New Year's crafts

How to do general cleaning in the house. How to clean faster. Bathroom and toilet

General cleaning is a responsible event that needs to be carried out at least 2-3 times a year. If you wish, you can restore order before each holiday or important event.

Preparation

Many people wonder where to start spring cleaning so as not to miss anything. Experienced housewives and cleaning company workers suggest starting with the simplest steps:

  • dry clean everything outerwear, and then put it in the closet and hang special moth bags;
  • if necessary, take your shoes for repair;
  • sort through cosmetical tools and household chemicals, throw away products that have already expired;
  • go through all the books, newspapers, notes, throw out everything unnecessary.
In addition, it is worth deciding in advance whether the interior will be updated. If yes, then you need to select new furniture, purchase lamps, and think about rearranging.

Planning

An important point is planning general cleaning. The easiest way is to create a list of essential tasks in advance. Most often this includes the following items:

  • wipe the cornices, mezzanines and cabinets;
  • clean windows and radiators;
  • remove cobwebs and dust;
  • if necessary, paint peeling areas and glue up any falling wallpaper;
  • wash all lighting fixtures, switches and sockets;
  • and so on household appliances;
  • clean carpets and upholstered furniture;
  • polish all glass surfaces and mirrors;
  • wash the tiles;
  • review the contents of all shelves and cabinets, throw out unnecessary things;
  • review all the dishes, throw out the cracked ones, and wash everything else;
  • wipe the floors throughout the house;
  • wash the tulle and curtains.

Cleaning in all rooms

In order not to forget anything or lose sight of anything, you need to clean all the rooms in turn. Most often, order is restored first in large rooms.

  • Living room, bedroom, study, children's room

These rooms are the most difficult to tidy up. Cleaning them will require a lot of effort and time. First, you should remove the cobwebs from the ceiling and corners. After this, you should move the furniture to the center of the room to thoroughly wash the floor, as well as the baseboards.

You need to remove dust from upholstered furniture and carpets using a vacuum cleaner. Other items should be wiped with a damp, clean sponge.

The next stage is washing windows, glass and mirrors. They also need to be polished. This also applies to varnished surfaces.

The last thing you need to do is arrange the furniture in its place and hang the curtains. Only after this can you move on to the next room.

  • Bath and toilet

You need to start cleaning the bathroom. This will require special disinfectants that will help get rid of germs and restore the plumbing fixtures to their former shine.

During cleaning, all jars, tubes and bottles must be placed in a large basin and taken out of the room. This will make it much easier to wash all the shelves and remove plaque from the surface. When everything is clean, you can carefully wash the bottoms of the jars and tubes, and then put them in their places.

In the bathroom, you need to thoroughly wash the mirror, stand for toothbrushes and soap. It is also worth changing all the sponges, the shower curtain and the toilet brush.

  • Kitchen

During spring cleaning, it is very important to clear the kitchen of various contaminants and bacteria, .

The best place to start is with the windows and curtains. After this comes the turn of all the drawers and shelves with dishes, kitchen utensils and products.

All this needs to be taken out, sorted out, washed or thrown away if necessary. Useful little things It’s worth putting them in one box so you don’t lose anything.

The next stage is considered the most labor-intensive. So, you need to thoroughly wash the baseboards, sink, stove and other household appliances in the room.

It is necessary to use the best detergents, otherwise the cleaning process will take a long time. When all surfaces are washed, all that remains is to wipe the floor and put everything in its place.

  • Hallway

The hallway and corridor are cleaned last. Usually there is almost no furniture or interior items. Therefore, it is enough to brush off the dust and thoroughly wipe the floors using any disinfectant.

Errors

Of course, there is no single set of rules associated with performing general cleaning. Everyone does it differently. However, there is a whole list typical mistakes, which significantly complicate putting things in order.

  • Unsystematicity

Some housewives start cleaning several rooms at once. This usually happens when it comes to general cleaning of an apartment after renovation. You shouldn’t take on several things at once, because 3-4 hours will pass and the result will not be noticeable.

It is necessary to think through a work plan in advance. Some housewives prefer to move from the front door deep into the apartment, others start from the largest or dirtiest room. Also, if desired, you can resort to various systems. For example, it could be FlyLady.
  • Cleaning alone

Many women are accustomed to cleaning up their apartment on their own. If we are talking about general cleaning, then after a few hours fatigue will accumulate.

Morale will also deteriorate significantly. Because of this, some people neglect cleaning, while others work carelessly.

In order not to spoil your mood and achieve the desired result, you should enlist the help of family and friends. All assistants must be given specific instructions. As soon as one task is completed, the next task can be announced.

  • Lack of inventory

Some housewives use only a broom, sponge and rag the old fashioned way. Of course, this is economical, but in this case the cleaning will take several days. It's best to get special devices. Also, do not skimp on detergents.

  • Rejection of other people's experience

Various recommendations, which today are fashionable to call life hacks, help make life easier. Any housewife should carefully study the advice and learn from the experience of others. Thanks to this, you won’t have to spend a lot of precious time washing equipment and various surfaces.

  • Cleaning only on pre-arranged day

There is an opinion that general cleaning should be carried out in spring and autumn. In fact, you shouldn’t wait until it becomes impossible to move around the apartment.

It is best to clean when dirty. In this case, during general cleaning, all that remains is to sort through all the things, brush off the dust and, if desired, update the interior a little.

  • Cleaning as punishment

Many people have been convinced since childhood that cleaning is very hard and unpleasant work. Alas, you still need to clean up your apartment, so it’s better to treat such a task as a game. For example, you can come up with comic tasks or organize a quest in which the main prize is a clean apartment.

During spring cleaning, various chemicals and strong detergents are often used. They can negatively affect your health, so you should wear gloves. Also, when working with aerosols, you must not forget about a respirator.

So that general cleaning goes faster and brings only positive emotions, it’s worth planning everything in advance and asking your family for help. You should not put off this event until the last minute, because the sooner you start it, the faster the apartment will appear clean and tidy.

It's so nice to come home and have a feeling of cleanliness. Even if the guest who enters will feel comfortable staying in your home, you, as a housewife, can feel if your home is not as clean as you would like. Such feelings are always justified, however, you can’t do without cleaning the house and every time you ask yourself the question of how to do general cleaning of the house, where to start?

Cleaning the house is a task for the whole family

Unfortunately, in our society it is generally accepted that cleaning the house is a purely female job. But if we take into account that a woman has the responsibility of preparing food for the whole family, taking care of children and very often also working in production, then it is fair that the whole family will be involved in general cleaning.

Everyone should have their own responsibilities in the house. A man can keep his garage tidy without cluttering it. Who will make sure that the garbage is taken out on time and that the desks are not “overgrown” with unnecessary papers? What will the children be responsible for? When starting cleaning, it is necessary to discuss these issues, then working together will be a joy. The bottom line is that spring cleaning your home starts with good planning and assignment of responsibilities.

The main thing is to start

You do some cleaning every day without thinking about where to start. Washing the dishes, the sink, wiping the kitchen floor, keeping the toilet and washbasin clean - this is the daily minimum that is necessary in every home. When doing spring cleaning, you don’t need to go to the point of fanaticism, trying to do everything in one day. You can start by saying that you:

  • Get rid of unnecessary things. Look through the drawers to see if there is anything in there that you no longer use or even forgot about their existence. Don't regret it, get rid of what you don't need. This saves time. You don't have to move objects from place to place, let there be more free space.
  • Of the remaining things, review those that have been lying around without proper attention. Some blankets and bedspreads and pillows you won't throw away, but they can lie for a long time not washed. Pillows can be dry cleaned. The blankets do not have a shabby appearance, because... They are used in duvet covers, but it is necessary to shake them free of dust. Bedspreads are also dust collectors and need to be washed at least once every six months and dumped weekly.
  • After you have vacated the apartment, remove all curtains and curtains. While they are being washed, wash the windows, baguettes, remove cobwebs from the ceiling and wash the chandeliers. If the house has blinds, you can also remove them and soak them in water and shampoo and wash them after some time after they have dried.
  • Have one of the family members vacuum the carpets and all upholstered furniture, wipe off the dust and polish the rest of the furniture. If old stains are not removed by polish, you can mix salt and vegetable oil. Leave this mixture for 2 hours, then wipe with a dry cloth. And burdock oil in combination with cologne will make your furniture shine. When the windows, baguettes, and cornices are already clean, we move slowly downwards.
  • Now you need to remove dust from the baseboards and corners. We should not forget about the batteries; they need to be washed with a cleaning agent, and hard-to-reach places can be reached with an old toothbrush.
  • Switches, sockets, door handles are small details that are easy to forget about, but if left dirty they will spoil the whole appearance. They are also often touched by hands, so they can be washed with bleach. The next step is to wash the floor with a cleaning product. And then again, but this time dry. This type of cleaning needs to be done in every room and hallway.
  • Wash all doors with soapy water.
  • During this time, the curtains have already been washed. Take them out of the car and hang them while they're still wet. This way they will smooth out on their own and you won’t have to waste time and effort ironing them.
  • If there are flowers at home, they also need to be put in order. Put them in the bathtub and give them a shower. Wash the leaves thoroughly; a lot of dust always collects on them. After the excess water has drained, place the flowers on the clean windowsill. Cleaning out living rooms is not the worst thing. The worst is yet to come.

Cleaning the bathroom and kitchen

  • Clear all shelves of vials and bottles. If necessary, they need to be wiped. Wash the vacated shelves. Inspect the bottles with their contents to see if there is anything in there that should have been thrown in the trash long ago. Do the same with hopelessly expired cosmetics.
  • We rub the cleaning product on the tiles, sink, toilet and bathtub. Leave the product on for a while, according to the instructions, and only then rinse with water. The space between tiles is most often contaminated. It can also be washed with a used toothbrush.
  • Special attention Pay attention to cleaning the toilet: thoroughly wash the circle both from the outside and from the inside. Use an unnecessary toothbrush to go through those places where your hand cannot reach. And by the way, don’t forget to wear rubber gloves so that the acid doesn’t corrode your skin. Remember that toilet and sink cleaner is not suitable for bathtubs and faucets. Therefore, read the instructions carefully.
  • Lastly, clean the mirrors. The bathroom is ready.

We move on to the “female kingdom” - the kitchen. There is a lot of work here. You can spend a whole day cleaning just one kitchen. A whole kitchen story hidden from prying eyes– shelves, drawers, and dishes in them require perfect cleanliness. Without the help of her family, it will not be easy for the housewife. So:

  • First of all, we empty the drawers of kitchen utensils. In order not to waste time and energy on washing dishes, it would be good if the dishes were always clean. Then you won’t have to soak it all in water. All that remains is to wash the drawers, wipe them dry and put all the dishes back. Children can easily handle arranging the dishes.
  • And at the same time, check to see if there are any old and stale cereals in which midges have infested.
  • Treat the stove, hood, and microwave in advance with an anti-grease agent, and wash them completely after cleaning the walls.
  • I wash the tiles using the same principle as in the bathroom. If it is washable wallpaper, it also needs to be refreshed with water and detergent, and then wiped dry.
  • The refrigerator also needs to be washed. Having previously defrosted it, wash all the shelves and drawers. Since this is a food storage area, don't take any chances with cleaning supplies. You can just dilute vinegar in water. This way you can be sure that the family will not be poisoned. You can also wipe the dining table with vinegar, not necessarily only on days of general cleaning, but also at the end of each day. By the way, vinegar diluted with salt does an excellent job of removing rust. When defrosting your refrigerator, make sure there are no frozen fruits and vegetables in the freezer for the winter. If there are winter preparations there, then you will thoroughly clean the refrigerator when there are no perishable foods. Activated carbon will help get rid of unpleasant odors in the refrigerator.
  • If medications are stored in the refrigerator, they also need to be reviewed and expired ones should be thrown away. Such an inspection of the first aid kit should be done frequently, no matter where the medications are located.
  • Finally, wash the floors, hang the curtains and, as a final touch, hang up clean kitchen towels.

Your family has coped with the general cleaning of the house. Now with a feeling of accomplishment, you can relax a little and admire your perfectly decorated living space.

For almost every woman and girl, general cleaning of the house is a complete nightmare. However, do not despair, because spring cleaning can be made much easier. Below is an algorithm for carrying out general cleaning, containing 10 points.

Rule one: you need motivation

Tested: it’s easier to start cleaning and not leave the race ahead of time if you read before starting work. Namely, magazines about interior design and renovation.

After viewing the pictures, you will want, if not to move to equally clean and stylish rooms, then at least to properly clean the ones that are available.

Psychologists recommend this technique to everyone who is difficult to lift. This is great motivation.

Rule two: everything that is out of place is in a pile

There is a simple way that many people use to sort out things lying around: throw everything in a pile.

When you collect the excess together, start dismantling this improvised “mountain” - winter clothes in closets, shoes in boxes, books on shelves, magazines in bedside tables or in the trash can, etc.

Disassembling such a “mountain” will take much less time than moving around the house in order to put each item separately in the right place.

Rule three: the quieter you drive, the more you will clean

It will be much easier to deal with spring cleaning if you don’t try to cram it into one day off.

If you start cleaning in advance, about a week before the “X” day (any holiday, arrival of guests, etc.), then the result will be better, and you will be calmer and happier. By the way, these are the principles that women who prefer cleaning using the Fly-lady system adhere to.

For example, on Monday I wash mirrors and doors (you still won’t have enough for more). On Tuesday we clean sofas and carpets. On Wednesday we defrost the refrigerator. On Thursday we rearrange things in the closets. On Friday we plan to wash and sort out shoes. We spend Saturday and Sunday cleaning windows and floors, washing curtains and caring for indoor plants.

Read also: Unpleasant odors in a refrigerator. Reasons for the appearance effective ways solutions, current recommendations

Rule four: dust is to blame

One of the main tasks of general cleaning is getting rid of dust. The lion's share of time is spent cleaning the dust collectors. These include carpets (we knock them out, wash them or take them to the dry cleaner), bookcases (we wipe down books), curtains (for washing), corners (the ceiling can be dusty too!), places under the bed, under radiators and next to the windowsill (we carry out a damp cleaning). The house will begin to breathe freshness only when it is free of dust.

A regular vacuum cleaner only helps to remove small and not very small debris. In reality, only wet cleaning will save you from dust, and only devices with a water filter are truly effective at collecting dust.

Rule five: do not put off washing

If you don’t want to wash your curtains “right now,” force yourself to take them down – even if they look decent: a hell of a lot of dust has accumulated there over the months.

Soak the curtains in cold water for a couple of hours. After some time, change the water to warm soapy water - and you can forget about the curtains until the evening. When you are done with cleaning, scrub them a little and rinse them in warm water - the curtains may not need more washing.

Add a little vinegar to the final rinse water - the curtains will become brighter and easier to iron.

Rule six: no need to “fill” the floor

The floor in the house will be washed much faster if you do not wash it with big amount water (neither linoleum nor wood tolerate this, and even more so parquet and laminate).

Just go over the floor with a vacuum cleaner, then with a wrung-out wet cloth - it’s quite enough if you don’t walk around the house in shoes. Don't forget to wipe the baseboards - there is always a lot of dust there.

Rule seven: together - more fun and faster

Having sent your household members away during the spring cleaning, do not complain later that you overstrained yourself. Of course, it’s easier to clean without them, but otherwise, easier doesn’t mean faster. It will be possible to clean up quickly if you involve your husband and children in the general cleaning (at the same time, you will get the children involved in work). Distribute work areas between family members, involving even the youngest ones - they are quite capable of wiping books or baseboards with rags. This way, you will free up time for serious tasks like dismantling the kitchen cabinet.

Read also: How to properly connect a washing machine?

Rule eight: shoes and toys - in the washing machine

Instead of washing sneakers, sneakers, plastic bathroom curtains, soft children's toys (and even rubber ones) by hand, put them in the washing machine.

However, you should not put in the machine something that has a label on it that directly prohibits machine washing, for example, items made of natural silk. But there are probably not many of them in the house, so there is no need to waste time manually cleaning things that can be sent to the washing machine.

Rule nine: things that require repair - take a closer look

Usually, during spring cleaning, a number of things are discovered that need repair.

Place them in a separate bag or box and place them... No, not in the far corner of the dressing room or somewhere on the closet, but in the most visible place - for example, next to the front door.

Rule ten: leave the most labor-intensive work to special services

There is nothing wrong with entrusting some types of housework to specially trained people. For example, washing windows.

It’s relatively inexpensive, and hiring a specialist every six months won’t break the bank. family budget. But it will eliminate the need to wash glass with hands shaking with fear while standing on a windowsill somewhere on the 15th floor.

The guests are coming! Or how to quickly get out

Nowadays, where without communication there is nowhere, people don’t go to visit without an invitation, but sometimes unusual situations happen. Did the call about an imminent visit take you by surprise? Calmly! You can quickly clean the house in 20 minutes if you involve your family in this.

It would seem that cleaning the house is so difficult - I wiped it here, vacuumed there - and that’s all. However, this matter also has its own wisdom, and each room has its own. The RIA Real Estate website decided to find out how to clean the house not just well, but also professionally.

Operating principle

Cleaning in any apartment begins from the highest point and the farthest corner and proceeds clockwise or counterclockwise. There is no point in first vacuuming and then wiping the dust from the top shelf: this way it will end up in the air and on the floor. Don't waste a lot of time on relatively clean surfaces. For example, cabinet doors and upper shelves do not become overgrown with dust as much as, say, baseboards, explains Helpstar home services specialist Ekaterina Martynovich.

All necessary tools should always be at hand so as not to run after every rag. This will save a lot of time. It is most convenient to use an apron in which the necessary rags and scrapers are folded. It is also worth having a tray for large items, such as detergents.

In addition, for effective removal Helpstar dust expert recommends using a small spray bottle with water. Fine atomized droplets make the dust heavier and prevent it from getting into the air. Cleaners also advise working with two hands - one washes, the other wipes or supports.

We start in the bedroom

Cleaning a living space, as a rule, begins with the bedroom. To start bed sheets goes to the stripe. Then the dust is removed. Thoroughly wipe sockets, switches, curtain rods, paintings, clocks, sconces, open shelves, cabinets, cabinets, electrical appliances and other similar interior items, advises Martynovich. Don’t forget about chandeliers: the more complex their shape, the faster they get dirty. Then you need to wash the battery.

Cleaners pay special attention to the upper surfaces of cabinets, where debris usually accumulates. great amount dust. A little trick from Helpstar: washed surfaces can be covered with newspapers or large-format paper - this will save time during subsequent cleanings. The sheets can be quickly removed from the cabinets along with all the accumulated dust. The main thing is to do it carefully.

At the next stage, we connect the vacuum cleaner; it is used to clean upholstered furniture. If the upholstery is leather, then it is recommended to simply wipe it. After this, the floor is vacuumed and then washed thoroughly, but do not forget about the baseboards.

Softly making your bed: 10 ways to make your bed like in a 5-star hotelThe interior of a bedroom can be decorated not only with vases, flowers or various designer items, but also simply with a beautifully made bed. Designers and home service experts told the RIA Real Estate website how to make a bed no worse than in a 5-star hotel.

And only after that you can beautifully remake the bed. Ventilation should be a mandatory element of cleaning; without this, the room will not be able to fully create a feeling of cleanliness, Martynovich emphasizes.

Child-friendly cleaning

Cleaning the nursery starts with toys. Helpstar service specialists suggest putting them in containers or boxes. It is worth collecting and removing everything unnecessary from the child’s room: old broken toys, useless decorative items, as well as those things that are temporarily stored in the nursery, but have nothing to do with the child.

Gaming paradise: how to create a “lasting” interior for a children’s roomWhen parents small child When thinking about decorating a children's room, the issue of design fades into the background. The main thing is to make the interior of a room or even an entire apartment the most practical, safe and wear-resistant. The designers told the RIA Real Estate website how to protect the space from “children’s creativity” so that the difference between the interior “as in the picture” would not be noticeable.

Then cleaning continues according to the same principle as in the bedroom: first, all surfaces of cabinets and small objects are cleaned of dust and radiators are washed. The process of wiping dust allows you to find and put in their places books, pencils and toys that have gotten lost in the room. After this, you should thoroughly vacuum the carpet and wet clean the floor. And at the final stage, traditional ventilation is carried out, of course, in the absence of a child in the room.

Kitchen cleaning

Cleaning the kitchen, like rooms, is also carried out clockwise and from top to bottom. But here, first of all, Martynovich recommends wiping the ventilation grilles. To do this, you can use a regular broom to sweep away dust adhering to the grate. And to clean the grate from grease, you can use any kitchen dishwashing liquid or stovetop cleaner.

After this, the lamps and cornices are freed from dust. Then you can wash the facades of the upper cabinets, wipe all sockets, switches, as well as the window sill and radiator.

Don't wipe your hands: 10 ideas original design kitchen apronOne of the most functional elements in the interior design of any kitchen is a wall apron, which protects the work area from smoke and grease, just as a chef's apron protects the housewife's clothes. However, this part of the wall is also a decoration of the entire kitchen space, and therefore the RIA Real Estate website asked the designers how to decorate it effectively and unconventionally.

Next in line are the apron, hood, hob, countertop and sink and mixer. Here you will need special products to remove grease and scale. After this, you can start cleaning household appliances: shake out the crumbs from the toaster, wash the microwave. Particular attention should be paid to the refrigerator. First, it is wiped from above, and then its facades and elastic band are washed. If you do everything thoroughly, then the magnets can also be removed and washed. If necessary, the refrigerator can be thoroughly washed inside. First you need to get rid of all spoiled food, then remove all shelves and containers and put them in a convenient place. They should warm up to room temperature so that the glass does not crack when washed hot water. Then you should wipe all the internal surfaces of the refrigerator, moving from top to bottom.

The last thing to be done in the kitchen is the chair legs. interior doors and the floor is washed: first the dust is removed with a vacuum cleaner, then wet cleaning follows. It wouldn't hurt to ventilate the room here either.

Bathroom and toilet

Cleaning the bathroom begins at a time when the kitchen is not yet completely cleaned, a Helpstar specialist points out. It is necessary to pre-treat the toilet, sink, bathtub, shower, and bidet with detergents so that the dirt has time to be properly removed. First of all, the wall adjacent to the bathroom itself is washed. Be sure to pay attention to the ventilation grille: it collects dust and small hair. As a result, the room is poorly ventilated, and microbes can appear in the ventilation, which will then circulate with the air throughout the apartment.

You also need to rub thoroughly by special means tiles, shower holders, hooks, hangers and heated towel rail. Then comes the turn of all the cabinet fronts, mirrors, shelves and washing machine.

Smart planning and sanitary solutions can turn even the most cramped and small bathroom into a comfortable room. The RIA Real Estate website learned how to squeeze the maximum out of the minimum space using plumbing and sanitary ware.

After this, you can wash the toilet and sink, where the dirt should have already come off. "Housewives usually pay attention to the space behind the toilet best case scenario during general cleaning. Helpstar cleaners know from experience that a huge amount of dust and hair settles on pipes and elbows. Therefore, it is necessary to wipe everything there very carefully. You definitely need to wash the brush and its bowl, and after that you can start washing the floors and doors,” says Martynovich.

We finish in the hallway

And the last, final stage of cleaning is the hallway. In addition to the mirror, shoe stand, closet or cabinet, you should pay attention to the front door, which home service specialists advise to wipe on both sides. And finally, don’t forget to take out the trash.

Many housewives are frightened by the phrase “general cleaning of the apartment.” Every woman is familiar with the desire to postpone it for as long as possible. But there still comes a time when you have to “arm yourself” with rags, detergents, a mop and a vacuum cleaner, and get down to business.

How to properly do general cleaning of an apartment or cottage and not get exhausted at the initial stage? Are there ways in which you can quickly clean your home with your own hands and not feel like a “squeezed lemon”?

This article provides useful tips on organizing the cleaning process in an apartment or house.

Most often, general cleaning of the home in Russia and the CIS countries is usually done before the Easter holiday in the spring, when it is already warmer outside and you can open the windows, and in the fall during the “Indian summer”, when the days are still warm, when you can quickly dry things.

Checking inventory availability

Before drawing up a DIY cleaning plan, determine what equipment you need for the job and check if everything is available. This will allow you not to be distracted during the process by going to the store or looking for an alternative. Make a list of what you need in advance and check its availability, making the necessary purchases if necessary.

What you may need:

  • garbage bags;
  • rags, sponges and paper napkins, newspapers;
  • household rubber gloves and apron;
  • dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, soda;
  • powder cleaner or specialized chemical cleaning products (stoves, ovens, tiles, bathtubs, toilets, chrome parts, furniture, carpets, etc.)
  • basin or bucket;
  • mop, broom, floor rag;
  • vacuum cleaner;
  • beater (for carpets and upholstered furniture);
  • washing powder;
  • additional means and tools if you have any household or interior items that require an individual approach.

Make sure that the vacuum cleaner is working properly, there is enough detergent and there are enough cloth napkins and rags. Don’t forget about garbage bags, you will need a lot of them, especially if you are cleaning a cottage or apartment after renovation or construction.

Let's throw away the unnecessary: ​​balcony, storage room and mezzanine

General cleaning of an apartment or cottage will not be effective without throwing away unnecessary things. Where does junk most often accumulate and take up space in your home? As a rule, on the balcony and mezzanines, as well as in the storage room.

Clear out old clutter and get rid of unnecessary things. How much rubbish is stored in apartments “just in case”, but this case never comes! Act on the principle: if an item has not been useful to me within a year, I don’t need it! Think about it, what's the use of a split flower pot, a children's tricycle (when your children are already finishing school), or from a broken table lamp that no one will ever fix? Free up space and you will see that there is much more usable space in your apartment or cottage.

If cleaning is carried out after repair or construction, from scraps of wallpaper, empty containers from polyurethane foam or paint cans should be disposed of first.

When the space is cleared of debris and unnecessary things, thoroughly wash the balcony, storage room, remove dust from the mezzanines, and proceed to the next stage of cleaning.

Plan for current general cleaning of the apartment

It is easier to divide the work into stages and perform it gradually, following the algorithm. Housekeeping is no exception. Before you start, make a plan for general cleaning of your apartment or cottage.

  • Remove curtains and drapes. They often accumulate a lot of dust. If you leave this item for later, during removal all the dust will settle on the already washed surfaces and your efforts will be in vain.
  • If possible, it is better to remove carpets from the walls and remove rugs and rugs from the floor. They can be cleaned or knocked out and folded until the cleaning is finished and the rugs can be spread on the clean floor. It is better to walk around the house at this time in slippers or house shoes.

Always start cleaning from top to bottom and from the farthest rooms to the nearest ones.

  • Wipe off dust and remove cobwebs from the ceiling. If necessary, use a damp cloth to clean the walls and corners between furniture. following the rules.
  • Wash chandeliers and overhead lights.
  • Wash windows and radiators.

Room cleaning

Cabinets and wall shelves

  • Wipe off dust from the tops of cabinets.
  • Starting from the top shelves, take things out and wipe off the dust.
  • Then carefully arrange and hang things. Place those that need washing in the laundry basket.
  • Go through the things that you haven’t used (worn) for a long time and don’t intend to - put them aside. Then decide what to do with them; some can be used for another purpose: old t-shirt or the towel will become a good rag, you will want to give or sell something, throw something away without regret.
  • Place remaining items in neat piles or in containers so that items take up minimal space.
  • Organize shelves, open cabinets, bedside tables, tables and all storage areas in the rooms using the same principle.

Furniture in the rooms

  • Remove capes and bedspreads from upholstered furniture, and bedding from beds. Throw everything you need into the wash.
  • Clean, beat, vacuum upholstered furniture and beds. Do not forget to wipe dust on non-fabric furniture elements.
  • Wash the floor.

Kitchen

Cleaning in the kitchen is carried out according to the same principle as in the rooms.

  • Dust the ceiling and wash the chandelier or overhead light.
  • Wash windows and radiators.
  • Clean the hood and ventilation grilles.
  • General kitchen cleaning begins with washing the kitchen cabinets. Here, too, you will have to carefully sort through everything that has accumulated in them. Check the expiration date of products, throw away jars or boxes that are stored for no apparent reason, in short, everything that has become unusable and is taking up space. After this, wash the cabinets inside and out.
  • Defrost, wash and organize the refrigerator.
  • Clean and organize lower cabinets.
  • Wash and clean the dishes and put them in their places.
  • Clean - wash the kitchen furniture: tables, chairs, upholstered furniture.
  • Wash the floor.

Think about what you will do and in what order, and follow this plan strictly. As you work, you will have to make some adjustments, but in any case, your work will not be spontaneous and chaotic, which means you will cope with it quickly and efficiently.

General cleaning can take from one day to a week, depending on its scale and area of ​​residence. Break your tasks into days and then you will complete it much faster.

Apartment cleaning plan after renovation

The first step after repairs is to dispose of construction waste.

  • put away building materials that may be useful and throw away unnecessary ones;
  • wipe off construction dust from ceilings and walls;
  • wash the floor;
  • arrange the furniture;
  • lay down carpets and runners.

General cleaning of the bath and toilet

Now you can start cleaning the bathroom.

  • Organize closed cabinets.
  • Take out all the things you can: rugs, basins, towels, bath accessories (soap, washcloths, all accessories). This is necessary so that chemicals do not come into contact with them.
  • Clean the ventilation grilles.
  • Apply detergent to the faucet, bathtub and sink surfaces, and pour disinfectant into the toilet.
  • While the dirt and deposits on the plumbing are “acidifying”, wash the walls, radiator coil, door and shelves.
  • Then clean out the plumbing.
  • When the plumbing is clean, you can wash the mirror and place all things on clean shelves.
  • Wash the floors.

Hallway

The final stage of cleaning an apartment or cottage is putting the hallway in order.

  • Here you need to remove scattered umbrellas and keys, place shoes on a special shelf or in a nightstand. It’s better to put away your sandals if it’s already January, remembering to wash them first.
  • Tidy up the mirror.
  • Wash the front door outside and inside; there is likely to be a lot of dirt and hand marks accumulated on the surface.
  • Clean the door mat and mop the floors.

Cleanliness for important details

If you have found the strength to begin general cleaning of your apartment or cottage, no matter after construction, renovation or “current”, do not leave any corner unattended.

  • If there houseplants, and there are flower pots in every room? Pay attention to them, cut off yellowed and dried leaves, wipe off dust from flower pots, wash the coasters.
  • Do you have pets? Put their bowls in order and wash their bedding, and if your pet lives in a cage, let it be clean there too.
  • Do you collect figurines, or has your child placed a small (only 150 individuals) family of plastic dinosaurs on a shelf in his room? Be patient and wash the collection, there is a lot of dust on it.
  • If there are photographs, paintings or decor hanging on the walls, wipe off the dust, which can be washed or refreshed with glass cleaner.
  • Re-glue any loose wallpaper and baseboards.
  • Organize your wallet and bag.
  • Clean your computer of unnecessary files and junk.

The final stage: finishing the cleaning

The last stage of general cleaning is washing the floors and washing things (bedspreads, etc.).

  • Wash the floors in all rooms, even if you washed them separately.
  • It is better to clean carpets and carpets in advance. Place all clean carpeting on the clean floor.
  • Iron and arrange your items.
  • Iron and arrange bedspreads, covers, and furniture covers.
  • Iron and hang curtains and drapes.

How to clean quickly and not get tired

How to do a general cleaning of an apartment or cottage and not get exhausted? Use these tips when you're ready to organize your home:

  1. Plan your work. In a household, this approach is no less important than in any other business, so write down in your plan everything that needs to be done and do not violate the algorithm.
  2. Set aside the whole day for DIY cleaning and start in the morning. This way you will have more time to get everything done. In addition, it is better to wash windows and mirrors in daylight than in artificial light.
  3. Do not take all the work into your own hands, but distribute it among family members. Involve everyone, including children. Of course, you shouldn’t trust a first-grader to wash windows, but a child can put things in bags that are meant to be thrown away or put things in order in his toys and books.
  4. Check the availability of cleaning equipment so as not to be distracted by trips to the store and not waste extra time.
  5. Do several things at once if you want to quickly get your home in order. While it works washing machine, you can wash the floor. Or after application detergent on the surface of the stove and oven, you have half an hour to clean the sink or ceiling lamp in the kitchen.

By following these recommendations, you can keep your entire house clean without spending a lot of time on it. Clean regularly, and your home will always be in perfect condition. Clean household appliances: oven, microwave, stove.