Picture Perfect Housecleaning

When you're cleaning a room, it pays to take a few extra minutes to add some finishing touches, to improve the quality of the visual impression that the room makes. Attention to detail will make a big difference in the overall appearance of a room.

After you've finished cleaning, stop and check the picture that the room presents. The following is a list of the type of things to look for and correct. If these items have not been done, take time to make these adjustments, and then take another look at the room. You might be surprised by how much these details improve how clean and orderly the room feels. To be sure you don't miss anything, run your eyes clockwise (or counter-clockwise) around the room, then look into the center of the room.

• In carpeted rooms, do your final check before you run the vacuum cleaner.
• Curtains are hanging straight, are lined up properly (without gaps) and are evenly spaced. If the curtains are so long that the bottom is bunched up, tuck the ends back and under, and arrange the folds nicely.
• Blinds all match -- all of the blinds are open the same amount and are pointed at the same angle. If the blinds are shut, all of the blinds have the slats pointing in the same direction.
• Pictures on the wall are straightened.
• Books on shelves are tidied.
• If there is shaped paneling on the walls, the contours are wiped clear of dust.
• No fingerprints on light switches, door jams, or on windowsills and edgings.
• TV screen is clean (on non-glass screens, use a product for cleaning computer screens).
• Look high and look low, to check for cobwebs and dust on the baseboards and in corners.
• The seams of the couch cushions are aligned, and the pillows are neatly arranged. Throw blankets are folded and attractively placed.
• Magazines and papers left on tables are straightened, or fanned, in an attractive manner.
• Knick-knacks aren't crowded together and are attractively placed.
• Lampshades are straightened (if they have seams, turn those away from the living area).
• Electrical cords are tidied and tucked away, as much as possible.
• All drawers are closed, with no pieces of the contents sticking out and visible.
• Doors of furniture are closed, with handles pointing in same direction.
• Bedspreads and tablecloths are straight and evenly distributed.
• Chairs at a table and bar stools are lined up and evenly spaced (swivel bases matching).
• Throw rugs are straightened, with tags tucked out of sight. Fringe has all been pulled out from under the rugs and tangles have been removed.

Does anything in the room appear out of place, or bother you visually? If so, see if you can make an adjustment, so that that the room "feels" more comfortable. Little extra touches, such as making sure that the first Kleenex is fanned out, can complete a "house beautiful" picture. The room will look like a Realtor prepared it before showing a quality home.

When you have finished your overview and have made any changes, vacuum your way backwards out of the room, so that you don't leave footprints on top of the vacuum lines. (Plug in the vacuum close to the doorway, so you don't have to walk back over the carpet to unplug it.) Start with using the edging tool, working either clockwise or counter-clockwise around the room. Finish by vacuuming the entire room, starting at the farthest point from where you will exit. Run the vacuum in straight parallel lines, or in a fan shape back to where you are standing, as you exit.

There are some additional things to check in kitchens and bathrooms.

• Towels are tri-folded and hanging at the same length, with tags tucked out of sight.
• Counter appliances and products have been wiped clean, are lined up and neatly arranged. Faucets are centered.
• Check that there is no mold visible in the drain hole of the bathroom sink. This is an area that faces away from you, but you can see it when you look in the mirror.
• The cracks where faucets and drains are attached to the porcelain might need to be cleaned with a toothbrush.
• Around the hinges and base of the toilet are also areas that might need detail work with a toothbrush.
• Check the mirrors for streaks, both with the light on and without direct lighting. Because your peripheral vision can catch things that you miss when you are looking straight at them, move your head slowly from side to side while checking the mirror. The most common places to miss spots are the top (especially underneath the lights) and bottom edges of the mirror. Get on the same level to check these areas.
• Tops of lights over mirror are clean.

With practice, your final review and correction process will only take a little time, and the results will be noticeable. If you don't have time to detail every room of the house during the same cleaning session, focus on those rooms which are used more often and/or rotate which rooms you detail each time you clean.

As you register what types of attention to detail make a difference, and incorporate those extras into your standard cleaning routine, fewer of these last minute adjustments will be necessary. After a while, when you turn to do your final review of the rooms you have cleaned, you will say to yourself "Wow, this looks beautiful!"

I clean houses for a living, and some of my clients have made comments like "I don't know what all you clean, but somehow my home always feels cleaner after you've been here, than when I clean it myself." I feel more comfortable entertaining guests in my home after I've done this type of quality cleaning. It's satisfying to finish a cleaning job knowing that people will feel good the moment they walk into the room.

Autor: Alyssa B Bentley

Alyssa is a house cleaner for Maid Services NW, and this article was written and submitted with the express permission of her employer.

Added: February 8, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/