You’re staged to sell. Are you cleaned to sell?
Clean houses
sell faster than less-than-sparkling ones, because buyers love a property that looks like the
professional cleaning crew just left.
I know that deep cleaning is hard work. Keeping the essential tools and equipment at hand makes the tasks easier, faster, and more
thorough.
Here’s a run-down of cleaning tools that will help you sell your home. I compiled this list based on my own experience and the advice I’ve
researched from professionals and other neat-freaks.
Caddy
An equipment caddy is like your purse. Get one you like to look at, and stock it with
your favorite cleaning solutions. Keep it clean, organized, and handy.
Some people like to store a caddy on each floor of the home, or in each bathroom.
Microfiber cloths
Who isn’t a fan?! These miracle cloths are
so effective at capturing and holding dust and dirt that they make harsh cleaning products unnecessary for many of your ordinary cleaning jobs. For wiping down
doors and trim, give me a bucket of plain water and a microfiber cloth, and let
the games begin! Easy.
For big, reusable microfiber cloths at the best price, look
in the automotive section of Wal-Mart.
Rags
I use rags for spot cleaning carpets, sopping up major
spills, and tackling nasty jobs like wiping down porch railings or the
undersides of a range hood. Disposable paper towels are temptingly easy but can
get very expensive.
Did you know that paper towels can actually scratch some
surfaces, like Plexiglas and other plastics? And paper towels are no friend of
the environment.
Got orphan socks? Cut them in half lengthwise, and use them
for cleaning. They’re soft, absorbent, and reusable. Old T-shirts, cloth diapers, and worn-down towels make good cleaning rags, too. Recycling feels good!
Plastic Buckets
My preference is a roomy one for floor mopping jobs, plus a couple of smaller ones to soak items or dilute solutions. Spray cleaners
can build up after a time, so once in a while a cleaning with clear water,
rinsing as you go, calls for a handled bucket.
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I like equipment that I can wash and disinfect,
like my little dustpan and broom, and an old toothbrush.
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Brooms
Many homeowners have tossed their brooms in favor of
Swiffer-style sweepers, but nothing matches what a broom can do for floor corners,
edges of carpeted rooms, exterior doors and steps, and other places where most
vacuum cleaners won’t pick up.
Soft, synthetic bristle brooms are easier to use and grab
dust better than stiff brooms. For garage floors, driveways and sidewalks, a
stiff push broom is best.
A broom's kissing cousin is the dust broom, and a dustpan. They're a necessity unless you're sweeping debris under a rug, and I know you wouldn't! Well, maybe if your Realtor is knocking at the door with clients in tow.
Mops
A mop’s essential for a thorough cleaning on washable
flooring. A large-headed wet mop with a swivel base and removable microcloth
takes care of maintenance cleaning. For deeper cleaning, use a traditional
sponge mop, one with a sturdy replaceable head that will squeeze out excess
water and lets you rinse floors as well as wash. The more money you spend, the better the mop. Read the reviews and pick
your weapon.
Brushes
They’re indispensable for embedded dirt, textured
surfaces, and hard to reach places. I prefer a brush or a cloth to a sponge,
which starts out looking all perky and then gets stinky if you don’t disinfect
it regularly and then dry it quickly.
I like Oxo brushes because they are designed
well and last a long time. My dentist has forgotten that he recommended a Sonic toothbrush, so when I get free toothbrushes with each visit, they become part of my cleaning arsenal, perfect for getting into those tough
spots.
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This little, long-handled, low-tech carpet sweeper
could be your answer to those short notice
showings when your carpets need a quick once over. |
Magic Erasers
Like any addict, I make sure I never run out
of these. They are the only approach for some otherwise unsolvable cleaning
problems.
We’re talking glass shower doors, fiberglass shower stalls, stoves,
porcelain and stainless sinks, and stains on vinyl and laminates. The post I wrote about
how Magic Erasers work their magic is one of my most popular posts.
Vacuum Cleaner
Nothing sexy about it, but people have
love/hate relationships with their vacuums. I love my Rainbow. I’ll never go
back to using a vacuum that blows air over dirt and then out its exhaust. My
Rainbow is a little heavy and a little awkward, but I don’t care. It makes the
whole house smell great because I can scent the water that cleans the air. I
don’t get paid to say these things.
A vac is your most important tool. If you’re in an
unfulfilling relationship with yours, now’s a good time to invest in your
future. Whether you prefer an upright or a canister type, I urge you to spend a
little more money and get one that you can stay married to for a long time.
Or does your present vac
just need a thorough overhaul and cleaning?
It's not a vacuum cleaner, but it's the ancestor of vacs -- the humble carpet sweeper. It could be included on this dirty dozen tool list as #13. Compact, lightweight, inexpensive, quiet, it will perform your hurry-up-tidy-ups between regular vacuuming dates.
Long Handled Duster
A microfiber duster on an extendable handle is the way to handle ceilings and
walls on a maintenance schedule. Swooshing over these surfaces regularly gets rid of dust and cobwebs before they become visible.
The telescoping handle is your friend if
you have high ceilings. Use your handled duster for ceiling fans because they are a magnet for whatever is in the
air. Knock the dirt down before you vacuum.
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My favorite scents. If you've read my home staging eBook, you know that I like to avoid
strong chemical scents, and prefer essential oils for adding
fragrance to a room. |
Plastic Watering Can
A real time-saver. If you have to use
caustic solutions, like Lime-A-Way or CLR, to clean shower walls and doors, use
a small plastic watering can with a spout to rinse them away. Tuck it away in the vanity.
Nitrile Gloves
Protect your hands and your health. Slip on some pretty gloves for all your wet cleaning tasks. Even pure water dries your skin, and cleaners in solution are absorbed by your skin. If you won't drink it, don't put it on your skin.
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What? A girl can't have too many pairs of gloves. I have other glove collections for painting and gardening. This is the watering can I use for rinsing shower walls. |
Depending on your home, you’ll have favorites to add to this
list -- a steamer, roller to remove pet hair, carpet shampooer, robot cleaner, hand-held
rechargeable vac, pumice stone, special dry mop, a squeegee, your favorite dance music. What do you do to make the most of your housecleaning time?
Getting your home to shine is one of the most important ways
you stage your home. When a person buys a home, she envisions herself starting fresh, and moving up in the world. Cleanliness is part of that picture, part of what sells homes. You can't clean your home on the market too much, but you deserve the tools that let you do a better job, faster and
easier.
Get the look. Get the book.
If you're staging a home, whether for yourself or others, you'll benefit from my
home staging eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast for Top Dollar. At $4.99, I guarantee it will pay for itself thousands of times over!