How to clean your new home

A new home is like a blank slate, ready for you and your family to make it your own. Unfortunately, no matter how tidy the previous tenants were, there is often dirt and dust left behind. Doing a thorough deep clean can help your new house feel like home faster. The following tips can help you clean your home when moving into a new space.

1. Clean before you move in
Whenever possible, try to schedule time between getting the keys to your new home and moving in. This gives you the space to easily clean without bumping into furniture and moving boxing; likewise, it ensures the house is clean and ready to immediately start unpacking when the moving truck arrives. While having a few days as a buffer allows you time to shampoo carpet and repaint walls, often as little as a couple of hours is needed to deep clean kitchens, bathrooms, and floors.

2. Clean high, then low
Ceiling fans, shelving, and overhead light fixtures are notorious for collecting dust. Clean these high fixtures first as they often lead to dust and dirt falling onto the surfaces before. Cleaning a particularly dirty fan? Try slipping a pillow case over each fan blade to trap escaping dust.

3. If you haven’t moved in yet, start with the bathrooms
Cleaning bathrooms has a focus on disinfecting. Skip mild cleaners and reach for antibacterial sprays and bleach instead. Whenever possible, purchase new toilet seats for every toilet in the house; this small expense helps the bathrooms feel refreshed – and ensure the toilet seats are truly clean. Hard water stains on faucets? Try rubbing down the metal with a fresh lemon. The acid from the lemon can break down calcification from hard water and help the metal shine.

4. Already moved in? Start with the refrigerator
When cleaning post-move, start by sanitizing the fridge; this ensures you have a clean place to store all your perishable food items. Begin by removing shelves and drawers before cleaning them with soap and water. Inside the fridge, white vinegar can be used as a food-safe cleaner to wipe down interior surfaces. Have a sticky stain that won’t come off? Try pouring a small amount of boiling water onto the spot; this, in combination with a little elbow grease once the water has cooled, is often enough to remove stubborn spots in the fridge.

5. Go room by room
Clean the rest of the house going room by room. Don’t forget about places that are often overlooked, such as the tops of doors, light switch covers, and closet interiors. Avoid washing windows during full daylight; instead, wait until evening to ensure you get the best view of grime, dirt, and streaks on the glass.

6. Finish with floors
The last step in cleaning your new home should be sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping floors. Want a deeper clean than your vacuum can provide? Consider renting a steam cleaner from a local home improvement store. This can be particularly helpful for those with respiratory issues such as allergies or asthma; steam cleaning carpets, especially when there is no furniture to work around, can remove a majority of allergens from carpets and rugs.