By Jo Ann Bayani, Schon Cleanliness Ambassador
End march is fast approaching and we at Schon Team, longtime residents of Dubai, know what it means. Summer is coming! As we have enjoyed winter season (cold weather, minus the snow), now is the perfect time to clean up the entire house before summer heat kicks in.
Does thinking of cleaning all bedrooms, closets, and putting back winter clothes (did we hear several pairs of boots, turtle necks, and winter jackets?) to their boxes makes you wonder how will you finish everything in one go?
Don’t fret! We have put together a 30-Day Schon Cleaning Challenge to guide you step by step on what you can do daily. You can set aside at least 15 to 30 minutes of your time daily and tick the boxes of what you have accomplished. This requires a push and a great motivation for those who are not so keen in doing house chores. Better if you will print this out and stick it on the fridge to see your progress.
Are you ready?
- BEDDING
After a long day, we all need to sleep and rest. We should not overlook our beds. Rotate and flip the mattresses, dry vacuum if you can, and wash the sheets.
- PILLOWS
Do you know that your pillows can make you sick? That they have lots of dust mites, germs and bacteria? We know you love your pillow so much, thus they need your care and attention too. They need a good cleaning once or twice in a year, or more, especially if you have little ones and pets. You also need to check the Care Instructions of your pillow because not all are the same. Some can be washed in washing machine and dry them up in a low setting or let them soak up the sunshine goodness here in Dubai.
- TOYS
Not just because there is this Covid 19 pandemic going on, but it is a must that we clean our kids’ toys regularly. Their toys are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. We need to make sure that we clean them with soap and warm water, or put them in washing machine if applicable, and disinfect the toys before letting the kids play with it.
- CLOSETS
When was the last time you cleaned and sorted out your closets? It will be easier for you to locate things if your closet is organized. You can also check for the things that you don’t need any more and is just occupying space. Who knows what fabulous items you might find!
- BOOKSHELVES
Do you still check out your favorite books or they are just simply there and accumulating dust? If so, now is the time! Open your books and check if there are insects eating the pages of your books! Get that microfiber cloth and dust from the top shelves to bottom. Make sure to dust your books too! If you have vacuum, much better, as you can just vacuum each and every corner of the insides of your bookshelves. And while you’re enjoying the smell of your good and clean books, go ahead and read a chapter or so of your favorite Harry Potter books or a line or two from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
- WINTER CLOTHING
Oh yes. Why are we so specific at this? Because winter is almost over! So you need to say goodbye to your puffy winter jackets, bulky winter boots (unless you still want to wear winter boots in the middle of Dubai summer chaotic heat), and store your nice winter accessories in a sturdy organizer.
- MAKE UP and SKIN CARE ITEMS
Basic rule especially for women who loves make up and skin care items: Toss anything that looks old. Always check the expiration date of the things that you put in your face (moisturizer, creamer, liquid foundation, etc). We know it is nice to have a collection of different colors of lipstick but please, unopened lipstick can stay for about five years, but used and opened ones cannot be kept for over a year.
- SHOE CLOSET
Aside from the fact that we often neglect our shoes, keeps on forgetting to polish them, we must give them justice for providing our feet comfort while walking, running, and just roaming around. Regardless how fancy or how simple our shoes are, we need to remove debris from shoes by using old toothbrush or shoe brush. Make sure to clean the shoe closet by using microfiber cloth, and then arrange the shoes nicely.
- BATHTUB AND SHOWER CURTAIN
Who wants a slimy curtain or a dirty and yellowish bathtub? Nobody. It is disgusting and unhygienic. You need to give your tub a scrub and use store bought solution or organic solution (bring out baking soda and vinegar please). With proper bathtub scrubbing and proper washing of shower curtain, cleaning once a month should be fine.
- TOILETS AND SINKS
It is easy to just flush the toilet and go, thinking that it is enough already. But our toilets and sinks require frequent cleaning and disinfecting too. E.coli and other bacteria are present in your toilet and the surrounding areas. Brisk swirling the toilet brush in the bowl with your favorite cleaner should be the start, and then clean outside the toilet, underside of the rim, and the siphon jets (we can discuss this endlessly at the next blog of course).
- AIR FILTERS
Dirty air filters can result in poor indoor air quality. These air filters collect dirt, dust, and contaminates the air and may lead to asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, and breathing problems.
- BLINDS AND CURTAINS
Blinds and curtains are not just an added decoration at home but they give us just enough sunlight, blocks dirt and dusts from outside and put window coverage when we want to. You can vacuum or wipe them, depending on how delicate the fabric is, or what is type of the material.
- RUGS, CARPETS, MATS
If you have babies or pets, vacuuming and constant washing of your rugs and mats are necessary, unless you want millions of invisible scary microorganisms crawling up to your loved ones. Sometimes, we are too tired of cleaning our carpet if it is just a minor coffee spillage but not doing anything will cause us more harm.
- LIVING ROOM
A nice, clean, organized living room looks pleasing to the eyes (and the eyes of our guests too!) Few more weeks and Ramadan will start already. Let us vacuum our upholstery and give our living room the chance to shine.
- DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS
This is very easy and will take only about 5 minutes to clean (unless you have a 30-seater dining table of course!) A quick wipe-down with your trusted microfiber cloth is enough or dry vacuuming your fabric dining chairs.
- INSIDE OF OVEN
Do you love baking pizza or roasting turkey? How many times did you use your oven and did not properly wash it after? Simply, you can make a solution with water and dishwashing liquid, soak the rack overnight, and it will be gorgeous afterwards! Don’t forget to wipe the rest.
- OUTSIDE OF OVEN AND STOVETOP
Though cleaning outside of the oven and stovetop should be done after every use, sometimes we just simply ignore it. The splashes of oil are still there and little bits of food (we hope you are not intentionally leaving it for the friendly cockroaches and rats to feast on). You can either wipe down surfaces with microfiber cloth or soapy sponge.
The same goes below:
- KITCHEN COUNTERTOP
- INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF FRIDGE
- INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF MICROWAVE OVEN
- COFFE MAKER
- POTS, PANS, AND BAKEWARE
- PANTRY AND KITCHEN CUPBOARDS
- DISHWASHER
- UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK
- MEDICINE CABINET
Make sure to always check the expiration dates of your over-the-counter medications. Get rid of those you are not using for more than 2 years already. Make sure to stock up on the essentials (pain reliever, thermometer, band aids, etc). Clean inside of your medicine cabinet with a dry cloth.
- WINDOWS AND SCREENS
Do you want to enjoy a better view? Then clean your windows! Include the screens too! It is expected that there will be a buildup of debris on your windows, sills, and frames, all the time. If you are a home owner, you must take time to keep your windows in shape as neglecting them will shorten its lifespan.
- BALCONY
If you are living in 20th floor of a building in Jumeirah Lake Towers, or 31st floor in Business Bay, then cleaning your balcony is scary and even dangerous. But as long as you have the right tools in cleaning (microfiber mop with long reach pole, duster with extension pole, or simply a mop and bucket), you will be fine.
- DOORS AND DOOR KNOBS
During this pandemic time, it is very wise to make sure that we clean and disinfect all those highly touched surfaces especially doors and door knobs. These knobs for sure collect gazillion of bacteria and germs that can easily be spread by just touching the knobs and opening the door. Clean microfiber cloth should be handy and your disinfectant solution.
- TRASH BAGS
At last, after cleaning and throwing those things that needs to be disposed in your trash bin, please make sure that you put everything in the right place and trash bags are closed to avoid the spread of bacteria and to avoid contamination and insects will not be attracted to jump and have a mini party in your area. Also, do not forget to clean the bin!
We hope that you can follow these guidelines and share your feedback with us. If it is really not possible for the lists to be ticked, you can always call us at +971 4 399 9090 and our Schon Cleaning Specialists will be happy to do it for you, anytime, any day, 7 days in a week.
Good luck and have fun!