Here's How Often You Should Clean the Different Areas at Home
Are you cleaning your bathroom too much?
Cleaning is, by far, everyone’s least favorite chore. Nevertheless, it has to be done. Besides the weekly scrubbing of the toilet and daily sweeping and mopping of the floors, there are other parts of our home that need regular maintenance. This can include changing the sheets in the bedroom, replacing curtains in the living area, or washing your bath mats which, we can all admit, are tasks we normally put off until it becomes absolutely necessary to do so.
To keep the home clean, safe, and comfortable, we should really be mindful of how often we clean every nook and cranny of our spaces. Bacteria can spread easily and we don't want it to take over the areas where we sleep, bathe, and eat. How often should you clean the bedroom and bathroom? Let these tips guide you:Â
Bedroom
The bedroom is a haven for pesky dust mites so cleaning regularly is the trick to avoid getting bed bug bites. Our sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers should be changed and washed every two weeks or less, if permissible. If you share the room with your pets, washing every week is better. Even if they are protected by covers, you shouldn’t forget to wash your pillows and duvets as well. Although not as frequent, you should run then through a cycle at least every month to get rid of any nasty grime that’s seeped inside.
Finally, your mattress should be deep cleaned every two months. If it has a protective cover, throw that in the washer. You can clean your mattress by spraying on detergent mixed with water then sprinkling on some baking soda. After which, you can vacuum the entire thing and finish it off with a dust mite spray. Better yet, seek professional cleaners that can steam vacuum the mattress including your pillows (and other upholstery too).
Bathroom
We all know that our bathrooms—shower, sink, tile, and toilets—should be scrubbed every week. But what about our mats, shower curtains, and towels? These items in our bathrooms actually need the most attention because they’re mostly damp which makes them a hot breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
Believe it or not, towels should actually be switched up after every three uses because we scrub off most of our dead skin cells on them. But if you hang them properly in a dry, well-ventilated space, you can hold off for a week. Bath mats should also be washed every week since they’re not able to air out after every use. Shower curtains should also be cleaned on a weekly basis.
Kitchen
Besides the monthly kitchen scrub down, there are some places in our kitchen that need more frequent cleaning. Sponges, for example, should be cleaned after every use. Don’t expect that just because you used dishwashing soap on it, it would come out clean after. After scrubbing your last plate or dish, make sure to wring out excess soap and water, scrub it with a cleaning soap, wring it again, and leave it in a place where air can circulate. Sponges need to dry thoroughly. Also, they should be replaced every 2 weeks.
To avoid plumbing problems, our drains should also be cleaned regularly. Every week, flush it with a pot of boiling water. Then flush the drain with vinegar, baking soda, and boiling water every month. Countertops and backsplash should be cleaned every day. Grout, especially, is porous and can absorb all the oil splashes from the kitchen so regular cleaning should be considered.
Living Area
Dusting and sweeping are all good and well but don’t forget to clean those easy-to-forget nooks and crannies. Window screens and curtains/blinds should be vacuumed once a month to avoid dust build up. Similarly, ceiling and floor fans should also be dusted off but instead this should be done weekly. Rugs and upholstery, if possible, should be steam cleaned by professionals every month. If this is not possible, a good vacuuming will do just fine.
