Winter Cleaning Tips for Healthy Home and Mind

Winter is a beautiful time for people who don’t like hit, hot weather, humid summer nights, etc.

From the other side, there are also people who find winter depressive, cold and lazy.

However, winter is one of the seasons when no matter if we love it or not, firstly, it comes every year and secondly, it makes us stay home more than in summer or spring.

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, our thoughts and actions turn away from warm afternoons at the beach towards evenings curled up under a blanket with a book and cup of tea.

While spring is the perfect time to air out a house and get it ready for the warm summer, winter is the perfect time to give a house a good thorough tidy up and clean, while making sure that everything is ready for the colder season.

Since we spend around 85 % of spare time at home during the winter, it is vital to organize home space before it start being windy and cold.

Home should make you feel happy and safe, no matter if it is a rental property or your own home. It supposed to be a space of happiness, relaxation and calmness as well as a space where it is a pleasure to work, study, cook, spend time with friends and people you love.

It is significantly important for mental and physical well-being to organize home space and keep it clean and tidy all the time.

The biggest aspects of turning your home into a beautiful and happy space are decluttering and cleaning.

In this article, you will find professional tips and tricks on how to prepare home for winter and how to do it with no hazard.

9 Reasons Why Decluttering Is Vital for quality life

If you are not into a minimalist style, you probably have some sort of clutter in your home.

But why not just chill out and leave it alone and live your life without spending hours on decluttering and cleaning?

There are at least 9 reasons for it 🙂

1. Decluttering creates More Space for you

There are lots of scientific studies about the effect of cluttered, dusty home on human well – being and productivity.

Clutter causes physical and mental obstructions and distractions. For example, if you work from home, it is hard to stay organized and concentrate on task, when there are heaps of stuff, that are not directly related to what you are doing, surround your work space.

When you are living around too many things, you may then feel pressured to clean it up. Or, you might feel guilty if you don’t handle the mess.

Clean up and your home will feel more spacious. Just try, and apart of nice and spacious home you will also gain more space in your brain.

What is the logic here?

The reason for it, is that you won’t have so many visual cues that prompt memories, anxiety, guilt, and stress that can drag you down and effect quality of life in a negative way.

2. Decluttering will make you Appreciate What You Have

When home is cluttered, it is hard to see what you actually have got. It is also, easy to forget what you actually have when home is full of things everywhere.

As a result, every action like getting ready in the morning, cooking, even relaxing after hard day in front of TV, can become a hazard, because of the clutter everywhere.

Another interesting thing is that when you are selective about what you like to have around you, the need for an unnecessary purchases will reduce and you’ll choose more wisely.

As a result, you’ll appreciate what you have, instead of going shopping and find more and more things.

When you stop looking for more things, you will spend more quality time connecting with loved ones.

You’ll also spend more time on self-care and self-development, whether that means, getting a massage, taking a walk in nature, doing online study, playing sport or listening to music.

3. Decluttering will help to Learn About Your Tastes

You may not even like the things you are having anymore in your closet and shelfs.

Some old clothes, that you never wear or hardly wear ones a year, kitchenware that just sits in the cabinets, old paper work etc.

If you doubt it, just go through it all and have a look what you have.

Decluttering helps you to see clearly how your style and tastes have evolved and what your preferences are now.

For example, when you declutter your closet, you’ll be drawn to items you love to wear the most.

The process will give you clues to what colors, patterns, fabrics and style you prefer now.

Once you understand what you like and what you don’t like, you’ll naturally become more decisive and spend little time selecting what you need or want in the future.

4. Decluttering will Save your Money in a long term

As it was mentioned before, when home is cluttered, it is hard to see what you actually have got.

It is also, easy to forget what you have when home has lack of organisation and order in place.

As a result, it is easy to double purchase something you have already, but can’t find it or forgot that you have it.

Seeking out sales, never passing by a bargain, and accepting free stuff can become addictive. It’s also what fuels clutter.

But living clutter-free can become addictive, too. As a result, you’ll save money you would have spent on unnecessary things.

You’ll save time that would have been spent hunting for free or cheap things. Here are other ways you’ll save money by ending the clutter:

Also, by decluttering living space, you will find out that you don’t need to buy storage bins anymore, replace a misplaced items. Also, when all paperwork is in the order, you will pay bills on time with no late fees. Moreover, you will end food waste, because it will be clean what is in your pantry and refrigerator.

5. Decluttering can help to Make Money

You can make money by decluttering your home.

Some items that we keep in our homes, have been hardly used or never been used. This is the time to make money on this items.

If you have some cloths that you don’t were, but it still has excellent condition, you can sell it. Same with kitchenware, furniture, books.

Selling unwanted clothing, household items, and even books can help you recoup your original investment. There are heaps of places like Facebook marketplace, Trade me, recycling boutiques, etc.

 

7. You will Enjoy Cleaning process 

It is a big pleasure to clean tidy and decluttered house.

You might full in love with the cleaning process, and might not even need any professional help with cleaning.

Only may be occasionally, it is good to have home professionally cleaned.

Spring Clean is perfect to do ones or twice a year between the main seasons.

It will provide you with shiny clean home and few hours of free time for yourself.

It’s obvious that the less clutter you have, the less cleaning you have to do. But it goes further than that.

By decluttering home, the level of dust build will significantly reduce. Not stuffed house has less dust accumulate. It make the cleaning process easier.

9. You will Finally Feel Free

Clutter can hold you back in many ways.

For example, moving from one place to another becomes a complicated and costly problem when you have tons of stuff to move into new place.

Even if you have no plans to move, owning less stuff makes you feel free in your own home. It is unbelievable feeling that everyone should experience.

So, thigs that was hard to do will become much easier and more enjoyable.

Things like cleaning, redecorating a room, rearranging furniture, deep home cleaning, walls cleaning, hiring maid services, cooking, entertaining will be much easier and enjoyable to do in decluttered fresh home.

Professional Tips for Winter Cleaning

The next vital thing to do after decluttering home is cleaning.

Here I mean the deep house cleaning including walls, wardrobes and closets, deep clean of bathroom and kitchen, etc.

Deep clean your home from top to bottom before winter comes.

It is very important not only because it is a pleasure to live in clean and tidy space, but it is also vital health wise.

Unhealthy, damp, dusty, moldy cluttered homes course allergies and illnesses.

Most of us has experienced the situation when you walk into someone’s home and feel nice, fresh and positive no matter how beautiful, modern or expensive the house and furniture are.

It can be just an old one bedroom apartment but feels spacious, light, welcoming and easy to breath.

One of the biggest reason for it,  is that the homeowner takes regular care of leaving space and house is healthy, tidy and hygienic on regular basis.

It had been proven that unhealthy and cluttered home is terrible for physical health as well as mental well-being.

There is an increasing evidence that cleanliness of a house affects both mental and physical health.

In fact, a messy home can make you more sensitive to colds and flus as well as stress and an anxiety.

How to achieve healthy and tidy home without spending enormous money and time?

Well, all good stuff in life comes with effort, so organizing your happy living space will take some of you time and afford for sure, especially if your home is big or haven’t been taken care of for a while.

However, don’t rush to give up on this, the result is going to shock you in a good way.

It is guaranteed that healthy home will make a positive impact on your daily life, mood, health and overall well being.

Moreover, you can get tips and tricks from professionals, for free, to make this successfully happened within less time and effort.

This article provides tips and tricks for organizing your living space the way where you and your family feel happy and healthy.

14 Professional Tips for Winter Cleaning

Everyone understands the benefits of spring cleaning. Spring cleaning has become extremely popular.

People finally have started treating the home space more seriously.

May be because lots of new researchers came up about the impact of dirty and cluttered houses.

Also, some people actually tried to declutter and clean home and felt the difference. Ones you know how good it is, you never go back to clutter and mess.

Did you know that there are certain things need to be attended every winter as well?

There are certain things that have to be done and it definitely worth the effort, because as a result you are getting enjoyable, healthy space where you can relax, be creative, be happy and healthy.

Sounds like a dream? It is a dream, which can become absolutely real for everyone who really wants it to happen.

You can achieve it with professional cleaning maids, by yourself, together with your family members or flatmates.

Let’s find out how to prepare beautiful healthy space for winter season, no matter if it is a rental property, own home, big or tiny.

Together you, your family members or your professional cleaners can tackle these tasks.

Winter Cleaning Tip #1: Take Care of Your HVAC

Before every winter, replace your air filters and consider having your air ducts and vents professionally cleaned.

EPA highly recommends to replace filters at least every three months. It not only makes the air stays clean but ensures steady airflow.

Furthermore, replacing your air filters also help to reduce dust accumulation on furniture, walls, doors, surfaces and floors.

It also removes allergens which can get trapped within your home and cause health issues all year long.

Winter Cleaning Tip #2: Clean fridge and Behind the Fridge

Pull your fridge away from the wall and clean everything you see there.

Do a proper cleaning of the wall and floor as well as the refrigerator coils.

Dirty coils affect energy efficiency and could increase your power bill up to $15-$20 a month, which is $200 -$240 a year.

Moreover, dirty coils could cause damage and reduce the overall lifespan of the fridge and freezer.

For safety reason, unplug your refrigerator before cleaning.

Also, you might need to rebalance the unit once you move it back.

Consult your manufacturer’s user guide, or just google it, if not sure how to do so.

Get everything out of the fridge and give it a good scrub and wash.

If can’t do it yourself or just too busy, allocate it to professional cleaners and maids.

How much does it cost to clean a refrigerator?

You can clean refrigerator yourself, it will cost you around $20 to get right cleaning solution and cleaning tools,

If you want to use cleaning service, it shouldn’t be too expensive, may be just around $50-$60 for a single fridge and freezer cleaning inside and outside.

Winter Cleaning Tip #3: Clean the Dryer Vents

You would never believe the amount of lint that cleaners pull for hosing and the back of dryers.

It is one of those “out of sight, out of mind” tasks most homeowners never think to clean.

But did you know excess lint build up not only effects your dryer’s efficiency, but it is also a fire hazard?

While it is super important to empty the lint filter every time, you should consider cleaning the venting system annually.

Winter Cleaning Tip #4: Deep Clean the Kitchen

Deep Clean your kitchen, give it a good scrub from top to bottom.

Starting with decluttering all shelfs, pantry, drawers and cabinets .

Get rid of all expired spices, cans, and other kitchenware you don’t use.

Decluttering and organising

After ridding out of the clutter in the kitchen, clean all wardrobes, shelfs, cupboards inside and outside.

Get some storage boxes and containers and organise everything nicely, so you can easily find stuff when you need.

Also, you will feel a pleasure cooking and cleaning your kitchen when it is well organised and tidy.

Moreover, you will enjoy the aesthetics in the kitchen, when everything is on the right place and order.

Scrub and thoroughly clean walls and ceilings if you can, if can’t, at least wipe out oil and fat stains from cooking as well as wall next to the rubbish bin.

Walls and ceilings clean 

It would be ideal if you can ask your family or friends to help you to handle walls and ceilings clean.

You can potentially do it yourself, but be ready to spent a day or 2, depending on the size of the property and your cleaning standards.

Ideally to do walls and ceilings cleaning twice a year. It will make your home healthier and will extend the life of the walls and ceilings.

Professional cleaning services are also a great solution. Professional cleaners and maids can handle walls and ceilings cleaning for you.

Most of us can afford a professional big clean of the house ones a year. Especially, when it is so important and beneficial to keep home healthy and clean for the physical and mental well-being. It is all about priorities, not a cost.

House cleaning is a priority for many people. It is fair enough, because so many aspects in life depend on the environment you are surrounded.

Also, it is not that expensive as you might think.

How much does it cost to clean walls and ceilings?

Walls and ceilings cleaning will cost you just around $15-$25.

This is the cost of tools and cleaning solutions like walls cleaner, bleach or sugar soap, depends on the walls.

Also, you might need a long mop to reach the ceilings and a special raiser for hard marks.

If you are looking for a professional maids help, walls and ceilings for one room may cost around $40-$60.

Appliances Cleaning : Oven, microwave, range hood, fridge and freezer

Winter kitchen cleaning also should include a deep oven clean, range hood clean and fridge clean as well.

Oven Clean 

Oven usually sees a lot of action.

With cooking and baking, plus preparing comfort foods for chilly days, it can become quite a sticky mess.

Cleaning your oven prevents smoking and fires and reduces strong food odors.

Admittedly this is not a fun task, but it has to be one of the most rewarding.

You don’t realise how filthy your oven has become until you clean it and then realise that the oven door actually has a window and you don’t need to open the door every time you check on dinner.

All you need for oven cleaning is an oven cleaner, rubber gloves, sponges and you are ready to go!

Simply follow the instructions on the cleaner and you’ll be done before you know it.

Clean your microwave and range hood inside and outside as well. If you like natural homemade cleaning solutions, try recipes below:

Recipe #1:

• Baking soda (3 tablespoons)
• Water (1.5 tablespoons)

Mix together baking soda and water. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Recipe #2:

• 3 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide
• 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap

Mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Apply to oven, let it sit for 20 minutes, then wipe clean.

You can also use the Recipe #1 to clean microwave and fridge.

Pay extra attention on range hood as well. You suppose to clean range hood ones per 3 months for the health and safety reasons.

Range hood cleaning can be tricky and it is not the most enjoyable thing to do.

You can easily delegate range hood cleaning to professional maids. Cleaners can handle a deep cleaning of range hood including filters.

How much does it cost to clean oven and range hood?

If you decide to get a help, you will spend around $50-$60 for a professional range hood cleaning. Similar with oven cleaning, you can ask cleaners to handle it for you too.

Winter Cleaning Tip #5: Steam Clean Carpets and Furniture

In summer and spring we keep windows opened more than in winter season.

Lots of dust comes into the house and sit on the furniture and all sorts of fabric like curtains, carpets, rugs, soft chairs.

When it is winter, we close our windows, however, dust still sits there in the furniture and other fabric.

Moreover, when the weather is humid, which is an everyday story for New Zealand, especially Auckland, apart of dust there is also bacteria growing.

Some furniture has damp and musty odor. The reason for it is Auckland climate and simply lack of care and proper cleaning.

This bacteria on damp and musty furniture and carpets courses the high chance of asthma and other respiratory issues, as well as acne, depression, anxiety and lower quality of life overall.

It is easier with curtains, you can just wash them in washing machine and that is all.

What to do with carpets and furniture?

The best way is to get a professional cleaners to vacuum and steam clean carpets and furniture.

You are most welcome to DIY, you can buy steam cleaner and learn how to use it with no hazard for the fabric, especially natural one.

Professional cleaners has the steaming machine for both carpets and furniture.

You can just pay for a service and professional cleaning team will come with right equipment and do the steam cleaning for you.

How much does it cost to steam clean carpet and furniture?

In terms of budget, if you do it yourself, the steaming machine can cost up to $450.

There are cheap ones like $49, but please Don’t go for the cheapest option, because it can damage furniture and carpet or, if not damage, it might just not work the way you expect.

Find someone who has a proper steamer to borrow or use cleaning services for it.

It can cost in average NZ$150 for professional carpet steam cleaning and around NZ$50 for small couch steam cleaning.

Health wise, it is recommended to do a steam cleaning of carpets and furniture at least ones a year. Ideally twice a year, however no more than that.

If you do a it too often, it can damage the fabric.

Winter Cleaning Tip #6: Wash the Windows inside and outside

Cleaning your windows is a big and important part of winter cleaning.

Clean windows brightens the house — a significant component for fighting the winter blues.

Winter is also an ideal time to launder all window treatments which can hold on to allergens and dust.

Another hazard to have dirty windows is that dirt and stains on the glass damage it within the time.

Regular care of windows will extend its life and good condition.

How much does it cost to clean windows?

DIY windows cleaning will include only cleaning tools and products cost as well as your time.

Lets say, cleaning solution will be around $5, cloth and T-bar tool will be aprox. $10-$13.

In terms of time, its hard to say how long exactly window cleaning is going to take since different size, amount of windows, type and condition.

Average 3 bedroom home will take around 2 – 3  hours for a proper window cleaning inside and will take around 1-2 hours for an exterior windows cleaning.

If you decide a to get professional help with windows cleaning, it might cost $90 – $300, depending on the size and condition.

For standard 3 bedrooms home it will be around $90-$130 for interior windows cleaning.

Winter Cleaning Tip #7: Chimney Sweep

If you have a fireplace at home, you’re going to want to use it in the winter.

The downside of having a real fireplace is the dirt and ash that comes with using it.

You can make cleaning the fireplace a much more manageable task if you prepare and make sure you have everything you need to keep it clean.

Firstly, it’s a really good idea to get a professional chimney sweep every year, to clean out the chimney and make sure that everything is cleared and safe before you begin using it.

Secondly, put some precautions in place to avoid any ash-stains on carpets.

Place a dark coloured or brightly patterned rug next to the fireplace, to protect the carpet.

You can also lay some fabric or protective sheeting between the floor and the log storage, or keep your logs in a lined basket.

Winter Cleaning Tip #8: Look out for hidden germs

Don’t forget to clean areas potentially harboring bacteria, from remote controls to door handles and laptops.

Often places we forget to clean, long-lasting viruses can survive for several weeks on objects like these.

Use a disinfectant or vinegar-based homemade cleaning solution to keep them clean.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Cleaning Tip #9: Clean blankets and pillows

We al Love to cozy up with a soft blanket, isn’t it? However, don’t forget to give those a clean too!

Just put them in the washing machine ones a week.

Always wash duvets and pillows separately. Set a washing machine at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius, depending on the product.

Sleep is much better covered in clean blankets. 100% guaranteed!

Winter Cleaning Tip #10: Fix any leaks

Mold loves moisture, so if you live in an area that is frequently plagued by wet winters like Auckland, seal up any leaks before winter.

If rain is getting into your home, stop the leak immediately and dry up the affected area within 24-48 hours.

If you leave it for long, be ready for molds and musty smell because bacteria is growing fast.

Also, you might need to repaint walls or ceilings if the leak damaged it.

Winter Cleaning Tip #11: Don’t forget to look underneath the furniture and clean there

It can be easy to run the hoover over the floor, mop the tiles and call it a day, but every now and then you need to give some extra attention to floor and

give a good clean to all the forgotten nooks and crannies.

Once a month or every fortnight if you can manage it, move the furniture and get the hoover nozzle under, between and behind the cupboards and other furniture.

There will be a lot of dust lying around that you are breathing in every day, and you may even find some lost things or money, it can be $5 note or coins, as well as your favourite lipstick or that earring you could never find for a while.

 

 

Winter Cleaning Tip #12: Clean all of the lamps

Lampshade is another area that is often overlooked and left to gather dust.

With the right tools this is such an easy task to tick off your list and all you need is a lint roller.

Simply run your roller gently across the surface of the lampshade and watch the dust disappear.

Make sure that the lamp is unplugged before doing this.

You can also wipe the dust out with a slightly wet cloth, or take off the lampshade and wash it, depends what material it made from.

 

 

Winter Cleaning Tip #13: Refresh the mattresses

With the average spending 8 hours asleep each night, bed is the most used furniture in the house.

Although, we clean our sheets regularly, most people don’t give any attention to the mattress itself.

 

Every few months try to include your mattress in your regular cleaning routine.

When you have stripped the bed and the sheets are in the wash, vacuum the mattress, then sprinkle some baking powder over the mattress and leave for a 2-3 hours and vacuum again.

You can also flip or turn the mattress to avoid sleeping in your body shape dent over and over again.

You can protect your mattress by investing in a mattress topper; you’ll also have an extremely comfy night’s sleep.

It might cost you $60-100, but it will last you many years and the mattress will look good for longer.

Winter Cleaning Tip #14: Hire The Pros

While some people look forward to the cold weather and anticipate following these professional tips for winter cleaning, many of us just do not have the time or just want things to be professionally done.

If you are looking for a professional help and for maids that will provide you with beautiful healthy home, try our services, Call (09) 909 6560

Our professionally trained cleaning teams can handle all your deep cleaning safely and fast.

Let us take care of the work, so you can take care of your family, and have the time to enjoy the things you love.

Call (09) 909 6560 and schedule the winter clean of your home.

 

Auckland Cleaners and Maids: Life Maid Easy Cleaning Services