While spring often inspires a fresh start, keeping your home clean is important year-round. A clean space not only looks great—it supports a healthier environment and reduces the spread of germs. A clean home can make us feel good during our time indoors and aid in the prevention of spreading germs. Here are some general cleaning tips and tricks to get your rooms looking great.

Understanding cleaning terms

Understand the differences between common cleaning terms to determine how to get rid of germs in your home.

• Cleaning

  involves the removal of dirt, dust and debris from a surface through the use of detergents, water and physical scrubbing. Germs are not killed, but they're removed from the surface being cleaned onto a cleaning tool (like wipes, cloths or paper towels). This helps prevent the risk of spreading. The CDC recommends cleaning a surface before disinfecting in order to wipe away any dirt or debris where germs can hide.

• Sanitising

  lowers the number of germs on a surface to a safe level. Sanitisers reduce the number of microbes on a surface to a safe level (99%), while disinfectants kill practically everything on a surface (99.9%).

• Disinfecting

  kills germs with chemicals to eliminate them on surfaces. Chemicals registered by the EPA that are labelled as a disinfectant or antibacterial product (they are actually one and the same) kill nearly all germs, up to 99.9%, on the surface.

• Antimicrobial 

  claims protection for the surface in order to help inhibit the growth of microbes which may help the surface stay cleaner and fresher longer.

Preparations

So, first things first. In order to make the cleaning procedure as efficient as possible, you need to prepare a bit first. Preparation is often the most overlooked part of cleaning, yet it can save significant time and energy. If your floors and other surfaces are free from stuff before you start, you'll save a lot of time and energy. Use a moving box as temporary storage, instead of moving things little by little. This is also a good opportunity to get rid of some things you no longer need. If an item hasn’t been used in the past twelve months, the chances are you won't use it for the next twelve months either. You could choose to donate these items to charity, try to sell them, or just recycle them to get some more space. Consider donating, recycling, or selling items to create more functional space.

If you have a lot of cords on the floor, the easiest thing to do is stick them together using a rubber band or a string. It makes cleaning the floors a whole lot easier.

Task vs. zone cleaning

Save time and energy with the proper cleaning strategy. Most people clean with a zone mentality, meaning that they move from room to room to get the job done. While zone cleaning works, task-based cleaning can often be more efficient. Clean with a specific task (like dusting, vacuuming or surface cleaning) and do that task throughout your entire home before moving to the next task. This helps you keep moving and stay focused to get the most out of your cleaning time.

Clean top to bottom, right to left

Don’t just attack dirt and grime without a focused approach. Rather than moving randomly through your rooms, use a logical, spatial approach. Start cleaning at the highest points in the room and work your way down. Always finish by cleaning the floors, and that way you can be sure that you get all the dust and dirt hiding in your home. 

No stress when you use an “S”

When cleaning hard surfaces, wipe in an S-shaped pattern. When wiping, move from clean to dirty and do not go over the same area twice. This helps prevent recontamination of surfaces after you’ve cleaned them.

The germiest places in your home

While these cleaning tips & tricks will help keep your home clean and healthy, don’t forget to pay extra attention to areas that are germ magnets:

• Kitchen surfaces (sinks, countertops and sponges)
• High-touch areas (knobs, handrails and switches)
• Bathtubs/shower stalls
• Electronics (keyboards, remote controls, touch-screens and game controllers)
• Washing machines
• Pet items (dishes, beds and toys)
• Floors
• Trash and recycling bins
• Appliance handles and buttons

Chromed details

Chromed details like shower heads, water taps and sinks often get limescale. But by mixing either 1 part lemon juice or 1 part vinegar with 1 part water you’ll get a natural cleaner that works like a charm. Wet your cloth in the mixture, swipe the chrome thoroughly, and put a plastic bag over it for an hour. Then remove the bag, scrub the chrome with a brush and rinse with water. This method helps restore shine without harsh chemicals.