By RentWise Property Management - Tuesday, April 6, 2021
There's no hiding that due to COVID-19, everyone's lives have been turned upside down. We are working from home more, our children are learning virtually from home, and as people, we are juggling schedules that need flexibility. Some people have spent the last year building a cleaning list that would put some housekeepers to shame. The need to organize and the need to clean has been a massive topic over this last year. But some have found it completely overwhelming. Not knowing where to start, how to stay focused are some issues we have seen with new renters, so we wanted to put together ideas and cleaning tips to help. As a renter, it's essential to keep your home tidy, since after all, it's something you are renting and eventually will move out of. Keeping your home neat and clean not only keep germs away but it keeps your home in good condition, which generally will enable the return of your deposit you put down when you first signed your lease. It also keeps your relationship with your property manager and/or owner in a good place if you have inspections. Here's a couple of ideas to get you started and hopefully make your job a tad easier.
Create a schedule
Breaking down the list of all your "to-do's" can be really overwhelming when you dump them in one extensive list and then try to tackle them. However, when you make this "master list," we have found that it makes it easier to get a clearer picture of what exactly are must-do's, what can be seasonal, and what can be things that you can put off when you have free time. When you have those items broken down, you want to categorize them even more. You can organize your cleaning schedule by the following:
Every day tasks
These tasks usually are considered things that are used daily and should be kept clean. For example, items can include dishes, kitchen counters, garbage, and daily pick-up items such as clothes, shoes, and trash. Doing all these sounds basic, right? But you'd be surprised to many people it's something that they feel can be "put off." But in all actuality, this makes getting into more significant cleaning tasks way more manageable.
Weekly tasks
Here's where we suggest breaking down your cleaning tasks not only by the week but by room, and by doing this, you can assign each room by day. When you categorize it like this, you can keep yourselves more focused on exactly what you need to do versus getting sidetracked by other items, and then before you know it, you never got to what you really hoped to have accomplished. For example, you can assign each day of the week a room and then list the specific quick cleans in that room. Let's say Thursday is living room day- that can easily consist of straighten and organize shelves, dust furniture, and blinds, sweep/mop/vacuum floors, declutter, clean mirrors/windows.
Seasonal tasks
Seasonal cleaning tasks need to be cleaned but most likely don't have to be done monthly. These items usually fall under a more extensive or deep clean. For example, wiping down baseboards, wipe walls down, clean carpets, amongst other things. You can also expect to throw in actual seasonal items you might find outside your home, clearing gutters out, sweeping the porch, clearing any spider webs you might discover, etc.
Annual tasks
Annual cleaning tasks are the ones that can really keep you occupied for a while. Organizing closets, basements, labeling boxes, going through and purging items such as toys, tools, clothes, and decor. You can also take this time annually to go through old papers and safely and correctly discard them. We hope this is of some help to you. Cleaning tasks aren't always for the faint of heart, but you can do them without too much stress if you keep them organized and straightforward. If you're looking for more complex ways to create a cleaning schedule, check out this helpful resource.If you are currently looking to rent a home, we would love to chat! Take a look at our current availabilities that are updated daily. back
