With COVID abating, it’s time for deep clean

Masks are off. Kids are back in school. Spring is just around the corner. It’s time to clean the house — really clean the house.

For almost three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has kept families in their homes. There is clutter and dirt everywhere, and now that life is returning to some normalcy, the house that has kept everyone safe and warm needs to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Fernando Antonio, the owner of Ladybug Cleaning Co., says the cleaning business is booming.

“We have been busy cleaning homes the past two years and even busier now that people are comfortable having us in their homes,” he said. “The lifting of the mask mandate has made a big difference.”

Antonio believes in human interaction and talks to his customers at length to learn their needs and wants.

“I need to know the last time the house was cleaned and how many people live there and if there are any pets,” he explained. “This lets me know how long the job will take and how many people I need to send to the home.

“We live in the desert, and dust is the biggest cleaning problem found throughout all homes here. The next biggest cleaning area is the kitchen and bathroom since they are used every day, several times a day. These two areas accumulate lots of grime, debris and calcium buildup. This information gives me an idea of the condition of the home. ”

Antonio has been cleaning homes since 2017 and knows that each home is unique and each requires different attention.

He recalls one very large home that needed a lot of work and took six people about eight hours to complete the job. He has walked into luxury high-rise apartments that were filthy with pizza boxes and clothes strewn all over the place.

“There are many small homes downtown that have been renovated and are extremely clean,” he said. “So no matter if a person is rich or poor or lives in a small home or a large one, a house needs cleaning because of our constant dust and hard water buildup.

“To keep a home manageable, I suggest a good cleaning once a month. Pick up after yourself and clean the kitchen every night. This makes a monthly cleaning less time consuming and saves money.”

There are differences between a standard home cleaning and a deep clean. A deep clean entails everything from top to bottom and includes air vents, doors, baseboards, windows (tracks and sills) and cleaning inside all appliances and drawers.

“We’re there to clean your home and I don’t ask much of my customers,” he said. “There is no need to prep the house, but it’s helpful if clothes and toys are picked up and garbage removed.

“Our goal is to clean, and it’s easier when we’re not working around toys and trash and clothes. This enables us to move the sofa and chairs and clean under and around them. The same for bedrooms. Clean under the bed and behind the dresser. Then take everything off bookshelves to dust and wipe.”

Not only is this a good time to clean the house but also a good time to de-clutter. Stuff has gathered over the past two years, and a good house cleaning can’t begin with piles of paper, clothes and books on the floor, in the closet and elsewhere.

Antonio encourages people to remove or get rid of everything they don’t use on a regular basis. Less clutter not only makes future dusting easier, but it also gives the house a more relaxed environment and makes rooms look larger.

“It’s best to start with just one room and spend about 15-30 minutes there,” Antonio said. “Come back the next day and de-clutter some more. Within several days, rooms will be organized and ready for a deep cleaning. At the same time, the homeowner will recognize that removing unnecessary items throughout the year will keep them from getting overwhelmed all over again.”

And since you’re moving furniture and clearing away items to really dust and clean, then take the time to rethink the rooms when it’s time to put everything back. You may find that a chair fits better in another corner, or a family portrait looks better on a different table. The idea is to be creative while cleaning the home that will give it a fresh new look.