Super-effective cleaning method? Try the practical "top down" system

Cleaning the house sometimes seems like an overwhelming task - especially if you have a large home with many possessions. But given that there is no "cleaning fairy" who will do this for us, we have to bite the bullet and get on with it. But what's the way to go about this thankless chore?

Cleaning tips abound on the internet and in this article, we describe one of these techniques that you may find effective:

A massive undertaking

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How do you usually clean your home? Where do you start and how do you proceed? Everyone has their own methods and techniques, of course. Despite having a "system" though, we often forget/miss cleaning something.

So, how can you get around this problem? First of all, don't try to clean the house in one day. Divide the overall chore up into managable "bites".

Once you have a work/cleaning plan, you can proceed. So, where to start? Well, you can use the "top-down" method (described below):

The top-down method

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The top-down method is a particular cleaning methodology. It consists of proceeding in a precise and methodical manner, forgetting nothing from being cleaned in a room. Cleaning starts from the upper parts (top) of a room and gradually proceeds downwards (bottom), until reaching the floor. 

Typically, the process will be as follows: first dusting the ceiling, then moving on to the light fittings, then the tops of furniture, then every single shelf, and so on right down to the floor. Proceeding in this way, nothing will be missed.

Of course, starting cleaning at lower levels is counter-productive as falling dust will make these areas dirty again when you tackle higher areas. This top-down methodology sidesteps this disadvantage.

Not just from top to bottom...

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The top-down method also involves moving systematically from right to left (or vice versa). Start each traunch of cleaning on the right and proceed to the left (or vice versa). Then, reposition and do this again, cleaning the adjacent areas in this systematic way.

For the cleaning itself, use soft cloths for dusting, warm water for washing, vinegar or bicarbonate (baking soda) for disinfecting. Every corner of your home will be perfectly cleaned after doing this.

One final touch...

For an even more thorough cleaning, you could also decide to wash the upholstery, the cushions, pillows, carpets and bedspreads. In short, use the top-down cleaning method to leave nothing out. This is hard work, but with this method and focussing on the goal, you will succeed.

So, give this cleaning method a try - we're sure you'll be delighted with the results.