Local pros discuss cleaning essentials

It’s that time of year when your New Year’s fitness resolution may have failed, but the resolve to give the home that once-a-year spotless shine may be strong. Although the official start of spring is March 19, warmer weather has arrived in Las Vegas and the cleaning season is definitely here.

We tapped a few area cleaning professionals to talk about what a real spring clean should entail while also highlighting some crud zones that are easy to overlook.

Build-up around faucets, tubs and shower doors

One of the greatest drawbacks to living in the desert is hard water. It leaves mineral residue specifically around faucet bases in addition to an unpleasant film on tubs and shower doors. Hard water stained glass shower doors can often leave homeowners feeling like it’s a hopeless cause, but Elena Ledoux, owner of Superb Maids, a cleaning service in Las Vegas, says you might be surprised by how much shower doors can look like new by using Barkeeper’s Friend gel cleaner and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

“I’ve talked to property owners who just think these areas are as clean as they can get and that stuff (around faucets and on shower doors) is just not going to come out; when we do get it out they’re surprised,” Ledoux said.

Baseboards, door frames

Heavy dust on baseboards is something homeowners seem content to live with for most of the year. When addressing baseboards, it’s easy to overlook window sills and the tops and sides of door frames. Those areas also accumulate dust; but one of the most overlooked spots for dirt and debris build-up, Ledoux adds, is still the tracks of sliding glass doors.

Behind appliances

Homeowners will wipe down the face of kitchen appliances throughout the year, but during spring cleaning season, it’s time to pull the appliances back and clean out those remnants from past family gatherings, dust-balled errant marbles, popsicle sticks and paperclips. If you’re lucky, that’s all you’ll find. Spring is a great time to vacuum and clean with a wet rag the floor and the back of the appliance, Ledoux noted.

Inside the fridge, microwave, oven

Especially if you cooked and baked throughout the holiday season, you’ll likely have some unwanted drips, spills and maybe even smells from leftovers in the refrigerator, said Luiz Silva, owner of Lemon House Cleaning in Las Vegas.

During the year, it’s a good idea to take an inventory inside your refrigerator, check dates of food packages and tend to spills and drips every month or two. In general, avoid leaving open food inside the refrigerator, Silva added.

While tending to the refrigerator, spring is also a good time to clean the oven and microwave, the latter of which is known to catch its share of unseen drips and droplets over the course of a year.

“These areas of the home can get pretty messy and people may not see it, especially if they’re busy,” Silva said.

Heating/cooling vents

Wipe down your home’s vents during spring cleaning season, particularly the return air, where you replace your air filter. This gathers the most dust of all the vents in the home, Silva said. Cleaning the vents can also serve as a reminder to get the system tuned up before the hot summer months ahead.

Grout and carpet

Silva says he’s often approached about carpet and grout cleaning services. A steam cleaning service will be needed to handle carpet traffic areas and stained or dirty grout. However, throughout the year, the best safeguard against considerable staining is to take your shoes off at the door when you enter your home, Silva said.

Niches, high shelves

Some homes have niches with intricate drywall cut-ins and high shelves designed into them. These areas can be big-time dust collectors throughout the year, and spring is a great time to make sure they are cleaned.

“Some of these areas of a home, I think, were just built for the sole purpose of collecting dust. They’re really bad for people who have respiratory issues, so you’ll want to make sure they’re cleaned,” Ledoux added.

Inside closets and cabinets

Spring cleaning can also be a great time to declutter, says Crystal Kostrivas, owner of Las Vegas-based Sparkly Cleaning. So, it’s a great time to clean out closets and cabinets.

When doing so, the pro says homeowners should ask themselves: Which clothes have I not worn for the past year? Do I need every one of those shoes?

Are other, smaller, storage areas cluttered, such as bathroom storage, makeup and toiletry storage, medicine cabinets?

Kostrivas says homeowners should tackle one closet or storage area at a time.

“Thinking that I need to overhaul all closets and cabinets in a weekend will prevent me from doing it. … When we are clutter-free in our home, our minds can feel less cluttered, too,” she said.

Suggested nontoxic cleaners

The three cleaning pros also mentioned some of their favorite cleaners. For general cleaning, Kostrivas said vinegar is one of the best natural options out there. Add a few drops of essential oils (she recommends lavender and eucalyptus) into a spray bottle to get rid of the smell, and a home can be cleaned inexpensively with something that’s nontoxic.

She also says dish soap with water in a spray bottle is a surprisingly good, but mild, degreaser, and she also likes Barkeeper’s Friend for cleaning ovens.

Silva recommends Clorox’s Green Works or Meyer’s multisurface cleaner as good general-purpose cleaners that are not toxic.

Remember this before you call a cleaning crew

Kostrivas also says it’s important to hire a cleaning team that uses its own employees, not independent contractors, who may or may not carry their own insurance. If a cleaning company hires independent contractors who are not insured, it could leave the homeowner open to liability if a worker happens to be injured on the job.

“There’s been a significant increase in 1099s, or contractors, because it saves the companies a great deal of money. However, the risk to the homeowner isn’t worth it,” she said.