What your grandmother might have called “spring cleaning” has acquired a far less friendly sounding name: deep cleaning. True, there is something satisfying about the thought of relaxing in a deep cleaned house, in which every dark corner has been scrubbed and every dust particle banished. But are you up for scraping out the biohazards in the back of the refrigerator or scrubbing the floor around your toilet? Take this little quiz to see if you’re the deep cleaning type.
1. I like to clean my tile grout:
a.) when I scrub my shower every Saturday.
b.) when it starts to look a little dingy.
c.) when I notice black stuff growing on it.
d.) I’m supposed to clean my tile grout?
2. I can’t see the tops of my doors, but:
a.) I still dust them once every six months.
b.) I swat at any stuff hanging down from them with a broom.
c.) I look up at them occasionally and think: “I should dust those.
d.) I don’t care because no one else but an NBA center can see them either.
3. When I notice my baseboards are really dusty:
a.) I take the first opportunity to wash them with mild soapy water.
b.) I run the vacuum cleaner brush attachment over them.
c.) I sigh and wipe the worst off with a tube sock.
d.) I figure it’s taken me this long to notice, no one else will either.
4. I clean my dryer vent:
a.) every three months.
b.) every October as part of my fire prevention month routine.
c.) every few years.
d.) –wait, what? Is that really a thing?
5. When my carpets get a little musty:
a.) I call a professional carpet cleaner to really do it right.
b.) I rent a steam cleaner from the grocery and battle it out.
c.) I throw down a little powdered deodorizer and vacuum.
d.) I move.
6. If I see that my sofa has gotten dingy I know it’s time to
a.) get it professionally cleaned to extend its life.
b.) hit the worst of it with upholstery cleaner.
c.) turn the cushions upside down to the clean side.
d.) donate it to Goodwill.
7. When I clean a room:
a.) I start at the top and work down, including washing windows.
b.) I run the vacuum thoroughly, dust, and call it a day.
c. ) I de-clutter and vacuum the high traffic part.
d.) I usually get overwhelmed and have to get a Snickers bar.
If you answered most questions “a”—congratulations! You’re already a deep cleaner!
If you answered predominantly “b” you definitely have potential, you just need that little spark to get you going!
If you answered mostly “c” you might consider farming out your deep house cleaning chores to a professional.
If you answered mostly “d” you might actually need a haz-mat team!