A Guide to Restoring Your Home’s Clean Appearance

Whether you just bought an older house or you’ve been a homeowner for years, you might feel it’s time to give the space a fresh, new look. This doesn’t require a costly remodel—in fact, you might be surprised what you can achieve with a deep cleaning. So, roll up those sleeves and follow these ten steps to refresh your home’s interior aesthetic.

1. Table of Contents

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   Declutter Your Space

You’ll notice the mental health benefits of a clean home as soon as you remove piles of junk. Everything should have its place, so discard it if you can’t determine where to store a particular item—or if you haven’t used it in at least six months.

2. Polish All Glass Surfaces

Each glass surface in your home needs a thorough cleanse and polish. This includes all window panes, mirrors, glass collectibles, and ceramics. Some of these items have small, hard-to-reach crevices where dust collects, so use a damp cotton swab to clean more effectively.

3. Dust Ceilings and Moldings

Use a duster with an extending arm to clean the ceiling, the tops of fan blades, light fixtures, and HVAC registers. Dust the moldings where your wall corners intersect, too.

4. Scrub the Walls

Clean, fresh walls mitigate the need to repaint them later. Some blemishes, such as nicotine stains, require special treatment methods, so research how to tackle those problem areas ahead of time. To remove other scuff marks, stains, and blemishes, scrub hard with a soft sponge or a brush with smooth bristles that won’t strip the wall varnish.

5. Clean Tiles and Grout

The tiles in your kitchen and bathroom need extra attention. Grout collects grime and moisture over time, creating the ideal environment for mold growth. While many products are available to sanitize your tiles, check with the installer or manufacturer first, as some chemical solutions could damage the surface of those tiles.

6. Wash Cabinets and Shelves

While you’re in the kitchen and bathrooms, don’t forget about the cabinets. Remove everything from your cabinets and wipe the insides with warm, soapy water. Then, thoroughly dry each cabinet surface to prevent mold or rotting.

7. Wipe Down Appliances and Fixtures

Sinks, toilets, showers, bathtubs, refrigerators, and microwaves can be dirt particle magnets. To clean these appliances and plumbing fixtures, use a mixture of dish detergent and warm water or look for a specially formulated cleaning solution. Clean the insides first, so you’ll catch any water stains or cleaning solution residue when you move on to the exteriors. Don’t overlook the tight spots behind these fixtures, either.

8. Mop or Vacuum Floors

Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, for instance, to clean your carpets and rugs, followed by a brush to clean corners that a mop can’t reach. As with any other cleaning task, you can find green cleaning practices to clean tiles or hardwood floors. Eco-friendly products and filtration methods will help create a sustainable living space without toxic chemicals.

9. Empty the Trash Cans

After deep cleaning your home from top to bottom, you’re bound to have accumulated several bags of trash—but leaving these inside the house will just give dust particles and other debris the chance to spread all over again. Your home isn’t clean until the trash is removed, so take it out as soon as possible to finish the job.

10. Be Proactive: Create a Reliable Cleaning Schedule

Now that your entire home is fresh and sparkling, you’ll want to keep it this way. That’s where a cleaning schedule comes in. Most homes only require a semi-annual deep cleaning, but you might want to do it more often if clutter or contaminants interfere with your efforts.

Of course, you don’t have to deep clean every week, but you can perform some light housework each weekend. This will help you minimize clutter or debris between deep cleanings so you can reap the rewards of a well-maintained home all year.