Question by The Ribbon’s Story: How to start cleaning the house?
It’s a one story house, and we have no carpet, just hard wood
Both my parents work full time and we have two big indoor dogs that shed A LOT. The house is incredibly dirty and smells awful. I’d really like to start having friends over but can’t because it is so dirty. I’d really like to start cleaning the house myself before school. Do you know a good method for getting the house clean? Like what should I do first and how. What are some good ways for getting the smell out of the house?
Best answer:
Answer by bubba_g
First, THOROUGHLY clean one room at time, one a day or so, until the whole house is relatively clean; then you can maintain-clean the whole house in just a few hours once a week.
Open all the windows to air out the whole house and bathe your dogs once a month to keep them smelling nice. In between baths, you can wipe the dogs down with baby wipes to keep them smelling nice.
KITCHEN. This is usually the dirtiest room, so I get into major detail here. Use a grease cutter like 409 to clean the range, stove top, refrigerator, and counter surfaces. Clean the inside of the oven with Easy Off oven cleaner and use baking soda to clean the inside of the refrigerator. If you want to clean behind the appliances, ask your parents for help.
Clean a dirty microwave by wetting a rag and placing it in the microwave and turn it on for a couple of minutes. Be careful, the rag will be hot when done! But all the crap stuck on the inside will have softened from the wet heat. Once the rag has cooled, remove it and clean the inside of the microwave with a clean sponge and baking soda.
Wipe down cabinets inside and out with a weak solution of Murphy’s Oil Soap and water. Start at the bottom of the appliances and cabinets and clean upward to avoid streaks.
If you have a dishwasher, run a cycle with baking soda in the machine, but no dishes. If you have a garbage disposal in your sink, grind up some lemons in the disposal for a fresh smell. If you have windows in the kitchen, clean them, inside and out, with a solution of 1 gallon water, 2 cups white vinegar, and just a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Sponge on the solution and use a squeegee to wipe clean.
You can wash grime and grease off the walls using a solution of 1 gallon water, 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and ¼ cup baking soda. Use a clean sponge or rag and start at the bottom of the wall and clean upward to avoid streaks. This same solution can be used to clean your kitchen garbage can, just do it outside and use the hose to rinse it off. Let it dry in the sun to kill bacteria. Put a scoop of baking soda in the bottom of the can to absorb odors when you start using it again.
If you have drapes or other linens in the kitchen, like a tablecloth or whatever, ask your parents if they can be laundered and follow their guidelines.
If there are cooking odors left in the kitchen, simmer a small pot of vinegar on the stove top to get rid of them. Don’t walk off and forget it’s there, though, vinegar cooks away very fast!
Is the kitchen floor linoleum? If it is very dirty, you will have to sweep thoroughly and get down on the floor and scrub with a brush and the same solution for windows, above. Thereafter, you can just do a weekly mop and a monthly down-on-the-floor scrub.
BATHROOM. Next dirtiest room! Get a large can of Scrubbing Bubbles and spray liberally on every surface in the bathroom: tub, sink, and toilet, inside and out. Scrub or wipe with a clean sponge or rag until clean. Scrub the inside of the toilet with a brush; once you are done, leave the brush in the toilet and flush to help clean the brush.
Clean mirrors with Windex or window solution and clean rags. Wash walls, windows, floor (if linoleum) as outlined above. The walls will almost certainly need to be cleaned, because the combination of hair care products and steam from the bath and can make bathroom walls filthy. Also, clean the floor especially well around the toilet area!
EVERY OTHER ROOM. All walls and windows and linoleum floors can be washed as described above. Dust wood furniture with Pledge or a damp rag, wipe dry with a dry rag. Use Windex or the window cleaning solution, above, on mirrors and glass surfaces. Move furniture around to sweep or clean beneath it; move beds, the couch, chairs, everything and make sure you get up all the dog shedding and dust. Use a vacuum and sweep if you have to.
ELECTRONICS. If your tv and/or computer monitor(s) has a glass screen, clean it with Windex while the tv/monitor is OFF. If it is a flat screen or LCD, clean by spraying ½ distilled water and ½ rubbing alcohol ONTO A VERY soft cloth and VERY GENTLY wiping the screen with the cloth. Dust the top of the tv, stereo, other electronics with a damp rag, wipe dry with a dry rag.
STUFF. To be safe, gently wash knick-knacks by hand in the sink using regular dishwashing liquid. If washing crystal, add vinegar to the wash water to cut down on streaks on the crystal when it air dries. Get a feather duster to dust books, then wipe/dust bookshelves. Clean glass-fronted pictures with Windex or window solution, and dust frames with a damp cloth, then wipe dry.
HARDWOOD FLOORS. Unfortunately, how to clean wood floors depends on the type of flooring. Ask your parents their advice and follow their guidelines.
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