Nowadays, people have become more conscious of not only themselves and how they interact with others, but also of how they maintain their homes.

Given the outbreak and the lockdowns worldwide, people have realized just how important it is to have proper cleaning etiquette as you go about life. It’s easy to say that cleanliness helps keep you healthy, but this fact is even more apparent now.

Given all the free time that people have as they are staying at home, this is the best opportunity to do some rigorous cleaning around the house. There are a lot of simple cleaning activities that one can do that will not only clean the home but also help kill viruses while you’re at it.

Here are six of these activities that you should apply to your home, whether or not you’re in quarantine:

1. Dust your house

You must dust your house before you start cleaning everything thoroughly. After all, dust can irritate your nose, whether you’re allergic to it or not.

You can end up sneezing, which is not the ideal thing to do right now, even when you are at home. Therefore, one of the first things you need to do is to dust your house.

When dusting your home, you should know that feather dusters don’t remove dust effectively. It spreads the dust to other surfaces and can cause micro-abrasion on your furniture.

Instead, you should use a damp cloth to wipe dusty surfaces. The wetness will make the dust cling to the rug more instead of falling on you or floating in the air.

2. Clean furniture fabric

Furniture is not something that you clean regularly, so you should use this free time to clean them out.

Your couch, for example, probably does not receive as much tender loving care as other parts of your home do. Hence, you should pay special attention to the couch fabric and clean it out.

However, we always advise our clients at Maid Sailors to vacuum the couch first before wiping it clean. That way, any dust or dirt is not seeping into the sofa instead of going away when you rub or scrub it.

If there are any stains that you need to take care of, you can create a simple cleaning solution. Mix a tablespoon of dish soap and a tablespoon of vinegar into two cups of water, and then you can use this solution as a spot cleaner.

3. Wipe mirrors and glass

Your mirrors and windows should also receive some attention when you’re cleaning your house.

There are a couple of pointers that you need to remember when cleaning your windows. However, one misconception that people have about cleaning windows is that they think they should do it right when it’s bright and sunny.

What people don’t know is that it’s much better to clean your windows when it’s more downcast or when the sun isn’t going to bear down on the windows. That’s because the water and cleaning solution won’t dry out immediately, leaving hard water stains.

Thus, you should avoid cleaning your windows or mirrors when it’s bright and sunny out.

4. Clean surfaces

In this particular time that we are experiencing, it is much more crucial to clean surfaces.

You should set up a routine that everyone who lives in the house can follow once they come home. First, make sure that you wipe any common surfaces. Doorknobs, switches, faucets, counters, cabinet handles, and so on are some of the common surfaces to take notice of.

Remind everyone to wash their hands every time they come home. Tell them to leave their shoes somewhere near the door and not bring dirt into the house.

Remember to keep your home stocked with soap at the very least.

5. Clean the kitchen and bathroom

Your kitchen and bathroom are key areas in your home. One is where you prepare food and the other one is where you sanitize and clean yourself. Therefore, you should prioritize the cleanliness of these rooms.

In the kitchen, make sure that you clean out the refrigerator real well. In the bathroom, remember to stock up on soap.

6. Sweep the floor

Sweeping the floor is a frequent cleaning activity that you should be doing in your home. At the very least, you should do it once every three days (and this is being very lenient).

As soon as you start seeing build-up, sweep the floors immediately. Mopping, on the other hand, is something you can schedule as a once a week cleaning activity.

What Supplies to Use

You don’t need to be fully-equipped with fancy cleaning tools to kill the viruses in your home. All you would need are several essentials:

• Vacuum cleaner
• All-purpose cleaning solution (commercial or homemade)
• Several rags or cloths
• A mop
• A broom
• Disinfectant

Having a clean home is essential now more than ever. All homeowners should learn how to practice better cleaning habits in their home so that they and the people they live with live a happy and healthy life.

You can start by applying the regular cleaning habits above in your home, and you should be alright. Remember to stay safe and to keep things clean!