Keeping the house clean is very important so that you and other family members can always be comfortable doing activities in it. A clean house also helps you and your family stay healthy. Actually, there is no specific way or method to clean the house.
However, there are a few tips that can help you make this activity easier. Come on, see the guide to cleaning the house properly below!
How to clean the house so that it is free of dust and dirt
Actually, what are the characteristics of a clean house? Here are 10 principles of a clean and healthy home:
- ventilated,
- safe,
- free of contamination or pollution,
- maintained,
- temperature is maintained,
- easy access, and
- affordable.
Often you are confused about where to start when you want to clean the house. Indeed, there are no definite rules for cleaning which part first.
However, it will be easier if you know how to clean the house depending on the part of the house.
In addition, small habits such as removing footwear and implementing a house cleaning schedule are no less important.
Here are various house cleaning tips that you can do.
1. Clean the bathroom
The toilet is the main part as well as the source of germs and bacteria in the bathroom.
In fact, when you use a flush, bacteria and germs will fly in the air.
To fix this, clean the door handles, faucets, and all surfaces in the bathroom using a disinfectant liquid.
In addition, to keep you clean when you go to the bathroom, provide a mat to help dry your wet feet after using the bathroom.
Open doors and windows when the bathroom is not in use so that there is a change of air in the bathroom.
If there is a sink and shower in your bathroom, regularly clean the glass and faucet with vinegar and wipe with a clean rag to remove mold, bacteria, and germs.
Don’t forget to change all the fabrics in the bathroom, such as the towels you use, the curtains you use in the bathroom, if any, and the mats you use in the bathroom.
2. Washing clothes every day
Even though it feels heavy, actually washing clothes every day is much lighter than piling them up on the weekends.
The reason is, the number of clothes you wash every day will certainly not be as much as you wash on weekends.
In addition, this will become a habit that makes it easier for you to keep the house clean.
Why is that? Because the dirty clothes in your house are washed every day.
Meanwhile, if you wash once a week, your dirty clothes will accumulate for a whole week.
If you’re planning on doing a thorough cleaning over the weekend, washing piles of dirty clothes during the week can be overwhelming.
Therefore, it would be better if you get used to washing clothes every day.
3. Cleaning the kitchen
One of the tips to keep the house clean and healthy is to clean the kitchen area properly.
Some things you can do to keep the kitchen clean are as follows.
• Clean all surfaces located in the kitchen using a disinfectant.
• Clean the refrigerator by removing any leftover food so it doesn’t smell bad.
• Clean the trash until it is completely clean each time you dispose of its contents. Even if you have covered it with a plastic bag, it is not uncommon for the plastic bag to leak and leave residual dirt in the trash.
• Replace the dishwashing sponge with a new one regularly. Sponges can be moldy because they are too often exposed to water and food residue when used.
• Separate cooking utensils for vegetables and for meat, especially the cutting board you use for chopping raw vegetables and meat.
Separating cooking utensils between vegetables and meat can reduce the chance of bacterial contamination of the meat from sticking to the cutting board used for cutting vegetables.
In addition, to keep animals such as cockroaches and mice from wandering in the kitchen area, you can take the following steps.
• Avoid storing food in the kitchen and always clean the kitchen area from food. If it’s late, store leftover food in the refrigerator so you can eat it the next day.
• Take daily kitchen waste out of your home. If this is not possible, cover the kitchen waste so that animals such as cockroaches and mice can’t rummage through it.
• Always clean wet and leaky areas. If your kitchen faucet is leaking, fix it immediately. Always make sure your kitchen area is not wet because dirty and wet areas invite them to come.
• If you have done everything but the cockroaches and mice keep coming, set a trap.
4. Cleaning the bedroom
The next tip to keep the house clean and healthy is to be diligent in changing bed sheets.
Even though you always wash your feet and hands before going to bed, it’s not enough to guarantee the cleanliness of the bed.
Because, dust and bed bugs can live in your bed if you allow germs and bacteria to stick and multiply there.
Not only that, to keep your mattress free from fleas, you should cover mattresses, pillows, and bolsters using a special plastic mattress to prevent fleas from sticking.
You can also dry the pillows and bolsters occasionally as part of cleaning the sheets.
Also clean mattresses that are not covered with plastic using a vacuum regularly.
If the room has air conditioner or AC, you are also required to clean the air conditioner regularly.
This is important to prevent germs and dust from nesting in the air conditioner so that it affects the air quality in the room.
Don’t forget to also keep the room clean so it’s free from dust and try to keep your bedroom from getting damp.
5. Clean the floor of the house thoroughly
You may sweep and mop floors every day, but what about areas that are covered in furniture and other objects that are difficult to move?
This area is what you should pay attention to cleanliness. You may rarely clean an enclosed area due to difficulty moving objects or furniture that gets in the way.
Clean areas that are full of piles of stuff because generally these areas have a lot of germs, bacteria, and dust.
Cleaning this area can make your home cleaner and healthier.
Don’t forget to also check the gaps between furniture or items that you usually forget and take for granted.
If it is difficult to clean using only a broom and a mop, feel free to clean this area with a vacuum cleaner for better results.
6. Cleaning the closet
You certainly use a lot of cupboards to store different items such as clothes, shoes, bags, to cooking utensils in the kitchen. However, how often do you clean it?
Tips for cleaning the house so that the cupboards in it are clean and healthy for you are to take the following steps.
1. Remove the contents of your closet so that all parts of the closet can be freely cleaned.
2. Use a rag and cleaning liquid to clean the entire cabinet area until it is completely clean.
3. Spray the surface of the cabinet using a disinfectant.
4. Dispose of objects that are not used in the cupboard. If kept stored, these objects may be able to give rise to mold, bacteria, dust, and germs.
7. Take off your shoes when you want to enter the house
When you are outside, you may not notice that your shoes or footwear have stepped on a lot of dirty things.
Even if it’s not wet or invisible, germs, bacteria, and various other dirt will definitely stick under the footwear you use outside.
If you don’t take off your shoes when you enter the house, the dirt that sticks out will also dirty the floor of your house.
To get around this, you have to make a habit of taking off your shoes every time you enter the house to keep yourself and your home clean.
This should also be applied by other residents of the house.
That way, you will feel lighter when you want to clean the floor because you and the occupants of the house have minimized the dirt that enters the house.
8. Clean the house for 15 minutes every night
Before going to bed, invite the entire household to clean the house for 15 minutes.
Focus this house cleaning activity on areas that are really important to clean. Cleaning them together will certainly lighten your load.
In addition, this habit can help reduce your burden because this activity is very effective in helping you keep your house clean.
By doing it every night, the dirty areas in your house are reduced.
So, when you want to clean the house as a whole, it doesn’t take you long because the area that needs to be cleaned is not too much.
Avoid the following mistakes in cleaning the house
Everyone has different cleaning habits.
Some of them range from wiping displays and furniture, cleaning bathrooms, to sweeping and mopping floors.
However, whether you realize it or not, the following little things you may have done while cleaning the house.
In fact, these things should be avoided, so as not to pollute the house further.
• Vacuuming with a dirty vacuum cleaner.
• Use one rag to wipe the entire house.
• Place the toilet brush in its container when it is damp or wet.
• Do not spray disinfectant or cleaning liquid onto the cloth, but directly onto the surface of the object
• Clean or wipe from the bottom up.