Deep Cleaning Your House: A Room-By-Room Guide Deep Cleaning Your House- A Room-By-Room Guide | Page 24

Solution: Treat spills as soon as they happen and you’ll often avoid a stain
altogether. Then, at least once a month, inspect your carpet in every room and
deal with any stains you find.
Not polishing your front door hardware.
Problem: Curb appeal starts at your front door. Nothing says “nice place” to
potential buyers like the brilliant gleam of a polished brass door knocker,
handle, and kickplate. If ignored by the homeowner, though, brass fixtures will
corrode and can become permanently damaged.
Solution: Keep door hardware in good shape by regularly dislodging dirt and
grime with a toothbrush or the dust attachment on your vacuum cleaner. (Use
mineral spirits, known as white spirits in the UK, and a toothbrush to remove
stubborn grease.) Once a week, wash your door fixtures with soapy water
then rinse well to remove any residue.
Letting grout get greasy or discolored.
Problem: No one enjoys cleaning grout. Unfortunately, it’s very porous so
ignoring it can lead to permanent discoloration. In the kitchen, every time you
fry or sautee food it sends grease into the air that eventually settles onto your
flooring. In the bathroom, improper ventilation leads to mold and mildew
growth on grout.
Solution: Using a splatter screen when you’re cooking helps reduce grease
splatters. Running bathroom fans for 10 minutes after every shower keeps
humidity from causing mold and mildew. Using a homemade daily shower
spray also helps. Even if your weekly cleaning routine addresses these areas,
get in the habit of scrubbing grout every month or so to remove discoloration.
Not cleaning appliances regularly.
Problem: Buyers are already shelling out considerable money when
purchasing a home; they don’t want to have to buy new appliances, too.
Allowing your ceramic cooktop to get stained, ignoring the baked-on food
coating your oven’s heating element, or allowing grease to build up on
appliance fronts will all turn off potential buyers.