Apartment living is becoming increasingly popular. But just because an apartment is smaller than a house, you can’t do without cleaning it carelessly. There are plenty of deep cleaning steps to make your apartment look more spacious.
Getting rid of dust and dirt will add sparkle to your apartment. Read on for expert tips on deep cleaning.
A top-to-bottom approach
Cleaning an apartment may seem daunting at first, but the rewarding results make it worth the effort. In small homes, taking the time to lighten up the space creates a more spacious atmosphere. If necessary, consider renting an off-site storage facility for your excess furniture and belongings.
Whether you’re deep cleaning an apartment before moving or cleaning your home again, you should start at the top. Why? Gravity. When you dust and scrub from the top down, dirt and debris will fall onto the walls and subfloor that you haven’t cleaned yet.
Start by dusting the ceiling fan, ceiling corners, and overhead lights. Work your way down the walls and finish with the floors. To clean floors, stand in the doorway and work your way outward so that you don’t track dirt across the floor area you’ve just cleaned.
How to deep clean your apartment?
You'll need to stock up on all-purpose cleaners, microfiber cloths, and paper towels to clean your apartment. Read our comprehensive guide to brightening up your home. Here are the best cleaning tips to improve your apartment or home.
Step 1: Wipe ceiling fans.
You should start at the top and work your way down to the floors. Ceiling fans and light fixtures are a great place to start. You can easily miss the tops of ceiling fans and lights during regular cleanings—they don’t get much attention. But they can accumulate a lot of dust.
Turn off the fan and wipe down the ceiling fan blades. Use a pillowcase to collect any dust and debris. It’s best to clean fans once or twice a year. You should follow the same approach with light fixtures.
Step 2: Vacuum each corner.
Corners of rooms are notorious for gathering dust, spiders, and debris. You may need to move furniture, but cleaning your apartment properly is worth it. Plus, who knows what you’ll find behind the couch?
Use your vacuum’s crevice tool to clean dirt in corners and along baseboards. Don’t forget to vacuum the corners between cabinets and permanent fixtures.
Step 3: Clean the faucets.
Deep cleaning means deep cleaning. While you may not consider your faucets particularly dirty (you may not even think about it), you will notice a difference when you clean your house.
You should descale your faucets and shower heads with vinegar. While you should try to do this monthly or every other month, it’s okay to treat it once a year with a spring cleaning. Use an old toothbrush to give your faucets a good scrub. Or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it around the faucet to soak it and kill mold.
Step 4: Clean cabinets and drawers.
Empty your cabinets and drawers one by one. Then vacuum the inside and wipe it down with a damp cloth and disinfectant wipes. Do the same with the outside of your cabinets, wiping them down with furniture polish for an extra shine.
As you go through your cabinets and drawers, consider whether you need to keep all your belongings. As humans, we love to store things. However, apartment living isn’t for those who hoard. If you come across anything you haven’t used recently, consider donating or giving it away.
Step 5: Sanitise trash cans.
Hopefully, you’ll clean your trash cans more regularly than your annual spring cleaning. It’s an easy task that can be added to a deep clean. Wipe down and sanitize trash cans, recycling bins, and wastebaskets with a strong cleaning solution.
To do this job thoroughly, take them outside and give them a squirt of dish soap or detergent. Use a strong hose to clean the insides properly.
Step 6: Wipe down electronics.
TVs, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices attract germs, dust, and dirt. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning electronics with harsh cleaning solutions like rubbing alcohol, as this can cause more harm than good.
Use a gentle disinfectant to wipe down all screens and electronics. Vacuum away dust from TVs and gaming stations.
Step 7: Clean out your fridge and freezer.
No one likes to open the fridge to find old food and bad smells. While it’s best to empty your fridge regularly and not leave expired food in for long periods of time, you still need to deep clean your fridge and freezer twice a year.
Unplug the freezer and defrost it. You’ll know it’s time to defrost when the ice builds up to more than 1 cm. Wash the rubber door seals and the inside of the fridge and freezer with soap and water and disinfectant, including the interior shelves, drawers, and walls. Dispose of expired food.
While the fridge and freezer are unplugged, use a vacuum to remove dust and dirt from the condenser coil and outside.
Step 8: Deep clean the closets.
Clean out your closet. Take everything out and decide if you’ll wear it or use it again. If not, donate it. As you’re taking everything out, dust the corners. You may want to cover the shelves and walls with vinyl or decorative paper—this makes cleaning easier and covers up any splatters or mysterious marks.
Step 9: Scrub the stove.
Whether your stove is stainless steel or ceramic, it needs a thorough cleaning. You should wipe it down regularly after use. Remove the pot grates and soak the stovetop in hot, soapy water at least once a month.
If you have an electric oven, detach the coils for easier cleaning. Some stoves and ovens have a slide-out tray underneath to catch food. Remove it and scrub it thoroughly. Clean all surfaces, knobs, hood fan, and filter with a soapy sponge.
Step 10: Replace the toilet seat.
Cleaning your toilet seat once a week is a good idea. But, if your toilet seat is a few years old, left over from the previous tenant or experiencing drain blockage issues, consider replacing it. Toilet seats are relatively inexpensive, so do you and your guests a favour with a new seat.
Step 11: Clean windows.
Use glass cleaner and a rubber glove to clean your windows. You'd be surprised how much bright windows can impact your home's interior design. Apartments are small by nature.
Letting in light will make the space feel more spacious. If you're on the ground floor, consider washing the outside of your windows as well.
Step 12: Eliminate foul odours.
If your apartment smells like cigarette smoke or has a stench that you can’t get rid of, trying to mask the smell with flowers won’t work for long. Sure, fresh-smelling flowers will brighten up your home, but you need to address the root cause.
Wash the walls and ceilings with a mixture of white vinegar and water to get rid of stubborn odors like cigarette smoke. You can also leave baking soda in small bowls around the room or sprinkle it on the floor. Baking soda absorbs bad odors. Wash any curtains or upholstery thoroughly.
Step 13: Make the floors shine.
Finally, deal with the floors. Different types of floors require different methods. If you have carpet, you can vacuum hard floors and quickly remove the dust. If you have carpet, vacuum and mop them once with a lint roller.
This is especially important if you have pets who are prone to shedding. You’ll need a stronger cleaning solution for stubborn stains, like red wine on a white carpet.
To remove red wine from carpet, apply a solution of water and salt and let it sit overnight. In the morning, scoop up the mixture and vacuum it up. You may need to call in a professional if it doesn’t work as a magic eraser.
Summing up
By breaking down deep cleaning into manageable tasks, creating a routine, and maintaining order, you can effectively prevent dirt and grime buildup, ultimately saving valuable time and energy.
As you continue to perform your cleaning duties, you will discover new joy in the process and reap the benefits of a fresh and attractive home environment.
