While spring owns the market on seasonal cleaning, it’s actually better to give your house a deep clean during winter. Why? Because people spend more time indoors, which causes more germs to accumulate. Also, dryer winter air leads to more dust and can cause more fire hazards within your home. The best winter cleaning tips keep your home free of dust and germs (and in prime condition to allow you to frolic outdoors come spring).
Clean the HVAC
Your heating and air condition units funnel a lot of dust, debris, hair, etc. through them. During winter (and summer) the HVAC unit works even harder, which means if the HVAC isn’t clean, more dust circulates. To reduce the circulation of dust in the winter, you should swap your filters at minimum every three months. The U.S. Department of Energy says that this can lower your home’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
When it comes to how to clean the HVAC, it’s really best to hire a professional. Not only does a thoroughly cleaned HVAC improve your home’s energy efficiency as noted above. Professionals do things that regular homeowners can’t line clearing out arcane places within your home’s HVAC. This not only improves your system’s airflow (and thus the economics of heating and cooling your home), but it can also remove debris and allergens that get trapped throughout the year.
Vacuum the Blinds & Wash the Curtains
Dust settles everywhere in the home. Your window treatments (blinds and drapes) are not immune. While it might not be obvious to the naked eye, your blinds and drapes probably have a fine coating of dust layered over them.
Even though you’re not throwing the windows open when it’s below freezing outside, your home’s overall ambiance and air quality will thank you when your window treatments are clean. If you’re wondering how to clean window treatments, it’s not hard.
· You can take curtains down and wash them (unless there are specific instructions for handling them otherwise).
· Blinds can be dusted and / or vacuumed.
· Blinds can be mopped or washed with a cloth. Make sure to get both sides of the blinds.
Wash the Windows
While you have the blinds raised and the curtains in the wash, wash your windows, too. Windows get dusty on the inside and moldy on the outside. They need regular treatment. Windows can easily be cleaned using water and a small quantity of dishwashing detergent. All you need is a cloth, a water bucket, a spray cloth, a microfiber towel, and a window scrubber brush.
Dust & Wash the Walls
Did you know that you can (and should) dust and wash the walls of your house…the interior walls? This lesser-known winter cleaning tip is a gem because most people don’t do this (because they don’t know that they can). As with cleaning blinds and windows, it’s easy to learn how to clean walls.
· Dust the walls with a dry Swiffer sweeper; you can get cobwebs and layered on dust easily this way.
· Wash the walls with a gentle sponge, warm water, and a mild non-abrasive cleaner. If your walls are painted with something other than latex paint, conduct a Google search to determine if the agent you’re using is safe.
This type of cleaning treatment will go a long way in getting allergens out of your home and keeping you and your family healthy. Oh, here’s a free winter cleaning tip…while you’re dusting the walls, go ahead and hit the ceiling fans. Even if they’re constantly moving, they get dusty!
Clean Behind the Refrigerator
Another of the winter cleaning tips that has to do with getting dust out of your home is to clean the areas around major appliances. Appliances in need of winter cleaning include the refrigerator, the washer and dryer, the oven, the water heater, etc. These appliances accumulate a lot of dust on tops of hosing, coils, ducts, etc. If sparked, these layers of dry dust become major fire hazards.
A long-reaching duster and vacuum with an extension can help you get behind, under, and around these heavy appliances.
Deep Clean Carpets, Rugs, and Furniture
While there’s no limit to the deep clean your home could use (always a good reason to hire a cleaning company), one thing that’s a must-do in winter is steam cleaning carpets, rugs, and furniture. No doubt these items saw more traffic than usual during the holidays from people being off work and out of school and having visitors.
This leaves a lot of dust, dirt, and germs. Dangerous germs and dirt can also get integrated into these surfaces because fabric surfaces tend to acquire and hold allergens, dirt, and germs longer.
Thankfully, there’s not much to vacuuming the floors and furniture and to renting a steam cleaner to get it ultra clean. If that seems cumbersome, there are many companies willing to come out and to perform this service for you.
Getting these chores done in winter will make a huge difference in you and your family’s overall enjoyment of your home while you’re stuck indoors during winter months, and getting major chores done ahead of spring will allow you to open your squeaky-clean windows and to enjoy spring.
Thus, the best winter cleaning tips are the ones that get your home clean now rather than waiting for later. It’s easy to keep your home in great shape once you learn how to clean (and who to hire to help!).
These winter cleaning tips will help you get your home free of dust and allergens that keep people feeling sick and tired during the cooler season. If you need help getting your home cleaned this winter, contact us at Advanced Cleaning Service. We professionally clean residential homes and commercial properties.