Home Cleanliness is a Vital Investment

Have you ever walked into someone’s house and thought “I would love to live in a house like this”? Chances are, you have stepped into a well-maintained home. The home is not necessarily new, but judging by its overall appearance, it might as well have been.

The most inexpensive way to protect your home value is to keep it clean and maintained. More often than not deferred maintenance on a home will result in asset deterioration and ultimately have a big impact on the value of a home.

Investing in a clean home not only protects the value of your home but in the middle of a pandemic not having a clean and sanitized environment during a public health crisis can have very dire consequences.

Most of us are home more than ever now and what we have found is that means it is more time to get the house even more cluttered and dirty! We have created a very simple guide for you to follow to stay on top of all the cleaning tasks that help keep your family safe and help maintain your home.

Reducing Contamination of High-Contact Surfaces

Having a clean environment is an investment in your mental and physical health. Having a clean environment reduces surface contamination by a whopping 62% (from a multitude of viruses and bacteria)! Some areas of our personal area that can be a hotbed of germs and should be a priority to safeguard:

• Doorknobs
• Digital devices (including cell phones, remotes, and keyboards)
• Bathroom and kitchen sink faucet handles
• Toilet flush handles

Top Priorities in Protecting Home Value and Market Appeal

The entryway/living room is the first point of reference when your friends/family or a buyer walks into your humble abode. It is important to keep it simple and clutter-free. Meanwhile, the kitchen and the bathroom are places that are very susceptible to collecting dirt and grime, which eventually foul odors, mold, and possibly deferred maintenance.

• Walls
  • Dirt and stain-free walls make your home more welcoming from the get-go. Follow our cleaning schedule to ensure that you regularly wipe them clean, including the baseboards and trim work. Pay attention to areas around light switch plates as they tend to gather dirt and fingerprints.
• Fixtures
  • Lampshades and other light fixtures, ceiling fans, shelves, and other visible horizontal surfaces are dust collectors and should be attended to on a regular schedule.
• Windows
  • Spotless windows are attractive whichever way you look at them, but you mustn’t forget about the window sills as well. Between being home more this year and the fires we experienced in the fall odds are your windows and interior sills need more attention now than they have in past years. Make spring more enjoyable by making sure they are on your cleaning schedule now.
• Floors
  • It is easier to appreciate the beauty of a space when it is free of all the mess, and reducing the likelihood of people tripping over something is a bonus. Floors can be easily managed when attention is paid to the right areas in daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal tasks. Flooring is often a big investment in a home and it needs regular maintenance to prolong the life of the product.
• Dirt Collectors
  • Srub and wash trash cans to get rid of deep-seated dirt and foul odors. Our schedule will help make sure you don’t forget these pesky items! You will want to remember to clear your dusty vents as well.
• Kitchen Sink & Drain
  • While it’s important to get your sink to sparkle and shine with sanitation, it is equally important to scrub the drain area, because this is where foul smells usually come from. My mom always loved running a fresh lemon through the garbage disposal occasionally.
• Stove & Counter Tops
  • Frequent cooking often results in a messy, grease-laden stovetop. Scrubbing the stovetop and burners will not only contribute to your kitchen’s overall appearance, but it will also make your stove more efficient.
• Fixtures
  • Appliance faces and interiors need to be cleaned frequently. This will help keep the kitchen looking fresh and up to date as well as aid in keeping the kitchen sanitized.
• Bathroom Shower
  • Bathrooms take a lot of abuse through use. Regular cleaning will help maintain them and keep them hygienic. You will want to pay attention to areas where the moisture barrier has broken down and repair them right away.  Moisture and mold can damage a bathroom very quickly.
• Toilet
  • Sanitize and deodorize the toilet regularly by scrubbing the whole bowl, including the underside of the rim. Use a disinfectant when swabbing the seat and lid. Deferred maintenance on the toilet can make the whole bathroom feel dingy.
• Storage Spaces
  • Storage spaces in bathrooms get a lot of drips from a lot of products. Maintain the quality of your cabinets and drawers by regularly wiping down the interior.

You don’t need to do all these things daily! You just want to make sure you are doing them regularly! Download our Clean Home Happy Home Schedule to help make sure you do all the important things on a regular schedule!