Deep Cleaning Your New Home Before You Move In

When you buy a property, the very first thing you should do before moving any of your belongings inside is to give the entire place a deep clean.

Even if you’ve met the previous owners and they seem hygienic, you have no idea what they got up to and how dirty your new home may actually be. It’s vital that you dedicate a couple of days before moving to gut the place out and get rid of the grime and bacteria before you begin your new life inside, and you will thank yourself for not passing on the task once you begin to see the hidden dirt emerge. It doesn’t have to be hard to get your new home ship shape and ready; these useful tips should guide you through the basics. To help you achieve germ-free foundations to enjoy your latest investment to its full potential.

Kitchen

One of the most important places you should focus your efforts on is the kitchen. So much bacteria and grime can be left over from the previous tenants. And these can spread and multiply to cause serious damage. Especially for children. Pull on your rubber gloves and get some antibacterial spray to wipe over everything you can touch inside the kitchen. Including cupboards, fridge, all surfaces, and countertops, outside the oven, and every handle and doorknob. Take extra care when cleaning inside the oven, and use bicarbonate of soda mix. To get rid of any build up in the most natural and chemical free manor.

Dedicate some time to properly scrubbing the sink with the same bicarb, and it’s commonly said that using a toothbrush or two to do this is the best and most thorough option. Be sure to take out any shelves or drawers from inside the fridge to wash them all thoroughly in warm soapy water. If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher in your new home, put a cup of white vinegar inside and run the hottest cycle. This will remove limescale and bacteria, and is completely harmless to you and your family rather than opting for nasty chemicals.

Take out any extraction fans and give them a good clean, as you don’t want dirt to be blown across your clean kitchen when you start cooking. You may encounter some nasty surprises along the way, so it’s useful to find a local pest control number in case of any emergencies.

Bathroom

The bathroom(s) should be your next focal point for obvious reasons. Invest in some strong thick bleach to coat the inside of the toilet, and dilute some down the clean the outside with too. Make sure you are wearing some kind of protection whilst doing this, as bleach can be harmful to the skin and if inhaled. It may be an idea to purchase a completely new toilet seat unless your old one is still in a very good condition, as they are inexpensive and it will be excessively more hygienic. Check whether any plugs are blocked, and use a drain solution to clean the waterways and stop the chances of bad smells and overflowing pipes.

If your taps or shower heads are showing a build-up of scaling or mineral build up. Fill a small plastic bag with equal parts of water and vinegar and tie this around the affected areas to leave overnight. When you return the next day to remove them and run the water, you will see a visible improvement.  Purchase a new shower curtain if required. And use a harsher antibacterial spray to rid the bath and shower unit of grime and limescale.

Wash tiles or walls with warm soapy water, but be sure to squeeze your sponge of most of the water. And keep windows and doors open if your walls are just painted. As you must allow them to dry sufficiently instead of staying damp and potentially causing issues in the future.

Bedrooms

The amount of cleaning you have to do in the bedrooms inside your new house depends on the quantity of furniture inside. If your house came with beds and mattresses, you may want to consider purchasing entirely new mattresses. However, if your budget at the moment will not allow this, you can clean those that are already there by vacuuming the surface, sprinkling baking soda over the top, leaving it to rest and then simply vacuuming again. This helps to make the mattress completely odour free and reduce the likelihood of allergens and mold occurring. Use protectors to add an extra layer between you and the bed, as they are so cheap to purchase and can come in several different forms such as antibacterial and waterproof.

Wash the walls using warm soapy water similar to that of the bathroom but leave a minimal amount of water inside the sponge as these surfaces have the potential of absorbing water much more quickly. If there are curtains inside your bedrooms, you may want to get them professionally dry cleaned. However, there are also ways of freeing them of grime yourself inside your home such as using a steam cleaner, or you maybe even just putting them inside the washing machine on low heat.

Floors

The floors throughout your house need some time and attention towards the end of your deep cleaning stint. If they are carpeted, it may be an idea to purchase or hire a professional cleaning device that actually blasts and washing the carpet whilst you simply push it around. You can cleanse your carpets without any special equipment quite easily, by using that all-important baking soda solution once again. Never try to wash your carpets with a large amount of water, as it simply will not dry and will cause damp and mold to grow inside your home. If you’re worried about attempting this, contact the experts to get a quotation for a specialist job instead.

If you have hard floors in your home, invest in a mop with a couple of head changes. And a good quality commercial floor cleaner or white wine vinegar. Use the vacuum to suck up any excess bits, before diluting either of the two aforementioned products into some hot water. Grab your mop and get scrubbing, regularly plunging it back into the solution to be rinsed and drained. When the liquid begins to go dark, pour it into the toilet slowly. This is the most hygienic way, avoid the kitchen sink at all costs as you do not want any residue to be transferred onto food.

When it finally starts to stay clearer, leave the area to dry or use a cloth to wipe down and polish the surface for an extra level of shine. Pay close attention in any bathrooms or the kitchen. As these are the places that are most likely to develop a build up of dirt and bacteria over time.

By giving your new home a deep clean room by room, you will be able to create a beautifully hygienic space in what seems like no time at all. It takes a little bit of hard work and dedication, but the results will be completely worth your while and you will feel so much better for doing it. It needn’t be a boring exercise, put on some upbeat music and crank up the volume to give you a little more energy and make the experience more fun and enjoyable.

The most important ingredients to clean your new home are baking soda, vinegar, and enthusiasm!

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