House and Apartment Cleaning Can Be Easy

Focus on Top to Bottom Home Organizing and Storage

Oct 1, 2009

Everyone is concerned about cleaning up something--the environment, the economy and the political system. Don't forget the place that is the closest--the home.

The first step to successful house or apartment cleaning is to categorize. Split things into several groups that you label necessary, expendable and unknown. Keep all necessary items by placing each one in a proper location for neat storage and quick retrieval.

Discard or donate the expendable items. While many charities no longer will take bulky items or electronics such as televisions and computer screens, many household items from sheets to children’s toys are needed. Make sure they are in acceptable condition and work without needed repairs. If not, then discard in the trash or determine if items can be taken to the recycling center in town.

Sort the unknown into either of the first two categories. Go ahead and create an undecided group, but don’t let that area become too large. Try to place most items into the first two groups.

Stop Piling On

Piling magazines on top of mail and then on top of phone messages and then on top of last week’s tuna sandwich is not a good idea. Get items off tables and chairs. If a small piece of furniture has become a magnet for piling on, then get rid of the furniture. This will make it difficult for items to begin building piles. Instead, place each item where it belongs.

Communications Center

Establish a home communications center. Find a location, most likely in the kitchen, for all the daily messages. Have a basket for the day’s mail, place a calendar on the wall, have a bulletin board next to the phone and have paper and pens for messages. This also may be a good place to hang all the car keys for easy accessibility.

Cleaning Tools and Strategy

Choose the correct mops, brooms, cleaners and polishes for the jobs. Place them in a handy location. Review frequently the ability of each tool to do the job, even down to the smallest sponge. Some sponges should be used for wood tables, others for counter tops and even others for scouring pots and pans.

When cleaning around the home, break down the overall task into a number of small tasks. Instead of becoming overwhelmed about cleaning the entire apartment or house, concentrate on one room and then break that down to sections within that room.

A good idea is to clean from the top to the bottom. In a house, that means starting from the top room and working down to the basement. In an apartment, that might mean working from the room on the right to the one on the left. Within a room, start with items near the ceiling and work down to the floor. Dust first and vacuum last. Carry everything that might be needed in a bucket for quick access.

Don’t forget to delegate. This office strategy also works at home. Others in a household should be assigned tasks for the big cleanup, or for the ongoing maintenance chores. Once the overhaul is completed, then regular maintenance will reduce the number of future full-blown cleaning jobs.

The copyright of the article House and Apartment Cleaning Can Be Easy in Home Organization is owned by Mike Virgintino. Permission to republish House and Apartment Cleaning Can Be Easy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.