Cleaning a Larger or Older Moorestown Home: A Room-by-Room Plan

In a large house, trying to clean everything every week is how people burn out. A better approach is to divide the home into zones and decide how often each one really needs attention.

High-use zones (kitchen, family room, main bathrooms, entry and mudroom) need weekly cleaning. Medium-use zones (primary bedroom, home office, kids' rooms, laundry) can usually go every week or two. Low-use zones (guest rooms, formal living and dining rooms, a finished basement or a bonus room) can be dusted and vacuumed every few weeks and deep cleaned seasonally.

Writing this down once saves a lot of guesswork and makes it easier to hand parts of the work to a cleaning service.

Older Moorestown homes often have original hardwood floors, plaster walls, detailed trim, built-in cabinetry and older tile. These finishes last for generations when they are cleaned gently and can be damaged quickly by the wrong products.

For wood floors, skip steam mops and soaking wet mops. Vacuum with a soft brush head, then use a pH-neutral wood cleaner on a microfiber pad that is barely damp. For trim and built-ins, dust with a soft cloth and only use a lightly damp cloth for fingerprints. Avoid all-purpose sprays with strong degreasers on painted woodwork, since they can soften or dull older paint.

Older bathrooms with small hex or subway tile need regular grout care. A soft brush and a mild cleaner, used often, work better than harsh chemicals used once in a while.

Mature trees are one of the best things about Moorestown, and they bring pollen in spring and leaves in fall. Homes with lots of windows see a film on sills and glass during April and May. Wipe sills with a damp cloth weekly during pollen season and plan an interior window cleaning once the worst has passed.

In fall, leaves and grit get tracked into entries and mudrooms. Good mats, a boot tray and a sweep every few days keep it from spreading through the house.

Larger homes often have larger kitchens, with an island, double ovens, a big refrigerator and lots of cabinet fronts. These surfaces show fingerprints and grease quickly. A weekly cleaning should cover counters, the island, sink and faucet, stovetop, appliance fronts, cabinet handles, the microwave inside and out, and the floor.

Add these to a seasonal deep cleaning: inside the oven, the range hood filter, the top of the refrigerator and cabinets, inside the dishwasher filter, and behind small appliances.

Many Moorestown houses have three or more bathrooms. Even the ones that are rarely used gather dust and can develop a ring in the toilet from standing water, so give guest bathrooms a quick clean and a flush every week or two.

Bedrooms on upper floors collect more dust than you might expect, because warm air and dust rise. Dust ceiling fans and high furniture monthly, vacuum under beds, and wash bedding weekly in the rooms that are used.

In larger homes, the family often comes and goes through a mudroom or garage entry instead of the front door. That makes it the hardest working floor in the house. Sports gear, wet boots, backpacks and pet leashes all land there. Empty the bench and cubbies once a week, vacuum or sweep, mop the floor and wipe the door and handle.

Laundry rooms collect lint, detergent drips and dust behind the machines. Wipe the tops of the washer and dryer weekly, clean the lint trap housing monthly and run a washer cleaning cycle every month or two. If the dryer vent runs a long way to the outside, have it checked periodically, since lint buildup is a fire risk.

Many Moorestown houses have a finished basement, a bonus room over the garage or a third-floor space that gets used as a playroom, gym or media room. These rooms get less airflow and less daylight, so dust settles and stays. Include them in your schedule at least every two weeks: dust surfaces and electronics, vacuum carpets and under furniture, and wipe any exercise equipment.

In humid months, a basement dehumidifier keeps the space from smelling musty. Empty it often and clean its filter according to the manufacturer's directions.

Moorestown households tend to host: holidays, graduations, summer gatherings and visiting family. A useful habit is to book a deep cleaning a week or two before a big event and a lighter cleaning a day or two before, so the house looks its best without a last-minute scramble.

S&A House Cleaning is based in nearby Delran and has more than four years of experience cleaning houses, condos, apartments and offices in Burlington County, including Moorestown. We can take on the weekly high-use zones, a seasonal deep cleaning, or both. To see what we offer in town, visit our house cleaning in Moorestown page, or call or text (856) 258-0638 to request a quote.