The kids are heading back to school and it’s time to give your home a little cleaning TLC. During the summer it’s easy to become more relaxed with our cleaning routines since the kids, family, friends, and neighbors are stopping by more frequently to hangout and we are often gone on family vacations. With doors being constantly opened and closed and traffic coming in and out of your home it’s been exposed to higher volumes of dirt, grime, dust, and pollen. Now that the revolving door has slowed you can focus on some house cleaning tasks before fall sets in. Here are a few helpful tips and ideas to get your home back into tip-top shape for the school year.

Conduct a Thorough Clean

Once the school year starts and the kids are back in school tackle a part of your home you’d like to clean each week. This could include bathrooms, bedrooms, playrooms, and main living spaces. After a relaxing summer, you may be surprised how much dirt can build up.  

Clean Your Carpet and Upholstery

Opening windows and doors all summer long has been refreshing but with the outside air coming in that also means more dirt, pollen, and other airborne allergens have entered your home and settled in. Since these things accumulate on the furniture, carpet, and hardwood, it’s a good idea to have your carpets and upholstery cleaned.

Doormats and Runners Help Keep Dirt Out

With the consistent traffic in your home, dirt, grass, and other outside debris have been tracked in. Be sure to shake mats and runners to free them from the build-up of dust and dirt that has been tracked into your home. Now that the kids are back to school, establish a no-shoes policy when the family gets home. This will help cut down on the amount of dirt and pollen enters your home. Also, place a shoe basket or doormat near the entrance of your home to encourage others to follow the no-shoe rule whenever they come over. 

Closet Cleaning

As your family has been coming and going this summer, typically the front hall and maybe other closets have especially become a dumping ground for all kinds of stuff. You’ll want to clean and sort the closets and or mudroom and reorganize making it easy for everything to have a specific spot to go when the kids get home. Also, you might start to clean out bedroom closets in preparation for the upcoming change in weather as well. It’s easier when things like jackets, backpacks, shoes, and musical instruments all have a place to go and aren’t scattered all over the house. 

Create a House Cleaning Checklist for the Kids

We all get a little lax about doing chores during the summer. Back to school is the perfect time to establish routines and give the kids some responsibility in helping you out around the home and making time for household chores again. Start simple with having them clean their rooms, make beds, take out the garbage, put dishes away, fold laundry, and then build from there. Keep your kids motivated by making chores a fun family effort and maybe even establish a reward system. For some fun kid cleaning games, check out one of our recent blogs. 

Now that the kids are back in school, take this opportunity to clean the house before the cooler fall weather sets in. If your busy schedule prevents you from doing a thorough fall house cleaning or you could use some additional help to get it all done, give 208 Cleaning Co. a call and ask us about our professional cleaning services.