Getting rid of dust mites and pet hair under furniture will help reduce the number of allergens in your home. You will have to move cabinets and other interior items, so stock up on helpers in advance.
Pick up all the small items that were hidden under the cabinets and return them to their rightful place. Throw away trash and unnecessary items. Then use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum up dust and other remaining debris. Wipe the floor with a damp cloth and, once dry, return the cabinets to their place, or make a light rearrangement by arranging pieces of furniture to your liking.
Zone 1. Entrance, hallway and dining room
This is FlyLady's list. Adapt, change it to suit your needs, the needs of your family, and remember: no cleaning will be effective until you get rid of the trash that surrounds you. Don't overwork yourself! If you're in the process of decluttering, you may not be ready to complete this list yet. BabySteps! FlyLady
List for the hallway:
Start cleaning from top to bottom (i.e. from ceiling to floor)
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Wash the window sills and front door
- Clean switches from fingerprints and, if necessary, remove fingerprints from walls
- Rinse the flowers in the shower - this will refresh them. Let them stay there until you're done.
- Remove dust from furniture
- Wash the baseboards
- Put all your clothes back where they belong (in the closet, take them to church, or throw them away)
- Vacuum and/or mop the floors
- Put the flowers back and tidy up - you don't want your DH to end up in the jungle tomorrow morning.
- Add something of your own to make your home better and more welcoming.
List for the dining room (or another room)
Start cleaning from top to bottom (i.e. from ceiling to floor)
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Wash the window sills
- Wash the window
- Wash the doors of the cupboard (glass cabinet or cabinet). Don't forget to tidy up the dishes sitting there if necessary.
- Disassemble one of the boxes and/or check the already disassembled boxes
- Wash the dining table thoroughly. A little polish won't hurt.
- Rinse the flowers in the shower.
- Wash the chair legs
- Move the furniture and vacuum underneath it. Just don't touch the buffet! I turned it over once. It wasn't funny at all.
- Add something of your own (a new tablecloth, a cute vase, flowers...)
List for the front door and the space around it (for the lucky owners of private houses: veranda and courtyard)
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust (In the summer I don’t remove cobwebs, I feed the spiders LOL)
- Wash the furniture on the veranda (or the bench in the common hallway, or the window on the floor)
- Sweep the floor on the landing (or veranda)
- Throw away any dead plants (leaves are also dead plants)
- Tidy up these indecently shaggy bushes near the entrance
- Replant flowers if necessary (summer only)
- Wipe tables, railings, lamps
- Throw away unnecessary things
- Add something of your own to make your home more welcoming (a wreath for the door, a new mat or a bell)
Twice a year
Pillows and blankets
How. Hand wash or machine wash on delicate cycle and air dry.
Why. This is especially important for those who suffer from allergies.
Mattress
How. Turn the mattress over, alternating between turns from one side to the other and head-to-foot turns.
Why. This will prevent the mattress from deforming.
Lamps
How. Turn off the power before removing any parts of the light fixture. Wipe gently with a damp cloth, or soap.
Why. Dust and dirt accumulated on lamps can darken the light from bulbs by 30%.
Behind and under the refrigerator
How. Unplug the refrigerator, remove the protective grille at the back, clean it and carefully wipe the condenser and fan.
Vacuum the wall behind the refrigerator. Wipe the side walls of the device and the floor underneath with a rag.
Why. Dust on the floor, mixed with moisture, can damage the floor covering. And excess dust on the walls increases the risk of fire.
Plus, cleaning will significantly improve the efficiency of the cooling system, which will increase the life of the refrigerator and save you money.
Shower watering can
How. Remove the watering can and soak it in white vinegar, then rinse thoroughly.
Why. Over time, the watering can becomes clogged, and because of this, the water pressure deteriorates.
Window
How. Go over both sides with a sticky roller to remove dust. If there is a lot of dirt, wash with water and a brush. Mix 2 teaspoons of vinegar in 3.5 liters of water, pour into a spray bottle and wash the windows with this mixture, wiping them thoroughly with a microfiber cloth.
Why. Dirty windows let in less light, and dust can cause various respiratory diseases.
Zone 2. Kitchen
This week we are working in zone 2: kitchens.
This is a detailed list of FlyLady. Please change it and adapt it to suit your needs and the needs of your family. Print it out and add it to your KOL (from FlyLady.ru - add it to your PDA in notes). But don't try to complete this list until you've decluttered your kitchen. Set aside 15 minutes a day to declutter and only then start completing this list. Don't worry about it. You haven't done it for years, and another month won't make a difference. First of all, get rid of the clutter! It will be easier to clean up. FlyLady
List for the kitchen:
- Remove all food from the refrigerator, wash it completely (defrost it if necessary), put the food back
- Clean the microwave oven, both outside and inside.
- Clean your stove/oven
- Wash all tins/trinkets
- Clean out drawers and shelves in cupboards, closets, and wall shelves
- Remove fingerprints from the walls
- Wash the windows from the inside
- Clean the hood grille and/or vent
- Wipe down the cabinet doors (just not all at once, babysteps!)
- Clean all shiny surfaces (lamps and light bulbs also include them)
- Clean out under the sink, throw away all unnecessary boxes/jars/bottles
- Wash your pets' dishes
Once a month
Vacuum cleaner
How. Replace the bag, clean the filters and wipe the inside of the vacuum cleaner.
Why. Regular cleaning of your vacuum cleaner will improve cleaning efficiency.
Dishwasher
How. Remove the filter, soak it in soapy water, and then rinse thoroughly. Insert the filter back, place a glass of vinegar on the bottom of the machine and run a full cycle without dishes. Leave baking soda in the bottom of the car overnight.
In the morning, run the cycle again without dishes.
Why. Over time, dirt, grease, and food particles accumulate in your dishwasher. This causes an unpleasant odor and deposits on the dishes.
Kids toys
How. Once a month, machine wash soft toys on the delicate cycle. Between washes, use a sticky roller to remove dust from your clothes.
Why. Bacteria quickly accumulate on toys, and children do not yet have a strong enough immune system.
Coffee maker
How. Fill the water reservoir with a mixture of water and white vinegar (1:1) and turn on the coffee maker. When several cups have drained, turn off the device and leave for an hour. Then turn it back on and run a few cycles with just water.
Why. This will help remove scale.
Sink and bath drain
How. Pour ½ cup of baking soda into the drain and immediately pour in the same amount of table vinegar. Cover the hole with a rubber glove, let the mixture work for 10-15 minutes, and then turn on the hot water.
Why. Grease and small debris collecting on the walls of pipes causes an unpleasant odor and blockages.
Zone 3. Bathroom and another room
This is FlyLady's list. If your home is still cluttered, you are not expected to complete this list in its entirety. Just declutter every day for 15 minutes. Don't be intimidated by the size of this list! No one is going to try to complete it in one week. Every month we pay special attention to one room, and in other rooms we do just a little. In a few months everything will work out by itself. BabySteps! Your house didn't get like this overnight, and you can't clean it out in a day. Print the list on a separate sheet for each room. Copy the list into your favorite text editor. You may need to make some changes to it to tailor it for you, for your family.
List for bathroom:
- Wash the rugs
- Wash the floors with special care
- Organize all the shelves, drawers and cabinets
- Wash the walls of the shower stall (tiles around the perimeter of the bathroom)
- Wash the shower door (curtains)
- Organize your first aid kit
- Wash the scales (from FlyLady.ru: what if the arrow moves to the left as a thank you?)
- Throw away empty containers
List for guest bedroom:
- Polish the furniture
- Organize your drawers/closets
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Clean the mattress, get rid of dust on the bedspread
- Turn over the mattress
- Wash the curtains
- Wash the windows
- Clean the bath
- Wipe down the sewing machine
- Organize the bookshelf
- Tidy up your computer desk
- Wash the toilet
- Throw away unnecessary things
- “Feed” the plants
List for children's bathroom:
- Wash or wash the rugs.
- Wash/scrape/gloss the floors
- Organize all the drawers and cabinets.
- Wash the toilet, bathtub
- Wash the shower door
- Wash bath toys with special care
- Clean the floor (especially around the toilet)
- Throw away empty containers
List for children's room:
- Polish the furniture
- Organize your drawers and cabinets
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Wash/clean the mattress, wash the bedspread
- Turn over the mattress
- Wash the curtains
- Wash the windows
- Organize the toy shelves
- Wash under the bed
- Clean out your closet
- Take out things that don't belong in this room
- Take away things the child has outgrown
- Vacuumed under the bed, cabinets
- Wipe the baseboards
- Remove fingerprints from walls and doors
- Sort videos/toys/books
List for the office (both home and work):
- Wash all horizontal surfaces
- Throw away pens/pencils that don't work and are unlikely to ever work.
- Sharpen your pencils
- Throw away all the trash
- Put things in their places, sort papers into folders
- Pay your bills - don't put it off until later
- Unpack no more than one box at a time
- Throw away old papers (over 7 years old)
- Wash your monitor screen
- Place enough paper in the printer
- Designate a designated area for current accounts
- Vacuumed under the table and throughout the room
- Wipe the dust off your furniture
- Wash the windows
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Check your supplies of envelopes, paper, printer cartridges, pencils, pens, refills, glue, stamps, etc.
List for the laundry room (from FlyLady.ru: the space where you have a washing machine and everything related to washing):
- Wipe down the surface of the washer/dryer
- Wash the cuvette (from FlyLady.ru: do not forget to wash the space inside the washing machine where the cuvette stood)
- Throw away all empty boxes and containers
- Throw away all other trash
- Check your supplies of laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, bleach, etc.
- Wash the floor
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Put your clothes away
- Carefully examine the area under/above/behind the washer/dryer for mismatched socks.
Once a week
Kitchen cabinets
How. Wipe with a cloth and cleaning agent. Pay special attention to areas where food particles may fall.
Why. Kitchen cabinet doors collect dust and grease from cooking. There may also be pathogenic microbes there.
Toilet
How. Pour 100 ml of white vinegar or 50 ml of chlorine bleach into the toilet (the main thing is never mix them) and leave for a few minutes. Clean everything inside with a brush and then drain the water.
If there is limescale and rust on the toilet, leave the vinegar or bleach on for an hour. Walk outside with a special disinfectant.
Why. Most likely, you yourself know that a lot of bacteria accumulate in the toilet.
Bath
How. After each use, simply rinse the bathtub with water. But once a week you need to wash everything more thoroughly. Use gentle cleaning products to avoid damaging the enamel.
Why. Bacteria accumulate in the bathtub, and the enamel darkens from dirt, grease and hard water.
Shower cabin
How. Wash the cabin walls with warm water and treat with a special antibacterial spray.
Why. This will protect the walls from discoloration, limescale and mold.
Food waste shredder
How. Add ice cubes, frozen lemon juice, or vinegar to the cleaner.
Why. Food particles and bacteria accumulate on the internal blades of the chopper, and ice will help remove them.
Cushioned furniture
How. Vacuum the furniture itself, pillows and don’t forget to go under the chairs and sofas with a vacuum cleaner.
Why. Dust and pet hair accumulate especially quickly on upholstered furniture. Remember to get rid of it, especially if anyone in your family has allergies.
Bin
How. Wash with warm water and soap or a disinfectant solution.
Why. Food particles and bacteria accumulate in the trash can.
Zone 4. Master bedroom
This is the list for my bathroom, bedroom and closet. Change it to suit your family's needs. Copy it into your favorite text editor and make the required changes. Then print it out and pin it in your QOL. Until we get rid of the clutter in this area, don't even think about trying to complete this list! You've been surrounded by dirt and clutter for too long, but first you need to work on the clutter. Well, after that, this list will seem like a piece of delicious pie to you. FlyLady
List for the master bathroom:
- Wash the rugs
- Sort out your decorative cosmetics
- Organize all shelves/cabinets
- Wash the shower stall
- Wash the shower door
List for the master bedroom:
- Polish the furniture
- Wipe all horizontal surfaces
- Remove cobwebs and clouds of dust from the ceiling
- Turn over the mattress
- Throw out the trash
- Wash the windows
- Organize the books in the bookcase
- Organize your drawers
- Wash the floor under the bed
List for the dressing room:
- Organize the shelves (don't forget the top ones)
- Place your shoes
- Pack your suitcases
- Wipe down the shoe closet
Creating an apartment cleaning schedule
It happens that when putting your house in order, some zones and areas remain forgotten or are skipped on purpose. An apartment cleaning plan will allow you to avoid this and rationally distribute energy. A clear schedule of household chores will be an assistant for both housewives and working people.
Some household chores need to be done every day (washing dishes, cleaning the bathroom), while for other jobs, once every few months is enough (for example, washing window glass). All household chores can be grouped according to the frequency with which they need to be completed, and you can create a convenient apartment cleaning calendar.
Zone 5. Living room
Living Room, Family Room, Your “Den” This is a sample list for my living room. Change it to suit your family's needs. Start the work from the very top and gradually lowering, finish it on the floor: get rid of cobwebs and clouds of dust under the ceiling and from Dust Bunnies (from FlyLady.ru: Kelly writes about Dust Bunnies - those same balls, lumps of dust that “live” with us under the bed, under cabinets, etc.) Don't even think about starting this list if you haven't gotten rid of the clutter. And only then can you start doing the items on this list that you haven’t done for months, and maybe years. And don't expect to get everything done this month. Print out the list and pin it to your QOL. I keep this list in a plastic “file.” It gives me the opportunity to celebrate what I've done.
Additions to Zone 5:
If you have your family room, game room, screened-in patio or balcony, or any other room that your family uses regularly, focus on decluttering one of those rooms each month (you may be able to find more time). Don't overwork yourself! It took more than one month for the rooms to become overgrown with junk, and you won’t be able to clean them out in one week. Remember: BabySteps! If you can't complete a task, simply delete it and move on to the next one. Don't save them! We do the same thing every week and every month. I'm just your “reminder.” FlyLady
Once in two months
Behind and under the washing machine
How. Carefully vacuum the floor behind and under the washing machine, especially around the power cord.
Why. Dust and debris accumulate under the washing machine, increasing the risk of fire.
Fan
How. Spray each fan blade with white vinegar and then wipe with a rag.
Why. Dust collects on the surface of the blades and spreads throughout the house when the fan operates. This can lead to worsening allergies and respiratory diseases.
Blinds
How. Vacuum. If the blinds are completely dirty, remove them and wash them in the closed position with warm water using a soft brush.
Turn over and repeat the same on the other side. Then open and leave to dry.
Why. A lot of dust accumulates on them, which is especially harmful for allergy sufferers.
