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Surface Cleaning

Wipe down all surfaces and counters throughout the house, disinfecting as necessary. 

Pro tip: Be sure to wipe down all places that fingers touch, like door handles, light switches, TV remotes and phones. “Those are the places that people forget, and they really hold germs,” 

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Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit

Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit
No pro cleaner likes to carry around too many supplies. Their five must-haves:

1. A 20-pack of microfiber towels (wash ’em as needed). Make sure to buy good-quality cloths, usually around $1 per cloth from a discount store, and never wash with dryer sheets or fabric softener. Pro tip: Before using a cleaning product for dusting, try just warm water and the microfiber.

2. A microfiber mop. On a tight budget, it’s cheaper and less wasteful than disposable mops. Pro tip: Great for picking up dust in high and low corners.

3. A nylon-bristle broom. It doesn't splatter walls or lose its bristles. Pro tip: Sweep your rug. It often works better than a vacuum.

4. A Shammy. A synthetic version of the traditional chamois cloth, this rubbery, hyper-absorbent towel is great for soaking up water and quickly buffing counters and furniture. Pro tip: Run a dry Shammy over a couch or floor to pick up pet hair.

5. A backpack vacuum. Professional cleaners love backpack-style vacuums because they’re gentle on back muscles and make it easy to move quickly from room to room. Pro tip: Look beyond the floor. It’s easy to quickly vacuum shelf surfaces, mantels, railings and inside drawers if you use lightweight hand extensions.

Kitchen and Bathroom

Walk through and spray cleaner on tubs, sinks and toilets. Return and scrub. Then, in the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, and cabinet and appliance doors. Sweep floors, then mop or scrub the bathroom and kitchen floors, and any other floor that needs it.

 Pro tip: “I always do bathroom floors on my hands and knees with a microfiber cloth and cleanser". “That’s how I know that I got every corner, even behind toilets, and that they’re 100% disinfected.”

Floors and dust

Nothing worse than dust and a dirty floor it can instantly put a buyer off.

Dust before hoovering or cleaning the floor. Try feather or lambswool dusters, especially extendible ones for reaching above window and door casings and into corners. Household rags are invaluable for jobs requiring a damp cloth – natural fibres work best. 

 Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism (great for vinyl, linoleum or ceramic tile floors) and a decent-size heavy-duty bucket one with a measuring scale, helps get soap-to-water ratios correct. 

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