We know that wanting to do something doesn’t always mean being able to do it, and that definitely goes for housework. Between all of your other responsibilities and a short amount of time, getting your whole home cleaned can feel like a big challenge. In those cases, we gotta pick our fights and clean what’s most important. But how to know what to clean first?
This is where our guide comes through, explaining where you should start cleaning first, with science-based whys. Let’s go!
The Kitchen
According to a study done by the USA healthcare organization NSF International, the Kitchen is the most problematic place in the house to find fungi and bacteria, even more than the bathroom, our (spoiler!) next main target for priority cleaning. That problem is connected with the food factor. We store food in the kitchen, we prepare it, and we eat it. That means we will end up leaving crumbs, grease, and whatnot all over the place. The more all of that is allowed to sit around, the more it will result in hygienic problems.
The why is simple: the leftovers lying around will become a feast for other organisms, from pests (such as the insects you would rather not see crawling around your home, much less your kitchen) to bacteria and fungi. The presence of those will lead to potential contamination, meaning you could get food poisoning from your very own kitchen – if it’s been a dirty one for some time.
All of that being said, here’s where you start! (for your own sake)
→ How often should I clean my kitchen?
Ideally? You should give at least a quick cleanup after every time you use it. If that’s not often possible due to you being short of time (we get it), try to give it a proper cleaning at least once a week.
Focus on high-touch areas, such as the table and countertops and spot clean anything that you can notice with grease and other food stains. Don’t forget to vacuum the floor to catch any crumbs!
The Bathroom
Coming in second place, the bathroom! As the place where dejects are made and our bodies are cleaned, the bathroom is a place you cannot overlook. According to a study by Simmons College, we can find more bacteria that cause skin infections in a bathtub than in a trash can. So, yeah, you should clean that more often than you probably are (not if you are already on the schedule for regular cleanings with us).
Talking about something that could be cleaned more, we have the toilet. Maybe that sounds obvious to many, but you should be cleaning the toilet multiple times a week, depending on how many people use it, to prevent bacterial concentration and consequent infections (especially if you are the type that goes to the bathroom with your phone in hand).
→ How often should you clean your bathroom?
Short answer: more than once a week. Long answer? We know reality isn’t always ideal, so we recommend that you try to at least give some attention to the higher touch areas (such as the toilet and counter tops) a few times over the week and a full bathroom cleaning once a week. If that still feels like more than you can do, it’s time to consider having a professional cleaner show up regularly at your home.
The Bedroom
Coming in third, we have the bedroom. Time to show some love to where you sleep! Sleeping for a prolonged amount of time in an uncleaned space will immediately (and very negatively) affect the quality of your sleep, which in turn will affect your whole health and…well, you get the drill.
If you can focus on just two things, we would suggest regular vacuuming and bed changing. Both should be done at least once a week, with more vacuuming sessions per week if you have furry pets. Besides changing your bedding, it’s also nice if you vacuum your mattress with similar frequency (it’s not gonna hurt and it won’t take much time).
Why is it so important to properly clean our bedding and take care of our mattresses and protectors? Well, our beds accumulate dead skin over time as we sleep, and that is a full feast for bed bugs and other organisms. Those in return can be directly linked with allergies and skin problems the longer you take to change your bedding and pillowcases.
→ So…how should I clean it?
Vacuum the bedroom at least everyweek and change your bedding with the same frequency. If you have pets and they sleep with you, giving extra attention to them will be key to keeping up with your home’s hygiene and preventing any sensitivities. For your mattress, you can throw some baking soda over it, let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then vacuum it. The baking soda helps with cleaning up sweat and other things without needing to give your mattress a full wash.
The Entrance Hall
Finishing up our list, let’s talk about the Entrance Hall! As a place of passage, a properly cleaned entrance hall means that less of the outdoor debris will be swept into your indoors, making the overall cleaning all the easier.
Best way to deal with it? Use a broom to sweep any bigger materials from your front door and move in with a vacuum cleaner as you move into the entrance hall. Mop the area afterwards to wrap it up.
→ How often should I clean this area?
Ideally, once a week! (Ideally, your whole home should undergo at least some superficial cleaning once a week) But if you need to prioritize other things, cleaning the area every two weeks will already be helpful to keep the dirt at bay.
If you can spare 30 minutes for some cleaning, dust the hall and other common areas top to bottom and vacuum it after. Wipe the counters and mop the floor to give it a final touch.
And that’s our top four areas you should prioritize when cleaning! Do you want to see more tips like this over here? Leave us a comment!
And don’t forget that, if you need more help with cleaning…
…you know where to find us! Vetter Cleaning is a veteran-owned and Colorado Springs-based cleaning company with 7 years of expertise to make your space sparkle again. With our recurring cleaning service, you won’t need to worry about not having enough time for cleaning your home; we’ll get it covered for you!
We offer monthly, bi-weekly, and weekly housekeeping services so that you can always enjoy a clean home. You choose the preferred time for your appointment and we get you on the schedule so that you don’t even need to worry about making new appointments again. And if your assigned cleaner can’t make it for whatever reason, no worries! As a cleaning company, we have a full team of professionally trained technicians available so we can make sure your home is always well taken care of.
Take a look at what we offer to learn more and see our other services. Pick what works best for you!
Written by
Vetter Cleaning & Maintenance Team.
About the company
Vetter Cleaning is a professional cleaning service located in Colorado Springs, CO. They offer a variety of cleaning services to meet most residential cleaning needs, including recurring maid services, deep house cleaning services, and move-in/out cleaning services.
If you live in the Colorado Springs area, we invite you to request a free home cleaning quote.
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