Daily chores are a way of life – dishes need to be done, laundry needs to be washed, meals need to be prepared. After your weekly tasks, is your home really clean though? We almost never have time to do a true deep clean, but just as a home requires weekly maintenance, it also requires a deep cleaning from time to time. Here are some projects that will help you get started.

Kitchen

Cabinets and Drawers

Kitchen cabinets and drawers tend to pile up and eventually can become a bit disorganized.  The best thing to do for a deep clean is remove all the contents of your cabinets and drawers and set them aside on a kitchen table or island. Clean the interior with a damp rag, and scrub the exterior with a sponge to remove any fingerprints around the hardware. Once clean, make a plan to put your kitchen items away in an orderly fashion that’s conducive to your needs in the kitchen, basically storing the most used items where they are easily accessible.

Appliances

During a deep clean, you want to pull those appliances away from the wall and unearth the dirt, crumbs, and dust build up that’s inevitably behind them. Once you have the area cleaned, take the time to vacuum the refrigerator coils and vent, which is a great way to extend the life of your appliance. If you have a vent over your stove, it’ll most likely have some grease build up as well.  Mineral oil is a great way to remove the grease. Once the grease is gone, simply wipe the vent down with warm, soapy water to remove the oil. While you’re at it, you may as well clean out the oven and the microwave too.

Bathrooms

Give the tub, toilet, sink, and shower a thorough, good clean, removing and soap scum or hard water stains. Be sure to include the base of the sink and toilet as well as the surrounding floor.  Wipe down the faucets and handles and give the mirrors a polish.

Throughout the House

Dusting

While dusting may be one of your weekly chores, the need doesn’t only apply to your furniture.  Wipe down all of your baseboards, blinds, ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, and the top of tall furnishings. Start at the top and work your way down to avoid having to re-clean. If dusting isn’t a weekly chore, give your furnishings and knick-knacks and good cleaning as well.

Organize

Closets a mess? No room in the pantry? Drawers overflowing? Time to get organized. Just as you did with your kitchen cabinets, remove the contents of the area that needs to be organized and reorganize it once the area is clean. If you’re working on a closet, wipe down the shelving and sweep or vacuum the floor. Should you decide to deal with the clutter under the bathroom sink, wipe out any dust in the cabinet as well as the drawers. Pantry shelves should be dusted and inspected for any debris from pests. Take time to go through the items you have stored to determine if they may be expired or are no longer something you will use. Once the areas are clean, return your items to their rightful place.

Giving your home a deep clean can feel like a fresh start. While it may be a few hours of hard work, the end result will put a smile on your face.