Setting Up a System for Deep Cleaning

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Day 22 of #Write28Days Challenge

Every once in a while, every home needs deep cleaning and having a deep cleaning system ensures that it gets done.

In countries where there are seasons, the onset of Spring is often a catalyst to do a deep clean. Here in Singapore, the onset of Chinese New Year is our catalyst.

In our home, the end of a homeschool year is my catalyst for a deep clean because I want to throw out the old school stuff and start fresh for the coming school year.

Having a deep cleaning system ensures that you cover every part of the house, even those areas that you seldom access. I like to do a deep clean once a year. But I do not do a deep clean of the entire house all at once. 

It just isn’t possible unless I send everyone away for the whole day. In my books, deep cleaning just means that. A deep and thorough cleaning of the home. It does not include decluttering because then it will take too long unless the item is obviously broken or spoilt.

Instead, I schedule decluttering for another day.

What Does Deep Cleaning Entail?

Deep cleaning means pulling out everything, dusting, de-greasing and maybe even sterilising, and then putting back everything. This includes pulling out couches to dust beneath and behind them as well as unplugging and pulling out the toaster oven to shake out crumbs and cleaning out the hobs on the stovetop.

I will list out the areas that I have in my home and share with you how I do it. It is of course not an exhaustive list and do remember to always tweak it to make it work for you.

Deep Cleaning the Bedrooms

(a) Beds. After I strip the sheet off the mattress, I remove the mattress and bed slats. I will also pull the bed out from the wall. Then I vacuum the bed frame, slats and the mattress before putting everything back, with fresh sheets. You’d be grossed out by the amount of dust stuck in between the slats.

(b) Wardrobes. The doors of wardrobes get a wipe down.

(c) Bedside Tables. Since they are wiped down once a fortnight they do not require much attention.

(d) Dressing Table. I remove all items on the table and in the drawers, then do a quick wipe down. As I put them back, I glance to see if there are expired makeup items that need to be thrown away.

Deep Cleaning the Toilets

Our toilets are washed weekly, including the walls of the shower stalls. So deep cleaning – removing the shelves that hold the shampoo and soap, etc – can be done fast.

Our toilets also have a bare minimum of items in there. There is just one cupboard where all extra supplies like toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo and soap are stored. These items are pulled out, shelves dusted and wiped down and the items returned.

To keep things organised in the cupboard, $2 Daiso boxes and baskets are very helpful. Do label the baskets or you’ll end up with a mess in there. Ask me how I know. Sigh.

Deep Cleaning the Kitchen

This often takes the longest time. It can take at least 3 hours if not more. When I had young children who constantly interrupted me, I would deep clean section by section as listed below. Now that the children are much older, I can work much faster.

(a) Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers. Storage containers, plates, pots and pans and cutlery are pulled out. Shelves and drawers are wiped down and then all items are put back. Whatever is obviously chipped or broken are thrown out.

(b) Pantry. Again, all items are pulled out and whatever is expired or has been left opened (sigh) are thrown out. Now that I have a child who likes to bake, I have designated a shelf for her baking supplies. She is responsible for keeping it organised.

(c) Stove Top. Cleaning this is much easier when I was the only cook in the house because I always wipe down the stovetop once I am done cooking. The children who have stepped up to cook often “forget’. Dried up/caked up food and gravy are a lot harder to scrape off. Sigh again.

(d) Oven. Like the stovetop, cleaning it would be easier if we wiped it down immediately after we bake something. But…we don’t. Thankfully, we have a self-cleaning oven and I use this function once a year. If you do not have one, you will have to be more diligent in cleaning it up.

(e) Toaster or Microwave Oven. These need to be wiped down at least once a year.

(d) Fridge & Freezer. Everything in the freezer and fridge is taken out and checked. All expired foods are thrown out. Then I do a first wipe down with a cloth that has some dish detergent squirted on it. Then I wipe again with just a damp cloth. I line my fridge and freezer shelves with newspaper making it easier to clean up spills and drips. Then everything goes back in.

Deep Cleaning the Study

After a major renovation, we now have built-in study tables and cupboards with doors. Previously, we had Ikea stand-alone study tables and Billy bookcases from Ikea.

The children are responsible for their own tables and I this in Teaching Our Children How to Declutter. Having cupboards with doors really help to reduce the amount of dust collected on the shelves.

Stationery Supplies

We have a cupboard dedicated to stationery supplies and board games in the study as well. And I apply the same principle in pulling everything out, wiping down the shelves and then putting everything back.

Deep Cleaning the Living Room & Dining Room

We just have a sofa (couch), a TV console and built-in cupboards in our living room. And we have just the dining table in our dining room. Bare, huh? Deep cleaning in this area just means pulling out the sofa to vacuum behind the sofa (we vacuum under it daily). Dusting of the TV console is done weekly already.

Deep Cleaning of Toys and Books

Deep cleaning toys just means pouring out all the toys, vacuuming the baskets they are stored in and then putting everything back. I have not sterilised the toys in the baskets. But I know of people who will sterilise the toys on a regular basis after a bout of illness.

Stuffed toys are washed in 60-degree water about once a month when stuffed toys were played with very often.

Deep cleaning the collection of books we have means pulling out all of them, dusting the bookshelves (that have doors!) then putting them back.

When to Deep Clean?

Knowing that deep cleaning just needs to be done once a year helps me just bite the bullet and go for it. But when? I schedule it the week after we finish up our school year, in October.

Our school year ends in September. I take the first week of October off and then I set one day for one area to deep clean in the second week of October.

Start with Easy Wins

I almost always start with the bedrooms because I want to start with easy wins which will encourage me to press on. Then I go move on to the kitchen which requires the most effort. I then finish up with the living and dining rooms, another easy win.

A System for Deep Cleaning

Setting up a system of deep cleaning that you do once a year ensures that nothing builds up to the degree that it is too difficult to clean. I hope I have given you enough ideas to start planning for your own deep clean.

While some people employ professional cleaners to do a deep clean for them, I find that while they do a great job at getting stains out of your toilet and kitchen, you still have to do deep cleaning in certain areas like your kitchen cabinets and toys. And they are costly.  Maybe use them to spur you on to keep on top of your cleaning duties?

Tomorrow we will talk about setting up a homeschool system.

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