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Leave dirt and grime in the dust.

To make the inside (and outside) of your house shine from top to bottom, you need to know how to clean each of the different types of surfaces found in the home: wood floors, granite countertops, brick fireplaces, and more. Learn to:

Choose the best cleansers and tools for each surface
Clean and maintain interior surfaces, such as counters, floors, and walls
Clean and maintain exterior surfaces, such as decks, driveways, and siding

Cleaning Supplies

Keeping a clean house always takes some effort, but using the right cleaning agents and supplies makes the task a lot quicker and easier.

Cleansers

Cleaning agents clean dirt and grime through chemical interaction. Since strong chemicals can damage some surfaces, it helps to know a little bit about the chemistry of cleaning before deciding which cleansers to buy.

Acidity or Alkalinity

A cleaning agent may be acidic, basic (also called alkaline), or neutral—neither acidic nor basic. The type of cleaner you should use depends on the surface: using an alkaline cleaner on a surface that requires an acidic cleaner can damage the surface. Stronger acids and bases tend to have more cleaning power than weaker ones, but they’re also more likely to cause damage. Examples of acidic, basic, and neutral cleaners include:

Acidic cleansers: Vinegar, tile cleaners, lemon juice, pine cleaners, citrus-based cleansers
Basic cleansers: Ammonia, baking soda, chlorine bleach, most all-purpose cleaners, trisodium phosphate (TSP), laundry detergent
Neutral cleansers: Liquid hand-wash dish detergent, oxygen bleach, water

Abrasiveness

A cleanser’s abrasiveness refers to its ability to grind or degrade a surface.

Mild abrasive cleaners: Safe to use on stone, laminate, vinyl, and most other household surfaces, but may scratch highly polished finishes. The most common mild abrasives are baking soda, Bon Ami®, Bar Keepers Friend®, Zud®, and Soft Scrub® without bleach.
Harsh abrasive cleansers: Remove stains well, but should be reserved for solid surface materials and other sturdy materials. Two of the most common harsh abrasives are Ajax® and Comet®.

Toxicity

Many household cleaners release vapors that can harm humans, pets, and the environment. These vapors, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are up to five times more concentrated indoors than they are outdoors. Reduce your exposure to VOCs by opening windows and turning on exhaust fans when you clean and by using VOC-free cleaning agents whenever possible. Examples include:

VOC-free cleansers: Baking soda, borax, liquid dish detergent, vinegar
High-VOC cleansers: Chlorine bleach, disinfecting air sprays, cleansers containing phosphates

Cleaning Tools

Basic cleaning tools are pretty simple, but it’s important to know which tools are best for which surfaces.

Dusting Tools

Dusters remove dirt without using water. A common feather duster is good for all-purpose dusting, but for many surfaces around the home the job is much easier if you have a specialized dusting tool.

Traditional dust mop: A good-quality dust mop is a must in most houses, particularly those with stone or hardwood floors. Traditional dust mops are made of cotton fibers, and some are treated with chemicals that attract dust.
Synthetic dust mop: Synthetic dust mops use an electrostatic, disposable cloth to remove dust, pet hair, and dirt from the floor. The mop features a flat base that the cloth surrounds. The cloth can also be removed and used on its own to dust countertops, woodwork, and more.
Broom: Indoors, use a broom with angled bristles made of synthetic fibers—they tend to collect dirt best. A corn broom works best on outdoor or uneven surfaces, and a long-handled push broom is good for garages, decks, and other large areas.
Vacuum: Two vacuum attachments are useful for dusting: the beater brush and the dust brush attachment. The beater brush removes ground-in dirt from carpet fibers, and the dust brush attachment removes cobwebs and dust from furniture, window sills, woodwork, ceilings, and more. For more on vacuums, see the Quamut guide to Vacuuming.

Washing Tools

You should also have a few different washing tools on hand, including sponges, cloths, and brushes.

Sponges: Clean sponges can be a great tool for washing walls and bathtubs, but dirty sponges harbor mildew, bacteria, and mold, which can easily spread onto the surfaces that you’re cleaning. Running sponges through the dishwasher doesn’t clean them well enough—in fact, cleaning experts recommend that you replace sponges daily, or at least after each cleaning session. If that seems excessive, you’re probably better off using cleaning cloths instead.
Cleaning cloths: Large, cotton, lint-free cleaning cloths are a good choice for most surfaces. Cloth diapers, linen napkins, and microfiber or cotton professional cleaning cloths (available at janitorial supply retailers) work well on windows, countertops, and sinks.
Scrub brush: A stiff-bristled scrub brush is the best way to wash household surfaces that are hard enough not to be scratched. Scrub brushes work especially well on bathroom surfaces, such as tile and toilets.
Deck brush: A long-handled scrub brush is useful for outdoor cleaning. Choose one with natural or synthetic fibers, designed for wet cleaning rather than sweeping.
Mop: Sponge mops clean floors easily, but they face the same problems as other sponges. Mops with removable, washable mop heads clean floors effectively and are more sanitary.
Squeegee: A squeegee with a flat rubber blade is essential for washing windows and other similar smooth, flat surfaces.

Pressure Washers (Power Washers)

A pressure washer, or power washer, sprays water and detergent at extremely high pressure, blasting dirt out from cracks and crevices in decks, patios, driveways, and other outdoor surfaces. Such high-pressure water is dangerous, so always use a pressure washer with care. Before using one, close all windows, cover shrubs and flowers, and read the instruction manual to familiarize yourself with how the pressure washer works.

Once you have the washer up and running, use long, straight strokes to clean. Swinging the washer in an arc will cause uneven cleaning, since the wand is closer to the surface in the center of the arc. Wet the surface with clean water before washing, and rinse well after you’ve finished.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer