When to Schedule the Toughest Home Cleaning Tasks

You are probably aware of which household cleaning tasks should be completed daily or weekly. Everyone does the dishes, wipes down the kitchen counter and vacuums up dog hair regularly. But what about the slightly more complicated tasks? Taking care of bigger cleaning items, like checking the chimney or pressure-washing the driveway, takes a little more planning and time. 

Here is a guide to scheduling the toughest home cleaning tasks on a monthly, yearly and seasonal basis.

Monthly

Every 3-4 weeks, take time to perform a couple of tasks to keep things in your home running smoothly. If you cook less often, you may be able to push some of these responsibilities back a few weeks, but it’s always better to just get it done rather than procrastinate!

Freezer and Fridge

Your fridge can get dirty fast. We tend to ignore the stains on the shelves or spilled food in the produce drawer. The same goes for the freezer, where maybe some frozen peas have spilled out, and no one took the time to clean them up.

Cleaning your fridge and freezer monthly or bi-monthly keeps the appliances clean and allows you to see if there is anything that needs to be thrown out. Fridge doors can quickly get clogged with expired condiments and old sodas, so be sure to check regularly for any items that are no longer good. 

Yearly

Even though yearly tasks only occur annually or semi-annually, they can be some of the most time-consuming. For example, you may mop your floors every few days, but that process only takes a few minutes. Cleaning your chimney or fireplace, on the other hand, is more sporadic, but the process takes hours and often involves hiring a professional. 

Nonetheless, these tasks are crucial to keeping your household safe and healthy. You can clean your gutters once a year or every few months, depending on the foliage around your house and the rain you get annually.

Fireplace and Chimney

If you have a fireplace or chimney in your home, check your chimney regularly for creosote, a highly toxic, tar-like substance. Creosote buildup is a leading cause of chimney fires. Most chimney cleaning will require a professional service, so you will want to hire a chimney sweep. Be sure to look for a certified company, which ensures they can perform a routine safety check and provide maintenance updates that keep you and your family safe.

Gutters

Let’s face it — no one likes cleaning the gutters. There is nothing pleasant about digging through slimy leaves and other debris, all while balancing on a ladder. However, cleaning your gutters is crucial to keeping your home safe and preventing more expensive fixes down the line. If you let your gutters get too clogged, fixing them will be astronomically more expensive than the few hours it takes to clean them out. 

Be sure to use the right ladder, wear long sleeves and gloves and consider putting a tarp on your lawn so you can easily transport debris to your compost pile or another area. Cleaning your gutters on an annual or semi-annual schedule also allows you to check for any damage or cracks in them, which are much easier to fix by hand.

Seasonally

Depending on your climate, certain tasks will occur seasonally. If you live in a temperate zone, you probably encounter a decent amount of hot weather days, followed by cold, snowy ones. The tasks below, like pressure cleaning and washing your drapery, are tough cleaning tasks you should do seasonally, whenever there is a significant temperature change. 

While washing your drapery may not seem like a dire task, keeping dust and germs out of your curtains is definitely something you want to take care of before being inside for most of the winter.

Driveway and Deck

Unlike your kitchen floor, you probably aren’t always aware of just how dirty your driveway can get. After all, it’s a driveway, right? If you have a concrete or cement mix driveway, it is crucial to clean it regularly to keep debris and other detritus from making cracks in your pavement. 

To keep it clean and safe, pressure-wash your driveway regularly using a rented machine or professional service. If you have a patio or deck, go ahead and pressure-wash those areas too. Doing this every summer can keep your outdoor surfaces clean and prepare them for a fall and winter season ahead.

Drapery

While we try to change our bedsheets regularly, most people forget that curtains need washing too. You may think your drapery is a low-impact area since you and your family aren’t constantly touching or sitting on them like your couch. But curtain fabric needs to be cleaned seasonally to prevent a buildup of bacteria, dust and other pollutants.

To make the process easier, consider washing your curtains when you take down your light summer linens and hang up lined, heavy-duty fabrics.

Taking Care of Home Cleaning Throughout the Year

Cleaning your gutters or pressure-washing your driveway may not be the most exciting tasks, but they are crucial to the health of your home and property. Taking care of these tough home cleaning jobs will keep your household safe. Perform these projects monthly, yearly and seasonally for the optimal effect.

About The Author: Holly Welles is a home & garden writer. She shares more advice on creating beauty in your home on her own blog, The Estate Update, and on Twitter.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash