The new year is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start at home. After Christmas and the festive season, you may be left with everything from crumbs and muddy footprints to tired-looking carpets and a kitchen that has seen plenty of use.
A thorough New Year clean can help you reset your home and tackle some of the jobs that get missed during everyday cleaning. Rather than trying to do everything at once, use these simple New Year cleaning tips to work through your home one area at a time.
Make a New Year cleaning plan
Before you start cleaning, decide which areas of your home need the most attention. Breaking your New Year clean into smaller jobs can make the whole process feel much more manageable.
You could begin by decluttering cupboards, wardrobes and surfaces, putting away Christmas decorations and getting rid of things you no longer need. It’s also a good opportunity to check your cleaning equipment and replace any worn-out tools, filters or accessories.
Once you’ve decluttered, work from the top of each room down. Dust shelves and higher surfaces first, clean furniture and upholstery next, then finish with the floors so you can vacuum up any dust and debris that’s fallen along the way.
Give your home a thorough vacuum
Your regular vacuuming routine might concentrate on the most visible areas, so use your New Year clean as an opportunity to tackle some of the places you normally miss.
Move furniture where possible and vacuum underneath sofas and beds, around skirting boards and along the edges of rooms. Don’t forget stairs, upholstery and other areas where dust, crumbs and pet hair can accumulate.
A lightweight Vax cordless vacuum cleaner can make it easier to move between rooms and tackle areas up high and down low. Depending on your model, attachments such as crevice tools, dusting brushes and pet tools can help you reach awkward spaces around your home.
Refresh your kitchen after Christmas
If your kitchen has worked overtime during the festive season, the new year is a good time to give it some extra attention.
Start by clearing and wiping down worktops, cupboard fronts and other frequently touched surfaces. You can also tackle appliances such as your hob and oven, following the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions for each appliance.
Depending on the model and attachments, a Vax steam cleaner can be used to help clean a range of suitable surfaces around the kitchen. Steam cleaning can help loosen dirt and grime without relying on additional cleaning chemicals.
Always check that a surface or appliance is suitable for steam cleaning before getting started and follow the instructions for both your appliance and steam cleaner.
Deep clean your carpets
Regular vacuuming is essential for picking up everyday dust, dirt, crumbs and pet hair, but it doesn’t replace an occasional deeper carpet clean.
Christmas parties, visitors, pets and muddy shoes can all take their toll on your carpets. A New Year clean is therefore a great opportunity to tackle dirt and stains that may have accumulated during the festive season.
A Vax carpet cleaner washes deep into your carpets to help remove embedded dirt and leave them looking and feeling refreshed. For smaller spills and stains, a Vax SpotWash spot cleaner can help you target individual areas without cleaning the entire carpet.
Always use a suitable carpet cleaning solution and check your carpet manufacturer’s care instructions before deep cleaning.
Don’t forget your hard floors
Hard floors can see plenty of traffic over Christmas, particularly in hallways, kitchens and other busy areas of the home.
Start by vacuuming or sweeping thoroughly to remove loose dirt, crumbs, dust and pet hair. Once the loose debris has been removed, you can give suitable hard floors a more thorough clean.
Vax offers a range of hard floor cleaners designed to make looking after your floors easier. Always check which cleaning method is suitable for your particular flooring before you begin.
Tackle Christmas spills and stains
Spilled drinks, dropped food and muddy footprints are all part of a busy Christmas, but some stains might still be hanging around when January arrives.
The sooner a spill is dealt with, the better. Avoid rubbing a fresh stain, as this can push it further into carpet or upholstery fibres. Instead, remove any excess and follow the appropriate cleaning instructions for the affected material.
For stubborn spots and stains on suitable surfaces, a Vax spot cleaner provides a convenient way to target smaller areas including carpets, rugs, stairs and upholstery.
Clean the places you normally forget
A New Year deep clean is a good opportunity to tackle the less obvious areas that can easily be overlooked during your normal cleaning routine.
Think about the tops of cupboards, underneath furniture, skirting boards, radiators, windowsills, behind doors and the corners of rooms. These areas can gradually collect dust and debris even when the rest of the room looks clean.
Working systematically from room to room can help make sure you don’t miss anything, and means you get the satisfaction of ticking each space off your New Year cleaning list.
Keep your home cleaner throughout the year
Once your New Year deep clean is complete, a simple routine can help you keep on top of things throughout the year.
Deal with spills when they happen, vacuum high-traffic areas regularly and occasionally tackle the areas that don’t form part of your everyday cleaning routine. Keeping your cleaning tools and appliances maintained and ready to use can also make those everyday jobs quicker and easier.
Vax Staff