Many of us will spend most of our time at home during winter as we try to escape the cold and wetness of the outdoors. Indeed, it’s the perfect season to relax and lounge around, with a warm cup of cocoa in our hands and a good book or movie to keep us company.
In winter, it pays to ensure that your home is clean and cosy enough for you and your family to enjoy your time indoors. Here are some cleaning tips that you can follow to keep your home tidy, safe and healthy all winter long.
Clean the air ducts – consider a professional duct cleaning service!
During the warmer months, your home would have accumulated dust and dirt that came in through open doors and windows. Air ducts are no exception. Chances are, thick layers of dust and allergens have settled in the air ducts that not only affect the indoor air quality, but also prevent your heating system from running efficiently.
To ensure that air ducts are thoroughly cleaned, consider getting a professional duct cleaning service. Calling in the experts to get the job done gives you the peace of mind that the air ducts are both cleaned and sanitised. The result? Healthy and warm air for you and your family throughout winter.
Leave dirt outside the house
One of the best ways to maintain a clean home in winter? Keep the dirt out. We might unknowingly bring dirt and grime inside the house when we bring our shoes indoors. This is particularly problematic if you have carpetted floors.
When dirt settles into your carpet, it not only soils and wears down the carpet fibres, it can also potentially affect indoor air quality as dirt is grinded between carpet fibres and eventually turn into fine dust. To encourage family and guests to remove their shoes before entering the house, have shoe racks where they can leave their shoes. Then place a basket by the doorway that has indoor slippers and thick, warm socks ready for when people enter the home.
If your carpet needs a deep clean, don’t wait for spring to book a professional carpet cleaning service. Learn about the benefits of winter carpet cleaning in this article.
Vacuum furniture, including the underside
It’s so comforting to lounge around on the couch when it’s cold and raining outside, but it may not be so cosy if the couch is dusty. To give your furniture a good clean, vacuum them including the underside. Tilt upholstered chairs and couches all the way back to expose the bottoms. The dustcovers tacked underneath furniture can collect dust bunnies, so vacuum them off, being careful not to press too hard on the fabric.
Wash and disinfect trash bins
If you’re staying indoors a lot, you want to house to smell good, right? Then make sure to wash and disinfect trash bins. It would be better too if this is done before the start of winter.
Take the bins outside where you can blast the insides with a garden hose, then add disinfectant. Regular bleach is an effective disinfectant. For a more eco-friendly solution, use undiluted hydrogen peroxide or vinegar mixed 50/50 with water. Be careful not to mix hydrogen peroxide with vinegar — the result is harmful peracetic acid.
Let the bins sit for an hour with the disinfectant solution, then pour out the contents and scrub the insides with a stiff bristle brush to remove any residue. Rinse and, if possible, let them dry in direct sunlight, which helps eliminate bacteria.
Deep clean your oven
What’s your favourite comfort food in winter? For many of us, it will include a lot of baked and roasted dishes which means we may be working our oven more than usual.
If this is the case for your household, then make sure you set time to clean your oven. A lot of baking and roasting can tend to make our ovens dirtier quicker. Instead of going for a commercial cleaning product that may contain harsh chemicals, try some good old baking soda. Spray the interior of the oven with water, coat it with a thick layer of baking soda and leave for a few hours. Then, wipe off the baking soda paste and you’ll see all the nasty grime come off with it.
Clean your windows
Did you know that dirty window glass cuts daylight by 20%? That’s not any good, especially in winter when many of us might be looking forward to any light we can get.
Clean your windows inside and out with this homemade non-toxic solution: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon eco-friendly dish detergent, and 2 cups water. Wipe windows clean and polish using microfiber cloths.
Use your time indoors to de-clutter
You’ll be spending a lot of time at home, so why not do something productive like de-clutter? This might be a good time to sort through your pantry and throw away food stuff that have been sitting there for a while. Or perhaps you can look at organising your closet.
If you have a lot of mail and bills littering the house, you can use this time to switch your accounts online. Contact your insurance company, bank, utility/service providers, and anyone else who is still sending you mails through post and ask them if there’s an option to receive mail, statements, and bills via email instead. Going paperless not only reduces your paper clutter, it’s environment friendly too!
It would help if you have diligently cleaned your home in preparation for the winter months, but it’s never too late to get some cleaning done! If you need help cleaning during the winter season, don’t hesitate to call in the experts. Wizard is a professional cleaning company that offers steam carpet cleaning, couch and mattress cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, and duct cleaning. Call us on 0438 554 830 and book our professional cleaning services for a thoroughly clean, healthy and comfortable home all winter long!