dust off cobwebs and clean mirrors. 

Throw out Thursdays

Organize your home by getting rid of unwanted, outdated, or expired items. You can start with the fridge and move on to the medicine cabinet. Throw away junk mail, newspapers, old make-up, and lotions. Chuck out clothes with holes that you know you will not mend or craft projects from 10 years ago. 

If you have not used something in your house for the past two years, then there is the likelihood that you will not use it this year. Ridding your house of old, unused items every week will not only create space for other important things, but decluttering also gives you peace of mind. 

Fold it up Fridays

As the week comes to an end, the laundry basket should have filled up pretty well. Friday is a good laundry day. 

• Soak your whites separately as well as clothes with tough stains. 
• Strip the sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, kitchen, hand, and bath towels and throw them in the washing machine. 
• Fold, iron, and put away clean laundry.

Pet-friendly Saturdays

If you have furry friends in your household, you can make use of Saturday mornings to show their living spaces some love. Empty the kitty litter box and scrub it with soap and water. Do not use any chemical cleaners such as bleach or ammonia because certain chemicals can be harmful to cats. Felines are also very picky and sensitive to smells. Any chemical odor may make a fussy cat have a bathroom break on your freshly cleaned carpet.

Saturday’s are also a great day to change the bedding for dogs and caged animals. If you have fish, doing a partial water change for the aquarium will keep them swimming happily.  

By following this weekly home cleaning checklist, your weekend should be free to enjoy with friends and family in a squeaky-clean home.

Three Months Spring-Cleaning Checklist

Every three months, we recommend that you set some time aside for a thorough, top to bottom, house spring cleaning. Understanding that not everyone can spring-clean like maid service, we suggest that you dedicate a specific section of the house for this particular task. You can work through the kitchen at one time, the living room, and bedrooms the next time and attack the bathroom last, then rotate. This way, you will not get tied down cleaning up for hours, and you can concentrate your effort on one cleaning duty.

Kitchen checklist

Refrigerator

Clear out your kitchen area because you will need space. 

• Take out everything from the fridge first. This includes the shelves and drawers and wash them in dishwashing liquid and warm water. Rinse and wipe dry. 
• Using a microfiber cloth dipped in warm water and baking soda, wipe inside the walls and floor of the refrigerator, as well as the top and outside. You can use a stainless-steel cleaner if that is what your fridge door is made of. 

Food inventory

• Take an inventory of items that need to be eaten soon, thrown out, or restocked before putting things back in the fridge. Do this with food in the freezer as well as the pantry.

Oven

• Using an oven cleaner and a cloth, wipe away any grease, grime, residue, or crusts from the door and inside the oven. 
• Clean the rangehood to remove any grease as this can be a fire hazard. 
• Clean the oven racks in dishwashing soap and hot water. 

It is good to note that oven cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can irritate. You should protect your hands with a pair of gloves and safety glasses for your eyes.

Microwave

• Clean the inside of the microwave by mixing a quarter cup of vinegar with one cup of water and boiling it in the microwave for 3 minutes. When the walls are all steamed up, wipe them with a clean cloth. 

Dishwasher

• If you start to smell something foul coming from the dishwasher, put one cup of vinegar and another bowl with baking soda on the top rack, and run a normal cycle.

Living room and bedroom checklist

Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in: 

The Complete Living Room Cleaning Checklist

The living room is one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s where you relax, entertain guests, and spend time with your family. However, because people use it so much, it can be one of the most challenging rooms to keep clean. This is especially true if space is limited, like in a small apartment in San Francisco, CA, or a condo in Seattle, WA. From dusting to vacuuming to deep cleaning, there’s a lot to do to keep your living room looking its best. 

• Vacuum all carpeting, upholstery, and area rugs. Don’t forget to get behind large pieces of furniture and under couch cushions.
• Take down and wash curtains, drapes, duvets, comforters, pillows, and cushion cover
• Dust and wipe down window blinds, windowsills, air vents, doors, walls, and molding
• Use a glass cleaner on the windows and glass cabinets
• Dust the smoke alarm and check the batteries
• Change your air conditioning and vacuum filters

Sparkling bathroom cleaning checklist

If not well looked after, your bathroom can become a good host for nasty fungi. Mildew and mold thrive in dark and damp environments. Discourage unwanted bathroom guests with these bathroom cleaning hacks. 

• Clean and disinfect the trash can with a cleaner that can kill bacteria and neutralize odors. Rinse it and let it air dry in the sun to prevent mold.
• Disinfect the toothbrush holder – most of them are dishwasher friendly. 
• Check the label on your shower curtain or liner and see if it can be run in the washing machine. For plastic shower curtains, you can soak them in water and vinegar and hang them out to dry. If the time has taken its toll, replace your shower curtain. 
• Wipe or vacuum the inside of drawers and cupboards. Put new lining in drawers.

Shine your porcelain throne both inside and out

Using a disinfecting spray, spritz the entire toilet, inside, outside, at the back of the base, under the seat, and the wall behind. Let the cleaner do its magic for at least 5 minutes. Wipe the exterior of the toilet from top to bottom with a paper towel. Use a stiff-bristled toilet brush to scrub under the rim and inside the toilet. Flush to rinse.

Annual house cleaning checklist

Good news – there are some areas of the house that can remain overlooked for a year. Having said this, you still need to have a go at them as they are essential for the overall upkeep of your home. 

• Clean and organize the garage and basement.
• Clear out gutters.
• Clear out chimney and fireplace.
• Special projects – Declutter, donate or sell any clothes, shoes, toys, sporting equipment, gadgets, or things you have stored in the house that you have not used in the past year.

When to call the experts

Starting a home cleaning routine when your house is already ‘too far gone’ can seem hopeless. Spekless House Cleaning is here to help. In just 60 seconds, you can book a quality cleaning appointment through our online and digital communication platform. 

You can choose whether you would like a standard cleaning to get you started on your way to maintaining a home cleaning checklist, or you prefer a deep cleaning where we get under every nook and cranny. We can help you create a house cleaning schedule and checklist that will work around your needs. 

We’ve got your back, so you don’t break yours while trying to keep a clean home.

Have you ever wondered to yourself how some people always seem to maintain a clean home? They’re so busy, yet their home is so clean. And some of them even have children running around it. It almost seems impossible. How do they do it?

If you’re wondering that, you’re also probably wondering how you, yourself can maintain a clean home. Well, you’re in luck. Today we’re discussing 12 habits to help you do just that. Because that’s really what it’s all about. It’s less about maintaining a clean space and more about maintaining a good habitual routine. 

How to maintain a clean home

1. Always put away your laundry 

Making sure you put your laundry away when it’s finished is a really important component to maintaining a clean home. Often times people who lead busy lives tend to get in the habit of leaving their clothes in the basket or in piles on the floor. But when you actually take the time to put your clothes away you give yourself an opportunity to build better habits and keep your space clean and clear of clutter.

2. Only keep the things you need

One thing to do when you’re trying to build better cleaning habits is to go through everything you have and organize. Make sure you only keep the things you absolutely need and discard the things you don’t need. Marie Kondo creator of the KonMari Method explains a simple method of decluttering your life by removing the things that don’t bring you any joy and only keeping the things that do.

3. Minimize the paper clutter (go paperless)

A great way to maintain a clean home is by utilizing the paperless system. So often we see people with piles and piles of mail on the counters and checklists in their offices. The great thing about going paperless is that it works for almost everything these days and it’s environmentally-friendly. You can set most of your mail to be paperless and you can organize your files online in a cloud-based storage platform like Dropbox. 

4. Dust weekly 

Have you ever noticed someone’s home is so clean there isn’t any dust? That’s because they’ve mastered the art of weekly dusting. Getting into the habit of dusting your house weekly is the key to maintaining a clean home. Once you get into a routine, anything less just simply won’t do. Put on some feel-good music and swifter as you go. 

Plus dusting your home on a weekly basis doesn’t just keep your home clean, it also keeps the allergens away and increases proper airflow. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, dusting may be more beneficial than you think.

5. Wipe all surfaces after every use

One sure fire way to ensure you maintain a clean home is to wipe down all household surfaces after each use. This is a fantastic habit for any homeowner to adopt. Keep disinfectant wipes in each room so that when you’re finished with a task you can easily wipe and go. Of course, this may not be necessary for every single thing you, it’s important to get in the habit of doing it.

You can also keep a can of environmentally-friendly disinfecting spray in certain rooms (like the bathroom) so that you can easily just spray and go. This will help you stop the spread of germs and diminish the growth of unwanted bacteria throughout your home.

6. Make your bed every day

Another great way to help you maintain a clean home is to get up and make your bed every single day. Making your bed is a good habit to adopt not just for the cleaning aspect of it but also for the mental aspect of it. When you get up and make your bed in the morning, there’s a feeling of accomplishment that comes with it. A feeling of content and peace washes over you. It makes you feel like your life is together even when it’s not. 

7. Have a designated place for shoes & coats

A lot of times when we come home from a long day at work, we get in the door toss our shoes to the side and throw our coat on the first couch we see. But taking just two extra seconds to put your shoes in a designated spot and hanging your coat in the closet or on a coat rack goes a long way. A good thing to remember here is aces in their places. When you put things in their place it doesn’t leave room for clutter. 

8. Don’t leave dishes to pile up in the sink

When you walk into a well-maintained home one of the first things you may notice is that their sink probably isn’t filled with dishes. It can be hard to want to do the dishes after a long draining work-filled day. Especially if you don’t have a dishwasher in the house. But letting them pile up isn’t the answer. Instead of letting the dishes overflow, wash the dishes as you go. 

Remember how we talked about wiping down surfaces as you go? The same principle can be applied to the dishes. When you’re finished with a cup or a plate clean it. If you need to let something soak in hot water, fill it up immediately to let it soak so when you come back to it later you can rinse it and let it dry.

9. Create a chore list

A weekly chore list works regardless of whether you live alone or not. If you have a family or roommates, then that’s great. You can split the list up evenly among the other people. But if you don’t a chore list will help you hold yourself accountable for the things that need to get done around the house. And it serves as a great reminder. You can even have fun with your chore list and buy a printable off Etsy to help inspire you to to do your chores. 

10. Use the right products & chemicals

It’s really important when you’re trying to maintain a clean and healthy environment, that you use the right products and chemicals around your house. There are some cleaning products that can actually do more harm than good. Certain products cause allergens, dust buildup, and damage to surfaces throughout your home. So when you’re trying to keep a clean space, you really want to invest in products that are going to do the job well and keep you and your family safe at the same time.

11. Read cleaning blogs

Reading cleaning blogs are a fantastic way to maintain a clean home. Cleaning blogs (like the Spekless cleaning blog) are a great resource to inform and inspire you to get up and clean on a regular basis. You’ll learn easy tips and tricks to help you clean faster and more efficient and ways to organize your home so that it looks better. 

The best part about reading cleaning blogs is that each one is different. Each blog offers a different outlook and a different perspective on cleaning. By doing this, you’re able to see what works for you and what doesn’t so that you can come up with a routine on your own. Which leads us to tip number 12. 

12. Dedicate your time to a weekly routine

Last but not least on the list of tips to help you maintain a clean home we have dedicating your time to a weekly cleaning routine. Having a weekly cleaning routine is probably one of the easiest ways to keep up with the never-ending chore that is cleaning. And it’s the easiest thing you can do.

Sometimes when people hear the word weekly, the think that their routine has to be this big elaborate scheme in order to clean their house. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your weekly cleaning routine is something that should be tailored to you and your household. So if that means taking out the trash and dusting in one room then that’s what you should do every week. 

But if your home requires a little more work there may be more do to. The good news about that is that when you do have a weekly routine, the cleaning isn’t as bad as it would be if you would have waited. So essentially once you get into a routine it won’t take you long to finish it. And if you do have a house full, you can pull out the cleaning chart and divide the chores among the family!

Tips & tricks to help you along the way

By adopting some of these habits you will be able to maintain a clean home. But not only will you be able to do that but you will also be able to reduce your daily stress level and increase your happiness. Studies show that having a clean house put you in a better mood and elevates feelings of depression.

Before we close here, there are a few extra tips & tricks we wanted to share in order to ensure your success. If you’re having trouble adapting to some of these new cleaning habits you should:

• Hire a professional to give you an initial cleaning
• See what your friends are doing (how do they make it work?)
• Meditate to help you focus clearer and adopt better habits
• Read books & blogs written by professionals who share their secret tips & tricks
• Diffuse essential oils to help you keep clean air and reduce household dust

Spekless House Cleaning

When you make cleaning the house a priority and not a chore, you’ll not only maintain a clean home but you’ll also get more things accomplished in less time. By getting into the groove of cleaning you’ll begin to master the art of it so that you can spend more time doing what you love and less time scrubbing the toilet. It’s really a win-win situation.

But here at Spekless House Cleaning, we understand that not everyone has the ability or the time to keep up on their house cleaning. There are some houses that just need help with it, and that’s ok. That’s where we come in.

Learn more about our cleaning professional and schedule your cleaning today.

There isn’t anything more satisfying than a little spring cleaning around the house. Whenever you’re ready to get things back to the way they were after a long cold winter, just grab out your cleaning basket and begin your spring cleaning ritual.

Pump up the jams because below we’ve listed 15 spring cleaning tips both big and small to help you get your home back to its natural state of being cleaned and organized. 

1. Clean out the drawers

First up on our list of spring cleaning tips is to get organized. In order to get organized, you’ll want to go around and empty out all of your drawers. Make sure that you get rid of anything old or unused before wiping out the drawers with a microfiber cloth and a mild soap.

Then go ahead and neatly fill the drawer with things you are currently using. Do this in the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, the office, and any common areas of the house. 

2. Toss out all the old products

We mentioned this a little bit in tip number one but this also applies to other areas of the house. So the next step in the spring cleaning process is to go around and toss out things that are old or things you aren’t using. One of the main areas you’ll want to look at here is the kitchen working your way through the cabinets and the refrigerator throwing away old and expired food. 

3. Disinfect your devices

Nothing great spring cleaning tip is to make sure that you clean and disinfect all of your electronics and devices. Unless you’re a clean freak and you find yourself wiping these things down often throughout the week you’ll want to do this now. Just take a can of disinfecting dusting spray and a microfiber cloth and work your way through the house wiping down places like the television, the remotes, the computers and keyboards, and anything that you touch.

4. Restore your bookshelves 

If you have a bookshelf in your home or a shelf that could use a little bit of organization, bring your attention to it. Remove everything from the shelves and wipe it down with a duster then place the books back on it in a neat and organized fashion. 

5. Wipe down all the cabinets 

During the winter there are specific things in your house that tend to get neglected. Cleaning the cabinets is one of them. Be sure to go around and wipe down all the cabinets in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room using a cleaning cloth and a mild detergent. 

6. Empty out the diaper bags

One of the fun things about spring cleaning is that it’s out with the old and in with the new. This goes for your diaper bag and purse too. You can either empty out these bad boys before throwing them in the washer and cleaning them or you can resell them and start fresh with new ones for the new year. It’s up to you, but cleaning them out is a must. 

7. Vacuum all furniture 

Not only do you want to make sure that you vacuum all the floors in your house but you also want to make sure that you go through and vacuum all the furniture. Make sure you get in the crevices of your couch, in between your bed, and under any coffee tables. This is to ensure that you get all the lingering dust mites out.

8. Revive the dishwasher

A vital part of spring cleaning is cleaning your appliances. But one appliance that is often left standing in the dust is your dishwasher. Take a cup of cleaning vinegar place it inside and run your empty dishwasher to help get it back to its original clean state. 

9. And the washer

You also want to do this in your washing machine. And if you notice that your washer has an odor coming from it you can add a cup of baking soda to help absorb and kill any bacteria. 

10. Shampoo the carpet and wax the floors 

Once you’ve gone through and vacuumed or mopped all of your floors the next thing you want to do is go through and shampoo the carpets. Or wax the floors. When you go to do this you should make sure it’s the very last thing you do in that room and you should do it on a room by room basis. This is to ensure that you aren’t backtracking and that no dirt gets carried from one place to another. 

11. Clean and clear the drains

For this spring cleaning tip, you’ll want to go around to all the drains in the house and check that they are working properly. If they are you can clean them by pouring a cup of vinegar down the drain and letting it sit before flushing it out with hot water. If the drains aren’t working properly, try cleaning them first and if that doesn’t work then it’s time to call a plumber. 

12. Buff the appliances

After you’ve cleaned all of your appliances you’ll want to go around with a dry cleaning cloth and make sure they’re all nice and shiny. If you have stainless steel or copper appliances using a dab of olive oil on your cloth is a really good method for buffing them nice and shiny.

13. Wipe down the fridge inside and out

A vital part of any spring cleaning tips list is ensuring that you clean out your refrigerator from top to bottom. After you’ve emptied out the fridge and gotten rid of any old or expired food, you want to wipe it out. Wipe down all of the shelves, drawers, handles, and walls inside and out.

14. Don’t forget about your yard work

Spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning the inside of your house. It’s also about making sure things look good on the outside. So don’t forget to go outside for work. Check to see if the grass needs cut or the gutters need to be cleared before you call it quits. 

15. Hire a professional if you need help

If you need any help with spring cleaning your home, hiring a professional can help. Here at Spekless, we can send a professional cleaner to your home to help you with your inside chores. Contact us today for a free estimate and see how we can assist you.

Hiring help for your house can be a daunting and complicated task. It means inviting a complete stranger into your home and trusting them with your belongings. As overwhelming as that may seem, sometimes you just need the help. So what do you do? You find a good housekeeper to help you keep your home in order.

But before you go out and hire just anyone to clean your house, there are a few things you should do first. 

Define your needs

Before you go out and look for a housekeeper start by defining the needs of your household. What kind of things do you need help with? Which rooms need more attention than others? How often do you need someone to come and help you? These are all things you need to sit down and ask yourself before you find a housekeeper.

Do your due diligence 

Whether you choose to use a cleaning company to find your housekeeper or find one that’s independent, you need to do your due diligence. It’s always a good idea, no matter where you find your housekeeper to check their references and reviews before you decided to hire them.

Another thing you’ll want to look for is insurance and background checks. Are they bonded and insured? While most cleaning companies do have insurance, this isn’t always the case for independent house cleaners. It’s important that you have a background check and that the cleaner is insured in the unlikely event that something valuable breaks or something were to go missing. 

So in order to find a good housekeeper for your house, these are things that you need to take into consideration before you hire. It could make all the difference.

Ask and compare rates

Once you’ve narrowed in on a few prospective housekeepers go ahead and compare all their rates. Find out what’s included their services and what’s not based on your needs. Then take a look at your budget and see what works for you and what doesn’t. 

This is also the time for you to ask about any other requests you may have when deciding if it’s a right fit or not. Do you require them to bring their own supplies? What about cleaner, does it have to be all-natural? Find out if these are an option for your housekeeper and if there’s any extra cost that may be associated with extra services. 

Find someone that works with your schedule

Professional cleaning services often offer flexibility with their cleaning schedules. They typically have one-time, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly cleanings. This is something you need to be aware of when searching for a good housekeeper.

Although they might have the perfect rate and fit within your budget, they may not be flexible enough to work with your schedule. You should find a housekeeper who is willing to shuffle things around when you need them too, even if it’s not very often. 

Qualities of a good housekeeper

Now that we understand what it takes to find a good housekeeper, let’s talk about some of the qualities they should possess.

Loyalty

A good housekeeper will be able to stay an extra 20 or 30 minutes (or maybe even an hour) to help you out with some unexpected tasks. You want to find a cleaner who is willing to do that from time to time and who doesn’t cancel on you at the last minute. Loyalty is a key quality to a good housekeeper.

Honesty

Since you’re allowing this person into your home it’s important that you know you can trust them. There could be times where you can’t or won’t be home during your cleaning. So you need to know that you have an honest and trustworthy person inside of your home.

Flexibility

We touched on this briefly, but a friendly reminder never hurts. When looking for a good housekeeper for your home, you need to find someone that’s flexible. Things happen and so you need to be sure that you can count on your housekeeper to shift things around if need be.

Empathy

Since the job of a housekeeper is to clean and organize the house, this means they will have access to your most valuable and personal items. A good housekeeper will be able to take care of these things for you as if they were there own. They won’t be careless but caring with your items.

Need help finding a good housekeeper for your home?

Have everything packed and ready to go? Now you’ve just got to get to your new place and settle in. But wait! You haven’t done any of your move-out cleaning yet. So there are a few things you probably need to go back and check before you leave.

If you put a security deposit down on your place, you’ll need to do a thorough move-out cleaning before turning in your keys and getting some (or all) of your money back. 

The kitchen

Cabinets

Go around and make sure everything is out of your drawers and cabinets. Clean them all out, remove any liners you have in there, and give them a good wipe down. Be sure to look for any caked-on stains or debris and don’t leave anything behind.

Counters

Clean your counters with an all-natural (or green) surface cleaner. Grab an empty spray bottle and fill it with water. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil and a teaspoon of vinegar. Now spray all of the counters and wipe them down removing any or all stuck-on food.

Stovetop/Oven

Scrub off any stuck-on food (use a scrub brush or a putty knife) before spraying the surface with your homemade counter cleaner. Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the surface of the stove or the door of the oven and let it sit overnight before wiping it away and seeing a brand new appliance. 

Refrigerator/Freezer

After you’ve cleaned out your fridge and taken out all of the food go ahead and unplug it before cleaning it out completely. Spray the inside with your vinegar solution and wipe it down using a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Sink

Rinse out the sink using hot water. Spray it down with your vinegar solution. Sprinkle some baking soda down the drain and garbage disposal followed by one cup of vinegar. Now go ahead and give your sink a good scrub while you let the baking soda sit for a few minutes. And then you can rinse the sink again with hot water. 

Floors

Everyone room on your move-out cleaning checklist should finish with you cleaning the floors. The floors are the very last thing you should do in each room before heading to the next. And they should only be done after you’ve got everything completely moved out of that space.

To clean your kitchen floors, you can use an all-natural floor cleaner or you can use the same vinegar solution we’ve been using all along (if you have laminate or tile floors). Using a microfiber mop, go ahead and mop the floors from the inside of the room to the outside of the room.

The bathrooms

Shower/Tub

Create a paste-like solution using baking soda and water and apply it to the surface of your tub or shower. Scrub the solution into the surface with a sponge and spray vinegar on it so that it fizzes. Then go ahead and scrub it a little more before rinsing out the tub o shower with hot water.

Counter/Vanity

If you have any countertops or a vanity in your bathroom be sure to clean out the drawers in them (like we did in the kitchen) and give them a nice wipe down using our all-natural cleaning solution. Dust off any framing on these structures and wipe down the mirrors before calling them complete.

Toilet

Get some toilet cleaner and let it sit in the inside of the bowl. Now taking a spray bottle and a solution of vinegar, two drops of lemon essential oil, and a drop of tea tree oil spray the outside of the toilet. Give it a good wipe down using a microfiber cloth. Make sure you even wipe down the bottom of the bowl and the back of the toilet to ensure that no debris is left behind.

Mirror

Don’t forget about the mirror. Wipe down the outside of the mirror with a cleaning rag to clean up and dust. Spray the mirror with window cleaner, wipe it down and you’re good to go.

Sink

Just like the kitchen sink, rinse it out with hot water, spray it with your solution and sprinkle it with baking soda. Give the sink a good scrub with either a scrub brush or a cleaning cloth before rinsing it out again using hot water. 

Floors

To clean your bathroom floors, you can use an all-natural floor cleaner or you can use the same vinegar solution we’ve been using all along (if you have laminate or tile floors). If you have wood floors you’ll want to use a cleaner made for wood floors. Take a microfiber mop, go ahead and mop the floors from the inside of the room to the outside of the room.

General living spaces/Bedrooms

Light fixtures

Make sure you check all ceiling fans and permanent light fixtures for debris or dust. These should be the first things that you clean in each room since they’re dusty. Clean these fixtures before cleaning the surfaces (countertops, appliances) and floors.

Baseboards

Every room should be checked for baseboards that need to be cleaned. Be sure to go around and clean these before you clean the floors and after you dust in each room.

Walls

You don’t need to get out the surface cleaner and scrub your walls clean but you do need to make sure there are no visible marks on them. Go around and look for holes in the wall or marks that need to be covered up. Get rid of any dust and cover up any marks with touch-up paint.

Floors

To clean the rest of the floors, you can use an all-natural floor cleaner or you can use the same vinegar solution we’ve been using all along (if you have laminate or tile floors). If you have wood floors you’ll want to use a cleaner made for wood floors. Take a microfiber mop, go ahead and mop the floors from the inside of the room to the outside of the room.

Hiring a cleaning service for your move

Need help with your move-out cleaning? Maybe you don’t have time to do your move-out cleaning or maybe it’s just too difficult for you to accomplish on your own. No matter what your situation is, we’re here to help. Contact us today for a free estimate and see how our professional house cleaners can help you.

Are you someone who works a lot but dreads coming home to a messy house? Do you periodically waste your hard-earned money eating out because you can’t face your kitchen long enough to cook? If this is you, you’re not alone. Many people feel this way but think they can’t afford to hire a cleaning professional to help.

So the question remains…

Can I really afford to hire a cleaning professional?

Let’s get real here, sometimes cleaning your home is hard. So hard in fact that the only option you have left is to hire help. But can you really afford it? Would hiring help cost you more than you can chew? 

The cost of a professional cleaner isn’t as expensive as you think. Especially when you step back and look at how the on-demand economy has revitalized the service industry. But if dollar equations don’t do it for you, taking the time to learn that your time is sometimes more valuable than money should.

Sometimes trading a few bucks for more time at work (with friends or family) could be just the thing you need. Hiring a professional house cleaner is more about prioritizing your busy on-demand life and less about the cost effects. 

You can read some of the benefits of a cleaning service here.

Things to consider

When it comes time to hire help for your house, consider asking yourself the following questions:

• Do I enjoy this task or is in fundamental to my household chores? If not you should consider hiring help.
• What else could I do with the time that I spend cleaning each week? Could I be exercising, making more money or enjoying time with friends or family?
• Am I using the time I should be using to focus on my health and well being? 
• Does the cost of a professional cleaner really compare to what I could be doing?

Spekless Professional House Cleaners

Many homeowners aren’t aware of the benefits that a professional house cleaning service can provide to them. They spend a lot of time stressing out about their dirty homes and trying to clean it themselves only to fail in the end. So they hire an individual cleaner to help them and end up unhappy with the results.

Here’s why a professional house cleaner could make a world of difference in your home:

Professional house cleaners have been trained

Having a professional house cleaner come to your house is better than paying an individual housekeeper. This is for the simple fact that professional cleaners have been fully-trained to do the job. Now we’re not saying all individual housekeepers don’t know what they’re doing. But instead what we are saying is that professional house cleaners have been taught how to clean your house from top to bottom. It can make a huge difference in the outcome of the service.

Most of the time they’re bonded & insured

If you’ve properly done your due diligence on a cleaning company before hiring them, the company you hire should be bonded and insured. Professional house cleaning companies are often structured to protect both the employees and the clients. Which means if personal possessions are damaged or the cleaner is injured on the job, the company is liable and not you.

Taxes can be a pain

Paying an individual house cleaner can often times be a pain when tax season comes. If you hire outside help, you may be considered an employer by the IRS. That means that you’ll need to file an I-9 for your cleaner and submit information yearly. You can easily avoid this mess by utilizing the help of a local cleaning company.

Spekless professional house cleaning

Want to hire a professional cleaner for your household? If you’re looking for help you with your home, look no further. We can help. Fill out the form on our website today to get a free service estimate.

Having a home cleaning routine is important for many reasons. It provides order and structure in your house. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. And most importantly, it keeps your home nice and clean.

Why having a cleaning routine is important

It’s important to create a home cleaning routine so that you can have a schedule that works for you and not one that works you. Learning to establish this routine early on will help keep your house clean and keep you on track with your busy life. There are also some really good benefits to having a clean home like reducing daily stress, living in a healthier environment, and increasing your physical activity.

How to build a cleaning routine

Building a home cleaning routine is easy. And just like any other routine, it gets easier the more you practice it. There are a couple of different ways you can build your home cleaning routine such as creating a chart/cleaning calendar and hiring a professional cleaning service to help.

When building your home cleaning routine you want to look at each room individually. Get out the pen and paper and make sure that you list all of the needs of each room so you don’t forget anything. You can always go back later and organize your cleaning routine on a calendar or on an Etsy printable.

Once you’ve done that you can begin cleaning your home. The more you practice your cleaning routine, the faster you’ll get at cleaning your home.

Overview

As you can see, having a home cleaning routine is something that everyone should have. A cleaning routine not only helps you get in the habit of cleaning, it gives you the chance to build a better mindset with a clean home. All it takes is a little bit of planning and maybe a checklist or two before you’ve created the perfect house cleaning routine for your house.

Professional cleaning service

Do you need help with your home cleaning? Our professional house cleaners can help. Here at Spekless, we have trained our cleaners to provide you with the utmost excellent housekeeping experience to fit all of your household’s needs.