With the popularity of Marie Kondo’s Netflix show and the nationwide craze of “tidying up” in full swing, a lot of people are deep-cleaning their homes like there’s no tomorrow. For most of us, this kind of sweeping home cleaning job is a once-, maybe twice-a-year undertaking. But the reality is that there are a bevy of home maintenance tasks that you should be doing on the weekly, not just for the sake of cleanliness, but also so that your appliances, floors, and fixtures receive preventative maintenance and the costs of replacement before it’s their time.
Hunt for Mold
Mold is bad for the health of your household residents. It can make chronic conditions like asthma and allergies much worse, as well as cause coughing and sneezing in otherwise healthy individuals. Mold grows fast, so it’s important to stay vigilant and keep an eye on damp environments like your laundry room and bathroom(s). For optimal, mold-fighting results, you should wash your shower curtain and/or liners at least once a week.
Dust and Vacuum
No matter how scrupulous you are about people removing their shoes when they enter your home, there’s no doubt that your floors get gross over time. Food crumbs, dead skin cells, decomposing insects, and other nastiness that gets tracked in from the outside can all build up, making your floors and surfaces a safe haven for germs. Fight back by thoroughly dusting and vacuuming at least once a week. A wet rag or electrostatic cloth make the best dusting tools, as they do not spread the germs around.
Clean the Fridge
This is one of those that most of us seriously do not attend to often enough. Raise your hand if you have leftovers rotting on a back shelf, decomposing vegetables, random splashes from fruit punch that your kids spilled, or other mystery stains on the bottom of your fridge. Not only is a dirty fridge unsightly and probably malodorous, but it’s also costing you money. Without a clear view of the whole space, you can’t see for certain what you are out of and need to purchase. This can lead to you missing ingredients at dinner time, or buying more than you need. You can wipe down the shelves with a gentle all-purpose cleaner and a soft cloth, or use a small amount of Soft Scrub to attack particularly sticky areas.
Make Mirrors and Windows Shine
When you commit to cleaning your mirrors and windows once a week, the job becomes easier. You can use dryer sheets that have already been through a load to wipe hard water spots and soap scum off your bathroom mirrors (and it works for your shower unit as well!). For windows, using a coffee filter to wipe them clean with Windex will give you streak-free shine.
