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Deep cleaning is one of those things that you put off until you can not put it off anymore. Even then, we often only deep clean the items that require it. As so many people are hiring professional cleaners these days, you may be thinking if a deep cleaning maid service is worth the money.

To answer that question, you need to find out what is involved in the service, and what may be required if you want to do it yourself. Therefore, in this article, we will look at a deep cleaning checklist for either you or a maid to complete.

When Do You Need A Deep Cleaning Maid Service

More to the point, when do you need a deep clean your home or apartment? Well, there are often three times that you may require to do a deep clean, either yourself or hiring a professional. They are:

• Moving into a new property.
• six-monthly or annually.
• You are moving out of your property. 

One of the biggest reasons for the reduction or complete loss of your deposit is because the home was a state that the landlord was not happy with. We have already posted an article for a spring clean, and while spring clean and deep clean could be called the same, you could class them as different things. As you have seen in the spring cleaning article, you do a lot of the jobs that do not usually get done.

Deep cleans are, in our opinion, more of an intense clean than even spring clean. Spring cleans will focus on making the home sparkle to live in at the time. However, a deep clean gets right into the nooks of the home, where you would only see if you moved out completely.

Spring cleaning may take one long day or two shorter days; however, a deep clean can take as long as required to get every room to show standard. You may only use a couple of products and cloths for a spring clean, but let’s have a look at the supplies you may want to stock up on before a deep clean.

Deep Clean Essentials

Here we will provide you with a list of items that we think you require for a deep clean. It is not exhaustive, though. So, if you think of anything that may help you, grab them at the same time.

• Gloves.
• Multi-purpose cleaner.
• Cloths, a few of them.
• Various brushes, stiff and soft bristle, large and small. New toothbrushes are suitable for this, or car detailing brushes. Just be sure to mark your toothbrushes!
• Baking soda.
• A vacuum cleaner with accessories.
• Window cleaner.
• Steam mop if you can. One with a removable head if possible, for steam gleaning stubborn grime. Plus extra pads.
• Mineral oil. Only a small bottle.
• Broom.
• White vinegar.
• Oven cleaner.
• Wood cleaner, polish, or treatment oil.
• Small step ladders or telescopic pole.
• Sponges.
• Mop.
• Bucket.
• Anything else that you can think of to make it easier. Read through the article before you get the supplies ready, then you will know if you feel a different product would be better suited.

Before A Deep Clean

Before you tackle the deep clean, you need to ensure that you have decluttered and tidied your house. While that may seem like it is a little pointless, you will thank me for it when you are not tripping over things to move furniture, etc.

Now that you have all of your supplies ready, and the house tidy, it is best to tackle the most daunting rooms first. Not only will that get them out of the way, but it will also give you a higher sense of pride and accomplishment.

Deep Cleaning Maid Service – Kitchen

Although the kitchen is one of the rooms that get cleaned more regularly, it is also one of the worst places to deep clean.

Ovens and Stoves

Let’s face it, ovens and stoves are some of the worst offenders of the kitchen grime. Therefore, get straight into those first.

• Spray your oven cleaner into the oven and on the stove. If you have any stubborn stains in the microwave or any other cooking appliances, do the same with them too. If you do not like the commercial oven cleaner, you can make your own by mixing baking soda and dish soap. A lot of places will tell you to add vinegar to it. However, that is because they say the “fizz” that you see happening cleans effectively.

I do not like the idea of that, though. That’s because the reaction will only change the PH level of baking soda and vinegar to equal each other. You end up with water and carbon dioxide. Once the reaction is over, so is the possibility of any cleaning.

An excellent tip for microwaves is to place a few halves of lemons into a jug of water and run the microwave on full power for about 5 minutes before spraying it. That will loosen the grime so you may be able to wipe it clean without the spray. 

Leave the products on the oven, stove, and microwave until you have completed the rest of the tasks unless the instructions say differently. Then wipe clean with rags or cloths and disregard them.

Fridge and Freezer

While you may clean your fridge of expired items quite regularly when was the last time that you took everything out of it? Now is that time. If you have time and ability to remove everything from the freezer, too, then you should do that and turn it off to defrost. We know that it is not always that easy, though, so you may need to plan it in advance so that you have used all of the food before you start.

• Take out all of the food. 
• Remove debris by wiping the shelves and sides working from top to bottom. 
• Disinfect the insides of the fridge and freezer. I have presumed here that you have defrosted the freezer as best as time will allow. If you have two freezers, try to fill one with all of the products form both and clean them individually. Remember to clean the shelves and rubber seal. If you opt for a deep cleaning maid service, you will have this done for you. However, if you choose to do it yourself, you should use warm soapy water and a soft brush to ensure you clean into the grooves of the seal.
• After you have disinfected them, put all of the food back, checking the expiration date as you do so. 
• Clean the vents and coils using a soft brush and a vacuum. 
• Clean the outside of the appliances with a multi-purpose cleaner and a cloth. 

Tips

Using a damp sponge dipped in the baking powder will clean and deodorize the fridge and freezer thoroughly. Also, if you want a slight smell to the fridge, try a drop of an extract such as vanilla. 

Regular cleaning of the coils and grille could increase the efficiency of the goods, and even save you money on electricity. 

If you have a stainless steel door, you should use mineral oil or specific stainless steel cleaner; otherwise, you will have streaks. 

Throw away the rags that you have used for the fridge and freezer.

Toaster

Toasters often get left until the crumb tray is overflowing. However, even if they are not at that stage now, you should still take the following steps:

• Remove all of the breadcrumbs from the toaster by vacuuming it and taking it outside to shake upside down. Remember to unplug it while you clean. 
• Wipe the outside and all of the controls with disinfectant. 

Remember to allow it to dry thoroughly before plugging it back in.

Kettles and Coffee Machines

Deep cleaning maid services do not often include descaling kettles and coffee machines. However, even if you use a service that doesn’t, now is the best time to descale your drink-making equipment. However, be sure that you have enough time to have a coffee first!

• Put white vinegar, or descaler into the kettle or any coffee machines, and let them run as per the instructions. 
• Let them cool.
• Clean the outsides with disinfectant.
• Rinse a few times with fresh water.

Deep Cleaning Maid Service – Dishwasher

• Remove the filters
• Use a dishwasher cleaner and run the machine on the recommended setting. 
• Clean the seal in the same way as the fridge and freezer.
• Clean the outside in the same way, too. 
• Replace the filters.

Cupboards

Now that you have cleaned all of the appliances, it is time to tackle the cabinets, etc.

• Remove everything from the cupboards.
• Disinfect the shelves and insides. 
• Replace the items, throwing out all of the expired items.
• Clean and disinfect the outsides of the cupboards, taking special care of the recesses in the handles, etc. 
• If you have high cupboards, clean the tops of them too. 

Remainder of Kitchen

As you saw with the spring cleaning, now it is time to work from top to bottom of the room. See our spring cleaning article for more information.

One point to note, when you have the items such as the fridge and freezer clear of food, pull them away from the walls and clean behind them.

Sink

After you have completed everywhere else, your sink is going to be filthy. Ensure that you take the time to clean this properly, getting into the crevices and nooks of the faucets and draining boards. Bleach and descaler solutions can help with hard to remove stains.

Deep Cleaning Maid Service – Bathrooms

Again, you have the choice of using a deep cleaning maid service or following our steps here. Either way, bathrooms are easily the second least favorite rooms of the house to deep clean.

• Wipe the ceiling and light fittings carefully. 
• Clean the caulk and grout. Clean caulk or grout is one of the best ways to improve the look of any bathroom. Even anti-mold grout will get dirty and need a good clean. Here are some steps to doing this yourself:
• • Remove loose debris with a vacuum. 
  • Spray a bleach solution or grout cleaner onto the tiles and grout.
  • Wait for about ten minutes. You can continue with the bathroom while you are waiting.
  • Scrub. Use a specific toothbrush to scrub the caulk and grout.
  • Rinse with plenty of water. 
• Regrout. If you find that there are large parts of grout missing, it may be time to consider a re-grout.
• Clean the walls.
• Toothbrush holder. Toothbrush holders are one of the dirtiest places in the bathroom. Here are a few tips for cleaning it:
  • Soak in hot soapy water. 
  • Use any brush or pipe cleaner that will get into the nooks.
  • Run through the dishwasher to sterilize. Alternatively, you could place in boiling water for 10 minutes, or a bleach solution.

Baths, Showers, and Toilets

• Use white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to spray on all of the surfaces. Ensuring that you spray behind toilet bowels and in the details of faucets, etc.
• Leave it to soak while you continue.
• Use a damp cloth dipped in baking powder to gently scrub clean. 
• Pour vinegar in the toilet bowl
• Scrub with a toilet brush. 
• Shower curtain. It is often more time and cost-effective to replace a shower curtain when you are doing a deep clean. However, if you have a washable linin curtain, now is the time to put it in the washing machine. Replace the plastic inner curtain if it is stained.

After cleaning the bathroom, try to use a disinfectant spray to wipe it all again to ensure there was no transfer of germs, etc. Remember to throw away all of the sponges and rags that you have used.

Deep Cleaning Maid or Home Service – General

Whether you are using a deep cleaning maid service or doing it yourself, it is not just the bathroom and kitchen you want to clean. After you have read the spring cleaning article, you can use that to assist you in this next step. However, use these pointers to continue getting the home you deserve:

• Dust and Vacuum. Although you probably dust and vacuum regularly, you should still do it now. What is the point in going through all of this hard work and leaving out the essentials? Remember to start from the top of the room and work your way down. That is so that you do not drop dust onto places you have already cleaned.

Take time to ensure that you clean all of the places that you would not ordinarily, such as high shelves, etc. Also, pull furniture away from walls to enable vacuuming behind and underneath them.

Some of the other areas that you need to do are:

• Clean vents. Remove and HVAC vents and clean them in soapy water. It is a good idea now to give the filters if you have access, a vacuum. Remember to dust of the vents before putting them in the sink.
• Ceiling Fans. Wipe the fan blades with a multi-purpose cleaner or antibacterial cleaner.
• Window Dressings. Depending on what type of window dressing you have, you have different ways to clean them:
• Blinds. Spray them with vinegar and scrub them. Some are easy to remove and clean in the shower. However, remember to do that before you deep clean your bathroom!
• Curtains. If you can remove them and machine wash, that is the ideal way to give them a good clean. If not, follow the manufacturer instructions.
• Windows. Dust and vacuum window tracks and sills. Clean them with a vinegar spray to ensure a streak-free shine.
• Doors. Wipe all of your doors with antibacterial spray and cloth. Remove all fingerprints and smudges.
• Garbage Cans. Empty and sanitize all waste bins.

Deep Cleaning Maid Service – Living Rooms

After you or your deep cleaning maid service cleaner has completed all of the steps above around the home, you can start to get into the details of each room.

Sofas and Chairs

If you have not already pulled them away from the walls, no is the time to do that. However, you may wish to wait until you have cleaned them so that you do not get more debris on the floor.

• Take off all of the cushions, put the covers in the washing machine if you can.
• If you cannot take the covers off, use rubbing alcohol to spot clean stains, and a suitable upholstery cleaner to clean the rest of the fabrics.
• Vacuum all of the creases in the base of the furniture. Try to ensure you get out all of the crumbs that may have worked their way into them.

Baseboards

Clean all of the baseboards around the room with a cloth and multi-purpose cleaner. Use a detailing brush to get into any details on the baseboards, and a steam mop to remove stubborn stains.

Flooring

After vacuuming the carpet, you, or your deep cleaning maid service, will see if any stains need special attention. If you do have, use the steam cleaner or stain remover to remove them. Alternatively, you could hire a carpet cleaner to do the whole floor.

Wooden flooring should be polished using a floor cleaner. Repair any scratches using a repair kit first.

Try to move the furniture as you are cleaning the floor so that you can polish all of the wood or clean the carpet and make it look the same. If you fancy a change around in the future, you will end up with uncleaned areas of the floor.

Decorative Items

Remove dust and grime from all of your decorative items. Of course, I can not go into how to clean each thing that you may have. But take care not to damage anything. Remove them from shelves to clean the shelf too.

Remember items hanging on walls such as clocks, pictures, etc.

Electronics

Use a vacuum cleaner to clean out all of the vents in TVs, games consoles, TV boxes, etc. Wipe them with a microfibre cloth. However, if you want to use any cleaner, ensure that you have them unplugged and only spray cleaner onto the cloth, not the electrical item.

Do not forget to clean remotes, controllers, etc.

Deep Cleaning Maid Service – Bedrooms

Bedrooms are one of the most used rooms in the home. Do not neglect it when you are doing your deep clean. Along with the other points above, you will need to do the following:

• Wash all bedding and duvets. If they do not fit in your machine, take them to the laundry. Alternatively, if the seasons allow, you could buy new ones. You will not usually find washing bedding included in deep cleaning maid services. However, some will change them if you provide clean bedding.
• Clean the top of the mattress. Refresh your mattress by sprinkling baking powder on it, leaving it to sit for an hour and then vacuum it back up.
• Flip the mattress. That may seem counterproductive with cleaning one side then flipping it. However, what that will do it give you a clean surface for next time you flip it. If you did not clean the side that you are flipping it to, you would want to do that now too.

Try to go through your bedding and throw dated or worn out covers, sheets, and duvets at the same time.

Conclusion

I could go into every single room in the home that you may have, such as laundry rooms, garages, mudrooms, etc. However, that is going to take a lot more reading and give you less time actually to do the work.

So, if you take the tips that we have given in this article and apply them to other places in the home, you are sure to get it looking beautiful. After you have completed your spring clean, you have a couple of options:

Create a home cleaning schedule.

Hire a professional.

If you are looking for a deep clean maid service in New York, please feel free to contact us here.