There are so many cleaning chores to do at home. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you may be doing things wrong. The key to efficient and successful cleaning at home is creating a regular schedule. If you want your house to be constantly clean and learn how to maintain it that way, you should find out which chores need to be done weekly, monthly or annually. While some of them must be tackled on a weekly basis, others don’t need to be. Creating a schedule for that will help you get everything done on time and help you create the neat and clean household you deserve.
In this article, we will share the main chores that need to be done on a monthly basis. Keep reading to find out what they are and add them to your monthly routine.
1. Dust all hard-to-reach areas
If you already have dusting in your weekly routine, you are probably tackling the main surfaces, tables, shelves, etc. However, there are some hidden spots in your house that you probably ignore. Those would be ceiling fans, tops of cupboards and doors, framed pictures, bulbs, and light fixtures. Do this once a month and you will notice a decrease in the amount of dust in your home.
2. Dust and clean your vents and HVAC filters
If you have not taken care of your intake and outflow vents for your heating and cooling system recently, you may be spreading dust and grime throughout the air of your house. Cleaning those will not only improve the air quality altogether but also help your HVAC system work better and live longer. Once a month, remove vent covers and vacuum both sides of them. While you are at it, check your filter and clean or replace it if needed.
3. Dust and wipe down your walls
While dusting your surfaces once a week is enough to reduce the amount of dust inside your home, it is not nearly enough to remove it completely. In fact, dust is able to build up on vertical surfaces, as well as on horizontal ones. If you look closely at your walls, you will notice that they may actually be fuzzy from all the dust that sticks to them on a daily basis. Dust them with a duster and wipe them down with a damp cloth once a month. Make sure you also take care of the door frames, window frames, and staircases.
4. Clean your furniture
You will be surprised by the amount of dust and grime that your furniture can collect in a month. You should vacuum your upholstery weekly. However, in order to prevent odours from settling in your furniture, you can sprinkle baking soda on it once a month. Let it sit for several hours, then vacuum it. Also, wipe down all your wooden furniture with good quality furniture polish to remove sticky grime and dirt. Treat leather pieces with a leather conditioner once a month to keep them in good condition and prolong their life.
5. Clean your windows
Clean windows will improve the sunlight inside a room and make the whole place look cleaner and neater. It is important that you wash your windows internally and externally once a month. Use a good quality window cleaner and a microfiber cloth for a streak-free finish and spotless results. You can also tackle your mirrors while you’re at it. Wipe down your window sills and frames as well.
Extra tip: It is highly recommended to hire a cleaning company to clean your windows if they are difficult to reach and dangerous to clean yourself.
6. Clean your curtains, blinds, and shades
Curtains, blinds, and shades collect a lot of pollen and dust, especially if the weather is warm and you keep your windows open a lot. It is important that you vacuum and dust them thoroughly, at least once a month. You can simply vacuum them, or remove them and dry clean them if needed. If steam cleaning is suitable for your curtains or blinds, you can try that too.
7. Clean your drains
Drains can become clogged and smelly over time. Once a month, disinfect your drains, especially the ones in your shower and kitchen sink. You will cut through grease, soap scum, and other grime that may be causing the bad odors. You will also help your drains run smoothly. Pour ½ cup of baking soda down your drain and follow by 1 cup of vinegar. Let that sit for a bit, then pour several cups of boiling water down your drain.
8. Wash your garbage bins
Same as drains, garbage bins can become quite stinky over a month. Even if you regularly dispose of the garbage inside, it is still common that your bin starts smelling (especially the one in your kitchen). Give them a good wash with warm soapy water once a month. Wipe down the interior and exterior with a disinfectant spray. To prevent bad odours from coming back, sprinkle some baking soda at the bottom of your bin. You can also place lemon or orange peels.