Looking for a great game plan for cleaning house? Fall is the perfect time to take stock and get your home ready for guests before the holiday season is in full swing. Read our step-by-step guide complete with cleaning tips to help you get clean in every room of the house.

Get Your Cleaning Supplies Ready

First things first, make sure you have all your cleaning supplies at the ready! The last thing you want is to run out of supplies in the middle of your cleaning momentum. Make sure you have all the right cleaning products ready for the job. On your short list you will probably need vacuum bags, dusters, mops, dish soap, squeegee, cleaning products, garbage bags, and scrubbers. Once you have all your cleaning supplies ready for deployment everything will go much more quickly.

Cleaning Basics for Every Room in the home

The basics of a good house cleaning applies to every room, whether it’s the kitchen, living room or bedroom. A good way of getting started is to clean from top to bottom. This will save you from cleaning up the floor a second time after dusting the shelves.

Cleaning Tip: Allow yourself to have fun while cleaning house and listen to your favorite music!

Cleaning the Ceiling, Walls and Light Fixtures

Start at the top and begin by cleaning the ceiling and walls. Vacuum up cobwebs in upper corners and walls. Dust ceiling-mounted light fixtures, shelves, and picture frames. Then, wash and dry painted walls and wood paneling with warm soapy water for an extra deep cleaning.

Cleaning Tip: Test and clean smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It is a good idea to clean the dust off the units twice a year to keep them working properly. Using your vacuum cleaner’s soft brush attachment, clean in and around the detectors openings. Replace units that are more than ten years old.

Get your windows sparkling clean

Start by vacuuming your drapes and window treatments. Use a low setting with a brush attachment. Vinyl shades can be wiped down with a dampened microfiber cloth if they need a little more attention. If your window coverings are very dirty, check labels for cleaning instructions; some cotton, polyester, rayon, and wool drapes can be machine washed on delicate.

To clean window sills, frames, and screens use the vacuum. Last, move on to clean the window glass. Use glass cleaner, or fill a spray bottle with half vinegar, half hot water. To dry use a squeegee and clean up any drips or streaks with a soft, clean cloth. If cleaning windows is overwhelming, and you don’t have enough time, the crew at Mr Cleaning can do it for you! Get your free quote here.

Cleaning Tip: Place an old towel under the window you are cleaning, to catch any drips before they hit the carpet!

How to Clean Upholstery

For all your upholstered furniture, begin by vacuuming. To get all the dust out, vacuum both sides of the cushions, the back sides and the arms. Move furniture to vacuum beneath and behind it. After vacuuming, spot-clean any stains. If your don’t want to chance ruining the fabric, have it professionally cleaned. Mr Cleaning has an experienced staff that can help you – get a free quote here. It is also a good idea to send lace, linen, satin, and silk drapes and shades to a professional cleaner.

Cleaning Tip: To get pet hair off of upholstery, try using a squeegee to pull it off the fabric, then vacuum it up!

The best way to clean carpets and floors

Vacuum the carpet and rugs, and if needed have them professionally cleaned, this happens to be one of our specialties! Contact us for a quote for carpet cleaning. We recommend getting a professional cleaning once a year. For all types of floors, be sure to vacuum baseboards and in corners. If possible, vacuum under and behind furniture where dust hides. After sweeping and vacuuming, use the mop on hard surfaces. Start mopping in the furthest corner of the room and mop toward the entrance.

Cleaning Tip: If your air ducts are located in the floor, you can also remove the vent covers and vacuum the dust out before the furnace turns on in cold weather. Don’t forget to replace the air filter in your furnace at least once a year! Fall is a good time to change it, before the heater kicks on.

Focus on deep-cleaning your Kitchen

Vacuum and dust on top of cabinets and refrigerator. Give all the cabinets, countertops, and furniture a wipe down. Don’t forget to vacuum under the stove and refrigerator too. Clear countertops by placing appliances that haven’t been used recently into cabinets for storage. For cleaning inside kitchen cabinets, empty them, wash them down, replace shelf liners, de-clutter, and reorganize. Vacuum away any lingering dust or crumbs. Then, inspect each item before putting it back in its place, toss anything that is expired or past its prime.

Cleaning Tip: For cleaning the microwave heat a bowl of vinegar for 5 minutes. The steam will dissolve stuck-on food. After 5 minutes it simply wipes clean – its genius!

Get a Fresh Start in the Bathroom

Take rugs and towels out and give them a wash. After cleaning any cobwebs and light fixtures, start by cleaning the mirror with glass cleaner and a soft cloth. Next remove everything from the shower/tub and spray tile and grout in shower or tub with cleaner, scrub, and let sit. Use a brush to scrub grout. While you wait for the cleaner to work its magic in the shower, clean the shower rack and soap dishes. You can also move to cleaning the faucets and vanity top. Don’t forget to wipe down the front of the vanity too. Continue cleaning top to bottom until you get to vacuuming the floor, give it a mop, and finally rinse out the shower, replace the rugs when the floor is dry and you are done!

Cleaning Tip: Want to clean a clogged shower head? Simply unscrew the shower head and place it into a mixture of vinegar and hot water. Let it soak until the mineral deposits loosen and come off easily. Rinse, put back together and its good as new!

Reduce allergens in the Bedroom

Its a good idea to launder sheets weekly, but don’t forget about the mattress pads, pillows, and blankets. Every six months it is a good idea to do a bedroom deep-cleaning and wash or dry clean slipcovers, mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets and comforter covers. Fall is also a good reminder to flip and turn your mattress to help prevent uneven wear.

Cleaning Tip: To keep your mattress smelling fresh, you can sprinkle it with baking soda to neutralize odors, and then vacuum it up.