Editorial TeamThere has been a lot of talk about deep cleaning recently. Especially with the COVID pandemic and the resurgence in concern over germs, people are more likely to deep clean their homes than they were in the past. The question is how far a deep clean should really go.
The truth is that there is no one answer to that question. Deep cleaning itself is only loosely defined, and people have different priorities when it comes to how clean their homes should be.
As real estate consultants, we are aware of the fact that modern home buyers are likely to do a deep clean before moving into a new home. On the other hand, sellers do not like to deep clean on the way out. So it’s really up to the buyer to determine how clean the house should be on moving day.
A Basic Definition of Deep Cleaning
The best way to start this discussion is to come up with a basic definition of deep cleaning. We can do that by looking at normal cleaning and then assume going deep means going further. A normal cleaning routine for most people includes:
- sweeping the floors
- vacuuming the carpets
- cleaning the toilet and bathroom sink
- cleaning the kitchen sink and counters
- dusting furniture and light fixtures
- picking up any clutter and putting things in their place.
If you consider exterior work part of your normal cleaning routine, you might also consider things like sweeping the driveway and walking, mowing the lawn, and trimming the shrubs. Then again, you may consider outdoor work completely separate.
Either way, whatever is not part of your normal cleaning routine would be considered deep cleaning. As to how far that goes, that depends on your affinity for dirt and grime.
Going As Deep as Possible
If your vision of deep cleaning involves going as far as is humanly possible, there is almost no limit to what you can do. Take the kitchen, for example. You can pull everything out of the cupboards then clean them thoroughly with warm water and a cleanser. Then you can wash everything before filling the cupboards back up.
Next, it’s on to the kitchen sink and the area underneath. Both get a thorough cleaning. Next are the refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven/stove. They get cleaned from top to bottom with a commercial cleaning solution.
Then you have your countertops, windowsills, windows, and floors. They all get a thorough cleaning as well. Finally, you take all your kitchen linens and run them through the wash.
Time-Consuming But Worth It
It is not hard to dig really deeply and spend a lot of time cleaning. If nothing else, deep cleaning is time-consuming. But it’s worth it, at least on an occasional basis. A good deep clean can make a home healthier and more comfortable to live in.
If you deep clean, how often? And if not, would you deep clean after buying a new house? For some people, deep cleaning is never a question. It’s not an option. The thing is that you never really know how clean a house is until you move in and start living there. What looked like a clean house when you first viewed it may look completely different with all the furniture gone.
How far should a deep clean go? That is entirely up to you. Clean all the way down to the bones if that’s what suits you. If you would rather just clean what you can clearly see, that’s okay too. Just know that if you are buying or selling, people define clean in different ways.
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