How to Clean Your Apartment

Introduction

• Whether you've got parental visitors on the way, are moving out or just can't take living in squalor any more, now might be a good time to clean your apartment. Believe it or not, "messy" is not your apartment's natural state. It may seem like a daunting task, but the moment you've seen your crib all neat and pretty, you'll wonder how you lived any other way.

Step 1: Pick a Day

• Once you've got your humble abode in tip-top shape, you'll be able to clean a little here and a little there. In the filthy, disorganized meantime, you'll need to set aside a full day to clean your crib. Mark it on the calendar, make yourself a cleaning mix on the old iPod and ask a friend to chip in some elbow grease in exchange for pizza and beer. Do whatever you've got to do, just get ready to get clean.

Step 2: Gather Your Supplies

• You'll need a complete arsenal of cleaning products to get the job done, and don't think one bottle of 409 will cover it. Different surfaces require different cleaning products. The following is a checklist of the essentials:

Cleaners

1. All-Purpose Cleaner like 409
   • You can make things even easier on yourself by purchasing pre-soaked disposable cleaning wipes or Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers. They're convenient, but more wasteful than using a bottled cleaner and washable rag.
2. Toilet Bowl Cleaner
3. Oven Cleaner
4. Dish Soap
5. Dishwashing Detergent (if you have a dishwasher)
6. Comet or Soft-Scrubbing Cleanser for the bathtub/shower
7. Windex or Generic Glass Cleaner (also available as disposable wipes)
8. Pledge or Wood Polish (if you have wood furniture)
9. Wood Floor Cleaner like Murphy's Oil (if you have wood floors)

Cleaning Tools

1. Feather Duster or Dusting Cloth/Mitts
2. Toilet Brush
3. Vacuum Cleaner
   • If you don't have or can't afford a vacuum cleaner, you can purchase a dustbuster or, better yet, a Swiffer.
4. Broom and Dustpan
5. Mop and Bucket
6. Sponges and Rags
7. Paper Towels
8. Rubber Gloves
9. Trash Bags

Step 3: Do a Walk-Through

• While not a totally necessary part of cleaning your apartment, it can be helpful to do a preliminary walk-through during which you take anything from one room that doesn't belong there and place it in the room where it does belong. You don't have to put things away or even tidy them—just get your possessions in the right general area. Take the dishes off the coffee table and stack them in the kitchen. The laundry mountain on top of your bed should become the laundry mountain in your hamper. And, no, your laptop doesn't belong in the bathroom.

• Doing this initial act of tidying will make room-by-room deep cleaning much easier because you won't be incessantly leaving the room to return glasses to the cupboard or DVDs to their cases.

Step 4: Divide and Conquer

• The idea of cleaning your entire apartment at once can be overwhelming. That's why you need a game plan. Take it one room at a time, and you'll be done before you know it.

How to Clean Your Bathroom

• The bathroom is dreaded terrain to those uninitiated in the ways of the deep-clean. Don't worry. It's also the smallest room you'll be tackling today.

1. Get rid of any trash or laundry in the bathroom.
2. Dust any fans or vents in the room with a cloth and all-purpose cleaner.
3. Take down any washable lighting fixtures and artwork. Lightly clean the fixtures with water and an all-purpose cleaner. Don't use liquids on framed artwork as the water can get behind the frame. Instead, use a dry, clean cloth and dust the frame and glass.
4. Dust or clean any window coverings you might have in your bathroom.
5. If it's dirty, take down your shower curtain. Wash the curtain, and replace the liner. If the curtain is beyond repair, replace it as well. If you have shower door, wash soap scum with a shower cleaner.
6. Scrub the shower and tub. Use Comet or a less abrasive shower cleaner. It's easiest to clean the shower or tub while standing in it. Don't forget to wipe down the fixtures.
7. Scrub the sink and its fixtures.
8. Scrub the toilet with toilet cleaner and brush. After cleaning the bowl, wipe down the outside of the toilet and its rim with an all-purpose cleaner. Don't use an abrasive cleaner like Comet in the bowl as it can scratch the porcelain.
9. Take everything out of the medicine cabinet. Throw out any old toiletries or medications. Wash the inside of the cabinet. Put everything back in the cabinet.
10. Wash the mirror with a glass cleaner.
11. Shake out the bathroom rugs or wash them altogether.
12. Sweep and mop the floor.
13. Empty and wash out the bathroom's trash can while the floor is drying.

How to Clean Your Kitchen

• There's no way around it. The kitchen is no fun to clean. There are lots of crevices for crumbs and grease to hide in, and multiple appliances that require your attention. Don't think about it. Just do it.

1. Start with the dishes. Scrape any food off of dishes and into the disposal or trash. Let dishes with caked-on food soak in hot soapy water.
2. While the dishes are soaking, get rid of any trash on the countertops or floor. Go through the cupboard and chuck anything that is expired or has gone unused for a year or more.
3. Return to the dishes. Finish hand-washing them or load them in the dishwasher.
4. Wash the walls and ceiling. Check vents, switch plates and the wall behind your stove.
5. Clean any artwork on the walls. Don't use water or liquid cleaners. Wipe with a dry, clean cloth.
6. Clean any draperies or ceiling fans. Take a sponge and soapy water to any windowsills or frames.
7. Apply oven cleaner to the oven. You may have a self-cleaning oven. You may need to use an oven cleaner. Either way, follow the directions carefully.
8. While the oven cleaner is working, clean our your fridge. Start by dumping any food that is old, will go uneaten or has been sitting on the shelf for more than 3 months. After you've dumped the excess, wipe down the fridge's surfaces. Take out the crisper drawers and rinse them in the sink.
9. Finish cleaning your oven. Wipe the inside, stove top and knobs. Depending on the type of stove you have, you may be able to remove the spill catchers underneath the burners for cleaning.
10. Wipe down your smaller appliances—the blender, toaster, microwave, etc.
11. Clean out the kitchen cabinets. Take everything out. Toss whatever you don't use on a regular basis. Reline the cabinets with contact paper if you need to. Otherwise, wipe them down. Put what's staying back in the cabinets.
12. Repeat this process for your drawers. Remove their contents. Dump anything you don't use. Wipe them down. Put what's staying back in the drawers.
13. Wash down the sink and countertops.
14. Sweep and mop the floors. If possible, pull the fridge and stove away from the wall slightly to get dust and debris trapped underneath and behind the appliances.

How to Clean Your Bedroom

• Once you're bathroom and kitchen are tackled, the rest of the house is a breeze from a cleaning perspective. Organizationally, you may have a little work to do, but at least, the cleaning product fumes won't be as bad.

1. Dirty clothes go in the hamper. Clean clothes get folded or hung in the closet.
2. Get rid of any trash.
3. Make the bed. Ideally, this should be done with clean bedding. (I know. You'll be messing up again in a few hours. It doesn't matter. The bed is the focal point of the room. Your house won't feel clean until it's made. Besides, it's nice to climb into a made bed.)
4. Pick-up everything that shouldn't be on your side table, the floor or under your bed. Put it all away, throw it all or find a home for it.
5. Dust and wash any vents, switch plates and artwork. Don't use liquid cleaners on artwork. A light dusting is fine.
6. Take down and launder any curtains or drapes. Otherwise, dust the blinds.
7. Dust and clean your bedroom furniture. Use the appropriate cleaner like Pledge for wood.
8. Vacuum or clean the floor.

How to Clean Your Living Room

• You may do a pretty good job keeping your living room tidy, but every once in awhile, it's good to dig deep between those couch cushions and see what you find.

1. Throw away any trash lingering in your living room.
2. Dust and clean all the art and photos on the wall.
3. Take down any curtains for cleaning, or dust the blinds.
4. Retrieve any missing remotes, loose change or misplaced underwear from between your couch's cushions. Run a dustbuster or one of your vacuum's nozzle attachments over the couch. Wash the cushion covers if they're removable. Fluff and replace the cushions.
5. Dust any lamps or knick-knacks.
6. Remove the books, DVDs and CDs from their shelves. Dust the shelves. If you need to, reorganize your DVDs and CDs as you put it back on the shelves.
   • As a rule, clean left to right and top to bottom when cleaning shelves. Going left to right will prevent you from missing a spot. Starting at the top will cause dust to fall to the floor, which always gets cleaned last.
7. Take everything off the entertainment center, coffee table and side tables. Dust and clean the furniture with the appropriate cleaner. Put everything back in an orderly fashion.
8. Beat or vacuum any rugs.
9. Vacuum or clean the floors. Move furniture if you have to.

How to Clean Your Closet

• Cleaning your closet is an entirely separate endeavor from cleaning your apartment mostly because it involves a lengthy purging and organizational process. You may want to set aside a separate day just to reorganize your closet. In the meantime, keep your clothes hung up and the mess to a minimum.

• Be sure to check out Mahalo's Guide to Cleaning Out Your Closet.

How to Clean Your Office

• You may or may not have a separate office, but you probably have a computer and a desk. Keeping a desk neat is more about organization than hardcore scrubbing, and cleaning a computer requires more attention to detail than, say, cleaning your toilet.

1. Throw away any trash from your desktop and drawers.
2. Empty out the drawers. Throw away anything that you don't use.
3. Wipe the drawers down with the appropriate cleaner. Put everything back in the drawers. Use drawer organizers if necessary.
4. If you have a bookshelf or shelves in your office area, take down the books. Put aside any that you don't need. You can donate those to a thrift shop or library later.
5. Wipe down the bookshelves, and dust the books. Put the books back on the shelf.
6. Dust any lamps or knick-knacks.
7. Wipe down your desk's top with the appropriate cleanser.
8. To clean your computer, use electronic cleaning fluid, compressed air and a lint-free cloth. For your keyboard, consult Mahalo's Guide to Cleaning a Computer Keyboard.
9. If you have a separate office, vacuum or clean the floor.

Step 5: Keep It That Way

• Now that you've got your crib ready for prime time, keep it that way. Spend a few minutes everyday tidying up the place, and you'll never have to blow your whole weekend cleaning ever again. Here are a few other tricks worth picking up:

1. Ask a friend to come over every couple of weeks. The social pressure may keep you on the up-and-up.
2. Pitch junk mail as soon as you receive it. There's no reason to let it pile up.
3. Fold laundry as soon as it's done.
4. Do your dishes as you finish your meal. There's nothing more depressing than a mountain of dirty dishes.
5. Dedicate 15 minutes to tidying up your house everyday.
6. Invest in a headset for your phone so you can clean while you chat.
7. If you buy a new article of clothing, one or two old pieces need to go.

Everyday Kitchen Clean-Up

1. Take a minute to wipe down the stove top, counters and sink.
2. Give the floor a quick sweep.

Everyday Bathroom Clean-Up

1. Wipe the sink and toilet seat with a pre-soaked cleaning cloth.
2. Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush.
3. Wipe the mirror.
4. Spray the shower and curtain with a self-acting cleaner after your shower.

Everyday Bedroom Clean-Up

1. Make your bed.
2. Throw your clothes in the hamper or put them away.
3. Tidy your night stand. Put away books or anything else that's piled up there.

Everyday Living Room Clean-Up

1. Do a quick dustbuster once-over of your couch.
2. Wipe tabletops.
3. Put away CDs, DVDs and other media.

Resources for How to Clean Your Apartment

• RealSimple.com: How to Speed-Clean Your Kitchen - Clean Your Bathroom, Fast
• eHow.com: How to Clean Your Apartment
• Parenting: Get a "Clean" Head Start
• ApartmentLiving: How to Organize Your Apartment
• CNN.com: How to clean your home in 19 minutes
• Oh My Apartment: Environmentally Friendly Ways to Clean Your Apartment (August 6, 2007)
• Oh My Apartment: Keeping Your Apartment Clean as a Whistle (July 16, 2007)
• AskMen.com: How To: Clean Your Place in 15 Minutes
• SoYouWanna.com: SoYouWanna Clean Your Apartment
• About.com: Cleaning Supplies: A Basic List - 15 Minute Cleanups for Every Room  

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