subject: Cleaning Your House Professionally For A Showing [print this page] If you are selling your house, a time comes when you need to show your home to potential buyers. If you want to interest them as much as possible, you need to be sure to have your home cleaned to complete perfection.
However, you do not need to spend a fortune to have professional come in to do it. You can do it yourself with the right supplies and the right attitude!
First, dress comfortably and always wear tennis shoes. You will be getting into showers and tubs full of chemicals, and you want your feet protected.
Grab all the small rugs, bath mats, etc. and take outside to shake and air out while you do the house. After the general decluttering and de-dusting (not the deep dusting...yet), grab your caddy and a couple of rags and head to the biggest bathroom.
In the bathroom, move all stuff out of your way! Put it on the floor in the hall, out of the bathroom.
This includes knick-knacks on the counter, toothbrush holder (which can be put into dishwasher, BTW), bathtub toys, shampoo bottles, etc. Get that vanity, tub, and toilet cleared off.
Then sweep out the whole bathroom with your dustmop. Get into every nook and cranny.
It is easier to deal with all that hair now, while it is dry. Now glove, then spray everything down with a strong cleaner, then sprinkle with a disinfecting powder.
Wait a few seconds, then go to town on that vanity/counter/sink. Use elbow grease and a rag to get it glimmering.
Suds up the whole counter, faucet, etc. Then rinse, rinse, and rinse again.
Do not leave one speck of residue. Do not forget to rinse very well.
Continue on with tub, shower, and toilet same way. Suds up everything, scrub, and rinse well.
Use your rinsed out rag to wipe door frames, door knobs, light switch, and outlet plates, towel racks, shelves, etc. Squirt with bleach if needed.
When you are done with the tub and shower, hit the toilet from tank to base. Get your face down in that toilet.
Stick your rubber gloved hand in there with your rag and scrub every inch in that bowl. Work your way out all around outside of bowl and base.
Squirt Clorox around the base if needed. Use a toothbrush-do not worry about sloshing water on the floor, you'll get it up in a little bit.
Do the seat, tank, lid, etc. Squirt bleach on the bolts for the lid, too and use the toothbrush there.
Do not leave a single hair or speck of grime. When all is shining, dry it all with a larger rag.
This is an often neglected but important step. It really brings on the shine.
Dry the vanity and sink, paying special attention to getting the chrome shiny, then the shower, tub, and toilet. Then pour a little liquid disinfectant into the toilet bowl.
Now spray the mirror down with a glass cleaner. Use a double thickness of flat paper towel and get the mirror shining and streak free.
Now use that damp paper towel to further shine the faucet (if needed after drying) and wipe all the "stuff" that you set in the hall. Nothing should get put back in without being wiped -- the shampoo bottle and everything.
When all is in place, wipe the trash can clean and then coat it with a little Pledge or floor wax so it will not be so tough to shine next time. Now, go back to the toilet bowl with the disinfectant in it.
You will use this to clean the floor. You may be thinking, "clean the floor from the toilet?!?"
If you did the job right, that toilet should be just as sanitary as the kitchen sink! Get your gloves back on, stick your rag back in the commode, and get it all cleaned up.
Wring, then get to work on the floor and baseboards (farthest from the door first). If the toilet water gets too grimy, flush, refill with Lysol, and continue on.
Wipe your way out of the bathroom, then put all those yucky used rags in an old plastic bag. You have now conquered the worst room in the house!
Now on to the rest of it. Your home will be ready to show in no time!
