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To move in safely, you’re going to want to do a thorough cleaning. Even new home construction leaves some dirt and dust behind. Additionally, showings and other visitors can put you at risk of viral exposure. Keep reading to learn about excellent cleaning tips that every new homeowner should consider.
Move-In Cleaning Process as a New Homeowner
Your move in cleaning process should start from the top down, like your spring cleaning process. You’ll want to carefully dust
- ceiling fans and light fixtures
- molding and built-in shelving
- baseboards and solid surface floors
Once you’ve dusted, be ready to disinfect hard surfaces, from counters to appliances to bathroom fixtures. Use a simple cleaner on floors and consider getting the carpets professionally cleaned before you move in; this will be a lot easier when the house is empty.
Regular Cleaning: How to Avoid Getting Behind
For many new homeowners, the whole process of getting settled in can be a bit overwhelming. Do your best to stay on top of the biggest challenges of keeping your home tidy and your life organized: laundry and dishes.
If the windows need washed on Tuesday, it won’t make a huge difference if you don’t get it done until the following Saturday, but dishes need to be addressed on a daily basis. Depending on the number of people in your home, getting even one day behind on the laundry can create a serious challenge.
Even if you don’t have time to vacuum or sweep every day, do make the effort to stay on top of clutter. If your children love to bring toys to the family room, keep a basket in the area that you can load with those items that need to be put away and make sure there’s no television time until the basket has been emptied. Tiny daily decisions can make the whole cleaning process a lot easier.
Hiring a Professional
There are many projects that you’re better off hiring a professional for. If you want to pressure wash your home, it may be easier for someone with the right gear. Projects such as sewer cleanouts and residential septic tank cleaning should be done on a regular basis.
Make sure while you’re setting up your yearly cleaning schedule that you set up a maintenance contract with an HVAC company. Getting your furnace cleaned and serviced in the fall and your AC cleaned and serviced in the spring can reduce worries and add to your comfort.
Seasonal Projects
In addition to your indoor spring cleaning, get in the habit of doing seasonal cleanup outside. After the leaves fall, be ready to rake and either discard the leaves or create a spot for compost. Take a good look at your gutters in the fall as a new homeowner to make sure that wet winter weather doesn’t leave you with a mess.
In the garden, keep an eye out for flowers going to seed. Plants such as portulaca are often a hybrid; the plants you buy have multiple layers of petals, and their seeds are often a single petal bowl but still pretty in the landscape. However, if flowers from the celosia family, such as cockscomb, are allowed to go to seed, you may have an unattractive crop of weeds that you struggle to get rid of.
If you’re interested in growing a vegetable garden, spend your fall turning over the soil and prepping the bed. Depending on the moisture in your area and the condition of your soil, you may choose to plant a cover crop or put in vegetables with a deep tap root to break up and feed dense soils.
Be sure to check your windows in the spring as a new homeowner. If your windows don’t tilt in, you’ll need to have the gear to safely get to the outside of your windows. Getting on top of streaks and stripes is a lot easier with a partner, especially if you can do it in full sunlight. Check your local social media groups for anyone who has a stash of old cloth diapers; this worn fabric is a terrific lint-free product for cleaning windows.
Upgrade When Necessary as a New Homeowner
All houses age so it is important to know when you need to add upgrades to your home. Don’t let the potential cost of an upgrade scare you from making the decision to improve your home. There are many ways to add upgrades that will actually save you money in the long-run without being too costly up front. Do your research to find out which parts and type of equipment in your home should be replaced every so often and what you can afford to just clean periodically. This will keep everything in great working order.
Do Cleaning Projects as a Family
It will be much easier to keep on top of keeping your home clean if your whole family pitches in. This will lower the amount of time and energy it takes to get these done. Your home will be nicer overall to live in and no one will have to spend too much time cleaning different parts of the home. You can schedule different days of the week, month, or year that certain tasks are completed by which family member. Try to buy a schedule in a common family area so that everyone can keep track of when they are supposed to clean what. Alternatively, there are many different scheduling apps to choose from. Some of them you can even share with family or friends so that everyone is on the same page. You can also make sure the app sends you reminders on when things need to get done. It can be easy to forget about tasks as a new homeowner that should be done around the house.
Conclusion for a New Homeowner
No matter the age of your house when you buy it, a thorough cleaning done by you or someone you trust will make you a lot happier on your move-in day. Go through each room from the top down to enjoy a fresh, tidy home. These tips will help every new homeowner keep their home clean and a happy place to live in.