After a thorough deep cleaning, your home may easily be maintained by consistent routine domestic cleaning - the key to a clean and tidy home is regular upkeep.
Regular upkeep includes dusting, sweeping, mopping and vacuuming on weekly basis. Cleaning up small messes while they are still "small" is recommended. The bathroom is always cleaned and sanitized - including toilets, shower, sinks and floors. Always dry metal and wood surfaces to eliminate water spots. The kitchen area always receives scrupulous attention to detail - especially food preparation counters and making sure floors are clean, never allowing to become sticky or soiled. Dropped food should immediately be removed and stains wiped up before they dry, it will be easier and will save you time and efforts. If you are dusting, start at the ceiling (cobwebs), work your way down the walls, tops of picture frames, doorways, mirrors, wall lamps, mantles, etc. Clean the cupboards last.
When you get ready to start with home cleaning, begin from the highest floor and work your way down. This strategy will also help you achieve your goal of cleaning the entire house. Allowing yourself to become distracted by the TV or the email can cost you precious hours later in the day. Five or ten minutes of losing your focus can turn house cleaning into an all day chore. Concentrate on the room and the job at hand until you are satisfied.
It's difficult and distracting to multi-task while house cleaning! Don't try to get your laundry washed and dried while working on your cleaning. As you go from room to room, pick up messy clothes and put them in a laundry basket. Do the laundry later.
Enlist your family's help in cleaning, diplomatically, of course! Hand your 3-year old a cloth or a sponge and let her wipe dust from a table or help clean up that spilled milk! And surprisingly, 10-year old boys can do a great job of vacuuming - maybe something about the noise and controlling the power is appealing.
The secret of house cleaning is having a strategy - plan your route through your house, stay focused and organized, and enlists help from family with jobs that are appropriate for them to do. If you are vacuuming, start in the corner farthest away from the door. Backup towards the door as you vacuum, without leaving footprints on the newly vacuumed carpet. In the kitchen, start with the outside of the cupboard, moving to the back of the stove and counters throughout the kitchen. Clean in one direction. Be efficient and clean everything the first time, moving on to the next.