So, you’ve graduated to your own apartment – congratulations!
Whether you’re living in a small Milwaukee apartment or a luxury unit in London, you’ll still need to learn a few things about cleaning.
Now, even though everything might look clean after a cursory examination, there are six areas you definitely need to pay attention to now.
Take a look, and get this work done before you are too comfortable settled into your new place.
Bathroom
We’re not telling you anything new when we mention that bathrooms can be full of pathogens, and in the case of your new apartment, those bacteria, fungi and viruses may have belonged to someone else.
Just as you would not want to take a bath in someone else’s tub water, you don’t want to use the bathroom facilities until everything has been sanitized.
We know that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are quick fixes, but we recommend a thorough cleaning with a chlorine-based product that will eliminate the greatest percentage of harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Also, be on the lookout for stained ceilings and walls because pesky mould might be lurking behind.
Appliances
Some appliances like your oven might be self-cleaning, but you still need to dial in the self-cleaning program and press the proper buttons.
After an oven has completed a self-cleaning cycle, you may still need to wipe up dust and debris left from the process.
While you would think that a washing machine would clean itself every time, this just isn’t true. Look for products that you can add to a washing cycle sans clothes that will take care of the problem.
The same is true for your apartment’s dishwasher. Most of these units have a filter that needs to be cleaned regularly, and in some hard-water locales, it would behove you to run a wash cycle with an empty machine after you have added a limescale remover.
Ductwork
Some people choose to just leave their ductwork alone.
Even though it may be full of caked-on dust, animal hair and pet dander, they just figure they have been living with the situation for years and do not want to disturb anything.
You may be well-served by contacting a duct-cleaning contractor for a quotation.
Prudent new apartment dwellers will even get three different price quotes and compare them before deciding whether to have the job done.
Windowsills
Have you ever woken up on a cold but sunny day to find giant flies traversing your hallways?
This sometimes happens when adult flies lay eggs in the fall; these eggs then lie dormant until a late-winter sun hits them and the result is instant insects.
A thorough windowsill cleaning with a vacuum and a good sanitizer can help solve this problem.
Dryer Vent
Lint-clogged dryer vents cause many fires yearly.
Even if your dryer vent has a short run straight to the outdoors, you need to pull your dryer out and remove any accumulated lint from the vent ducts.
Be sure to wear a mask when you are completing this task.
Refrigerator And Freezer
Finally, while refrigeration is great, it in itself does not kill harmful bacteria and it’s best to start your apartment rental term with a sparkling clean unit, so empty the unit and clean it properly.
A deep cleaning may not be the most pleasant job you do, and if you are really opposed to the work, contract with a reputable service to help you.
Again, it’s good to start your tenure clean!
