Home cleaning jobs you should be doing every day

Some home cleaning jobs can be put off to once a week, even once a year, but for your own health, and sanity, you should be doing these every day.

A professional cleaner has unveiled a surprising way to prevent the build up of soap scum and mineral stains on the shower screen.

While many people resort to using harsh chemicals to try and rid their showers of that clouded, soap scum look, MaidForYou operations manager Adriana Aziz said all that was really needed to get a glass shower screen shining was dish soap and a tool commonly used by painters to scrape away old paint known as a utility scraper blade.

“Lather your shower screen with dish soap then lightly use your scraper blade to work down the shower screen,” she said. “Make sure to have a microfibre cloth handy to clean the blade in between passes.”

Time to get those cleaning tools ready.

Cleaning the shower was something that needed to be done on a weekly basis in order to maintain good hygiene in the home, she said.

Ms Aziz is one of four professional cleaners weighing in on the cleaning jobs that should be done at home every day, every week and every so often.

CLEANING JOBS TO DO EACH DAY

While most families have a hectic schedule that makes day-to-day cleaning difficult, Ms Aziz said there was one job that should be prioritised daily.

“As a general rule, we recommend at least vacuuming once a day,” she said.

“We usually recommend that this is done after dinner time, that way you’re able to make sure there are no leftover scraps of food or dust in your kitchen, living, and dining room.”

Aim to mop the floor once a week. Picture: Jason Edwards

She said a quick once over with a portable stick vacuum would go a long way in keeping away pests in the kitchen and dining room while extending the life of soft flooring by preventing the build up of dust and other allergens.

hipages’ Customer Advisory Board member Andrea Zappacosta from AZ Cleaning Services said, in addition to cleaning the dishes and wiping down the kitchen after every meal, it was helpful to wipe down the bathroom vanity each day after use to prevent dust and stains accumulating.

hipages member Margaret Bharaun from Maggie’s Cleaning Services said giving the shower a wipe down after use each day could help prevent the build up of grime.

“Leave the bathroom clean and do it as you go,” she said. “When you do this as a normal, daily routine it makes your weekly clean much quicker.”

Dusting is another weekly job to do.

JOBS TO DO EVERY WEEK

If you can’t vacuum every day, Mr Zappacosta said you should at least do it once a week along with dusting and mopping hard floors.

“Weekly, I would consider cleaning toilets, bathrooms and kitchens,” he said.

When cleaning the kitchen, focus on benchtops and door handles of frequently used appliances, such as the fridge and the microwave, using a multipurpose spray or a homemade solution of diluted methylated spirits.

“It’s cheap, it’s effective and it’s easy to use on most surfaces,” he said.

Ms Aziz said it was important to clean under beds and sofas on a weekly basis to prevent the build-up of dust. She said a stick vacuum would do the trick, followed by a damp swiffer mop for hard floors.

Some say vacuum every day … but if you can’t manage that, once a week is fine.

The insides of windows should also be cleaned weekly, she said.

“Clean at a time of day when direct sunlight is not hitting the windows, then use Windex and a squeegee to wipe down your interior window,” she said. “Make sure to give it two passes before completing as this will give you the best finish.”

JOBS TO DO MONTHLY

Selleys ambassador and professional cleaner from Spot On Cleaning Sydney Olivia Byrnes said jobs that involve the build up of grime, such as cleaning kitchen rangehood vents, should be tackled every month.

“To stay motivated to complete these tasks consider setting up a cleaning schedule and tick off each task as you go of course along with some good music to get you into the cleaning mood,” she said.

Try getting the kids involved.

JOBS TO DO ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR

Mr Zappacosta said there were a range of cleaning jobs that should be done routinely throughout the year, but not necessarily every week. He recommended cleaning the outsides of windows and solar panels once or twice a year.

“If solar panels are dirty they are not as effective,” he said.

Other jobs to do once or twice a year included cleaning the insides of kitchen cabinets and the insides of appliances such as microwaves, ovens, fridges and dishwashers.

Having a spring cleaning mentality and a little bit of discipline helped to ensure these jobs wouldn’t get forgotten, he said.

Robotic vacuums can save you the effort.

Ms Bharaun agreed that the change of season could act as a clear reminder to do all those jobs that needed to be done every so often, such as cleaning the air conditioner vents and the windows.

Ms Aziz said carpets should be steam cleaned at least once or twice a year.

“We recommend clients do this bi-yearly at the very minimum but doing it before your family comes over during Christmas is a great idea too,” she said. “You can always hire a machine from Bunnings if you want to DIY.”