How to clean like a professional team—when you’re just one person?

[Anonymous]

I love how clean my wood floors, baseboards, stairs, windows and walls are after a professional cleaning team (3 people) come over. But I’m fed up with things ending up broken, dealing with logistics when two parents wfh, having to move personal items out of their way and the prohibitive cost.

Are there any tips to recreate the process and effect? I try not to gape at them but it seems like one person vacuums and another mops immediately after? I could probably convince my husband to help me if I knew what I was doing. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Use lots of chemicals and microfiber cloths, not too much water
Spray, wipe

[Anonymous]

I found a lot of good Youtube videos on cleaning and decluttering.

One of the very useful tips is that I allocate 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening daily to tidy and put things in their place. My children are messy and this helps keep the house tidy and organize which then makes it easier to clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use lots of chemicals and microfiber cloths, not too much water
Spray, wipe

also harsh chemicals that may be toxic and/or terrible for surfaces long term

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Use lots of chemicals and microfiber cloths, not too much water
Spray, wipe

also harsh chemicals that may be toxic and/or terrible for surfaces long term

My cleaning team doesn't do that. They use what I provide and I research EWG on everything.

I don't know what to tell you, OP. If I ever have to give up on our cleaning service I will ask to shadow them the last time.

[Anonymous]

Clean from top to bottom, dust/vacuum before mopping.

[Anonymous]

The first thing you need to do is invest in the right cleaning supplies. Go to a hardware store, not the grocery store or Target, and get stuff like durable rags, big high quality spray bottles, dusters for large surfaces and small spaces (with extenders to get behind furniture and in ceiling corners. I’d also get a good resource for how to clean things properly. Lots of good options but my favorites are:

How to Clean Your House (and Tidy Up Your Life)
My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag

Then you need to set aside the same time every week and develop your routines. If you take it seriously, it’s like mastering any skill— you discover efficiencies, develop methods that work best for your home, and settle into effective routines. For instance, I have a very specific way of vacuuming my home that involves moving furniture, vacuuming certain upholstery and curtains that can be maintenance cleaned this way, and getting baseboards. But it took me a while to figure it out. Now I can do the entire house in about 20 minutes.

I also learned that what works best for me is this order:

Wet cleaning (general clean of kitchen, bathrooms, anything that must be sprayed and wiped down or scrubbed)
Dirty Jobs (deep cleaning of specific challenging items, like the oven, fridge, mudroom— anything that might involve hands and knees scrubbing and specialty products)
Dry Cleaning (dusting and similar)
Floors

It works for me. No one I hire ever gets it done as well. At this point I only hire people for deep cleans, sometimes just of specific areas. The maintenance cleaning is easy fir me at this point and I know my house too well for anyone else to exceed what I can do, unless I hired a literal housekeeper.

[Anonymous]

Get a bucket and fill it with warm water and a half a capful of a general cleaner like Mrs Meyers concentrate. Or similar. Make it 2x more diluted than the bottle says. Go top to bottom around the room. Start by dusting anything not-wipeable with a swifter duster and then wipe every surface with a microfiber cloth damp from the bucket, rinsing in the bucket frequently and changing water as needed. Then vacuum. Then mop. Make sure you get doorknob and light switch areas.

[Anonymous]

Clean your shower/tub while you are in it. Before you start the shower, spray anything pink or black with a spray that includes bleach. Give it a few minutes and then take your shower. While you are in there, scrub it all over (including glass) with a nylon scrubby sponge and dish soap. Rinse with handheld shower or a cup. Squeegee the glass. Ta da!

Obviously this is not what a crew does but it’s a much easier/nicer way to clean the shower/tub. Doing it at the end of the shower means the hot water has softened everything up. It works great. If you do this once a week your shower will always be clean.

[Anonymous]

I do around 1.5 hours of cleaning every single day. I do light/spot cleaning for whole house daily. And I do a more thorough clean of one level every day. This is so that my mostly clean house remains clean. I am not a very high energy person and so if I don't clean every day, I will have a bigger mess that will tailspin me into feeling tired, anxious and overwhelmed. I actually do think that I do a more thorough and careful job than the cleaning crew.

- Everyday - I start from upstairs. Kitchen is done last.
- It also depends on what kind of material and finish you have as well as your supplies and cleaning tools. I have complete cleaning stuff on all levels of the house.
- No pets household. No smoking and no shoes indoors. My kids used to have dust allergies so I am very careful about dust.
- We have a heavy duty HEPA filter. We get our HVAC checked and filter changed twice a year. We also line the openings of our AC vents with cheese cloth to trap dust. We also run air purifiers in our bedrooms and have a whole house humidifier etc. Our mattress covers and pillow covers are allergy proofed. I open up my vents and registers once in a while and vacuum inside. I get my dryer vents cleaned every 3-4 years.
- Everyday stuff is marked - A, Deeper cleaning is marked - B


Upstairs level (all)-
- Take out all dirty clothes from all bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and sort it in the hallway. - A
- Strip bed linen and bathroom rugs and towels if you are going to change it or wash. Sort for laundry. - B
- Take out all dirty mugs, cups, spoons, bowls, plates....and put in a tray in the hallway. - A
- Empty out all the wastepaper basket and trashbins from bedrooms and bathrooms in a large trash bag that I hang at the banister of the stairs. I also have no bag-free vacuum and frequently empty it out in the trashbag.
- Change the liners of the trashbins if gross - B
- Take clothes and dishes downstairs and start laundry and dishwasher. - A

Bedroom (individual)
- Dust the walls first. Use a big clean duster and dust the walls. Microfiber works well and it will reduce your dust significantly. It is a professional cleaning trick that I learned from one of my cleaner - B
- Make bed - A
- Dust with slightly damp microfiber and use it for everything from side tables, headboards of beds, to windowsill and baseboards - B
- Use swiffer duster for blinds and light fixture - B
- Use windex and paper towels for windows and mirrors. Use magic eraser for door knobs, light switch or walls if they have dirt and handprints.
- Vacuum if carpet, sweep and mop if hard surface floor. - B
- Let the sun shine inside. So open the blinds. - A
- I also spray vodka on the mattress pads and pillows. It removes all the funky smells. - B

Bathroom (Individual)
- Toilet and toilet seat clean - A
- Sinks and counter clean - A
- Floor sweep, shake rugs - A
- Floor mop - B
- Baseboards, fixtures clean - B
- Mirror with windex - B
- Tubshroom clean - A
- Tub and glass door clean with dawn and vinegar spray - B
- Tub cleaned with scrubbing bubbles - B
- Tilex mold and mildew spray (as required) - B
- Quick spray of Lysol on toilet brush, trash bin, toilet seat, around the toilet, light switch, door knobs - B
- Cleaning the toothbrush holders, toiletries, combs, brushes, pumic stones etc are done by family members as and when required. We all have our baskets and every now and then I ask everyone to sort out and clean their stuff. It also helps to cut down cleaning time of the counter because everything goes in the baskets and I can tote it to another place. I only take care of the common stuff - bodywash, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, Q-tips, mouthwash, tissue paper and to refill the TP and poo-pourri liquid.
- Another cleaner tip - Use sink- shrooms in the most used sink (or which is being used while shaving). Clean regularly and spay with tilex to get rid of the grunge. Change every few months if it is getting gross. Use baking soda and vinegar to keep sink drain clean. And here is the best tip.
Spray some poo-pouri inside the sink drain if you have sink flies or funky smell. The citrus oil takes care of it. Do the same for your shower drain and your tub drain.

Downstairs level (B) -
- Shake all rugs and floor mats out. Roll and keep on one side.
- Use a duster to dust the walls. The material of the duster should be such that the dust gets trapped so microfiber or . Let dust settle down.
- Clean the windows with windex, moldings, lamp-shades, picture-frames, fans use the swiffer duster.
- Use the handheld attachments of the vacuum to vacuum the sofas, spray with vodka to remove any smell.
- Vacuum floor first and then mop.
- Dust last. By this time most of the dust that fell from from the walls or by vacuuming etc has settled. Use microfiber with appropriate cleaning solution - water, windex etc to wipe the dust.
- Use shark mop to steam mop floors.
- Put the carpets, rugs etc back in place.


The hardest part of the house to clean is by far the kitchen. . If you want to do a very deep clean including all the appliances, fridge, pantry etc - it is a full day work. So break it up. Tackling a drawer or cabinet every two days will keep you sane. The same goes for the fridge. Don't try to clean the entire fridge in one day. Clean only a drawer or shelf every other day. Some cleaning has to happen every day or even after every meal.

Kitchen -
- Dishes first. You need to make space in the sink first to start cleaning. - A
- Use a sink drain strainer to minimize food particles going into the sink. Even if you have a garbage erator. Remember, your sink is not a garbage dump. Don't dump leftovers in it. You must scrape out food, tea bags, oil into a trash bag to discard it. - A
- Remove the grate and the burners on the stove top and clean it. Spray the stove top too. - B
- NOTE ==If your stove is very dirty then cleaning it can mean using very harsh chemicals or harsh methods. I will suggest that if you have a self cleaning oven, you have to watch some youtube channels to figure out how to do it safely. I prefer using Easy Off when needed but in a well ventilated area. It is easier to clean as you go. I would suggest watching AuriKatrina on how to clean with easy off and cling wrap.
- On a clean stovetop (I have gas burners) line with aluminum foil so that all the messes are contained on the aluminium foil. - AS NEEDED.
- If you have very greasy grates and burners - put them in a trash bag and spray with easy off outside the house and let it remain in the trash bag for an hour or so. Use paper towels to carefully wipe them, making sure that you do it outside the house to minimize exposure to fumes. Discard the paper towels, any newspaper you used to line your work area and the trashbag in the trash. This is all very toxic chemicals so use responsibly. - AS NEEDED.
- Throw or compost the kitchen trash - A
- Clean the vent filters in the dishwasher - (Weekly at the minimum)
- Clean the Dish Washer filter and run with some vinegar - B
- Spray and wipe down all cabinets. - B
- Clean and arrange one drawer or cabinet in the kitchen every 2 days. Same goes for shelf or drawer in the fridge. Doing just one is not scary or overwhelming - B.
- Use vinegar, baking soda, dish washing fluid, scraper to clean your tea kettles, toaster ovens, coffee machines etc. Follow manufacturers recommendations - AS NEEDED
- Boil water in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave, Let the steam soften the splatters inside and then wipe. - A
- Sweep the floors and mop with a shark steam mop - A
- Scrub your sink, run the garbage erator, use comet/power paste/baking soda/magic eraser - to clean your sink every night and wipe with the microfiber cloth. - A

Once your house is clean (maybe it takes a few weeks)...if you are cleaning every day, I promise you that you will always have a clean house. But, you do have to clean every day and you do have to have the proper cleaning tools. You also have to take care of your cleaning tools. So for example, I have three shark vacuums and I will frequently wash the filters, detangle the roller brush, wash and dry the canisters, wipe down the machine, so that I am taking care of my tools. Same for my microfiber cleaners, my steam mop etc.

Areas like - pantry, garage, gym room. basement, laundry room, bar area - these get cleaned once every 6 months or so.

I personally believe that there are 5 tasks that need to be done every day regardless of whatever else is happening - because it very quickly spirals to unmanageable hoarder level of mayhem for us - 1) dishes, 2)taking out trash and recyclables 3) laundry (washing and folding) 4) Making beds (biggest piece of furniture in a bedroom - ie biggest eyesore if not made), 5) Paperwork (bills, recycling, action items).

My suggestion for anyone who wants a mostly clean house most of the time, it is easier to keep a clean house clean. So my 2 cents -
- Pay a cleaning company to deep clean once or twice or thrice.
- Pay an organizer to organize and declutter if you have chronic cleaning issues
- Pay a handyman to fix the broken stuff in your house
- Get rid of half your stuff. Don't buy more stuff
- You have to clean every day because that is the only way it will get done. Make it your routine.
- Get your family to contribute in cleaning. I have a very simple rule with my family. I don't expect them to life a finger to help me clean, but, if they dirty something that I have cleaned, I expect them to clean it up immediately.
- Get the right tools and right cleaning supplies.


Hope it helps.

[Anonymous]

^^ holy crap! I'm particular about cleanliness, but that is next level! How can you do that in an hour and a half?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clean from top to bottom, dust/vacuum before mopping.

+1
I do the same.

As regards to dust/vacuum, mopping that you have written - I do it a bit differently. I have to really minimize dust and pollen for my kids.

I dust the big areas (walls, windows, fans, light fixtures, ceilings ) with microfiber cloth, or swiffer duster (as it traps dust) first, then I sweep (or vacuum) the floors and soft furnishings, then I steam mop the floors. All of this considerably lessens the dust. Finally, I go back to damp dusting (with a microfiber) all the furniture, ledges, and other areas that I can reach easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ holy crap! I'm particular about cleanliness, but that is next level! How can you do that in an hour and a half?

I know!!! OMG 😳 I don’t have the time to type up that list let alone do that stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ holy crap! I'm particular about cleanliness, but that is next level! How can you do that in an hour and a half?

It seems like this, no? As I said before - I am low energy and I am not being cute here. I only ever do a level a day. I am really cleaning a very clean house. Daily maintenance is not hard. I have also figured out my household and what works and does not work, so I have a routine now that is like meditation.

That is why my recommendation is to get cleaners to deep clean your house first - maybe more than once. Have concrete and easy mitigation methods in place to cut down dust, grime and clutter. And then make cleaning a routine - a daily task. I don't deviate from it.

I don't work with great speed. I am in my 50s. I am also a lazy person inherently. So the only way I am not a wreck or my house is not a dump is by not letting things get out of hand. Cleaning a clean house is not overwhelming. Earlier, with a cluttered house or a dirty house, I used to frequently freeze up and not know where to start. I suspect, I am an undiagnosed ADD person. Now, it is all easy because I put in the time every day, the work is straight-forward, I have my efficiencies baked, the very clean house actually remains clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ holy crap! I'm particular about cleanliness, but that is next level! How can you do that in an hour and a half?

It seems like this, no? As I said before - I am low energy and I am not being cute here. I only ever do a level a day. I am really cleaning a very clean house. Daily maintenance is not hard. I have also figured out my household and what works and does not work, so I have a routine now that is like meditation.

That is why my recommendation is to get cleaners to deep clean your house first - maybe more than once. Have concrete and easy mitigation methods in place to cut down dust, grime and clutter. And then make cleaning a routine - a daily task. I don't deviate from it.

I don't work with great speed. I am in my 50s. I am also a lazy person inherently. So the only way I am not a wreck or my house is not a dump is by not letting things get out of hand. Cleaning a clean house is not overwhelming. Earlier, with a cluttered house or a dirty house, I used to frequently freeze up and not know where to start. I suspect, I am an undiagnosed ADD person. Now, it is all easy because I put in the time every day, the work is straight-forward, I have my efficiencies baked, the very clean house actually remains clean.

The only things I fully reject from this OP’s list are letting anyone (myself included) have dishes upstairs (especially if I am supposed to collect them later) and cleaning bathrooms every day. I think that’s overkill.