Living Room Cleaning Tips & Tricks


Woman vacuuming living room

We spend a lot of time in our living rooms, so they can easily become cluttered and dirty. The cleaning experts at Molly Maid® are here to help. Not only do we offer popular house cleaning services that allow you to get back to living your life, but we also provide all the tips you need on how to clean a living room.

What Are the Housekeeping Needs of a Living Room?

Aside from your kitchen, your living room is one of the most high-traffic areas in your home. Couches, chairs, ceiling fans, TVs, and floors in your living room are subjected to dust, dirt, pet hair, food crumbs, and more each day. Living room floors take a daily beating, and it's easy to overlook out-of-the-way areas such as lighting fixtures and curtains. 

The best way to keep your living room clean is to have a clear strategy, including regular cleaning days and times, along with a checklist for efficiency. Each living room is distinct, so create a plan for yours. For example, if your living room has hardwood floors, your cleaning approach will be different from that used for carpet. Having the right tools for dusting fans, ceiling corners, and other hard-to-reach areas is also essential. 

How Often Should I Clean My Living Room?

How often you clean your living room is probably different from your neighbor's cleaning schedule. If you keep the clutter down and aren't too messy, once a week might work. But with your pets, kids, and other “contributing factors,” weekly housekeeping probably won't cut it. Aside from how dirty your living room gets every day,  factor in your cleaning style. 

If you like a challenge and have the stamina, a weekly cleaning marathon may be the best fit. If you're more methodical and have the discipline, you could chip away at the dirt and grime each day. Another option is to hire a regular professional cleaning service to take this off your To-Do list entirely.

How to Clean Your Living Room in Less Time

The best way to clean a living room is to start with decluttering. Then, tackle the cleaning by breaking it up into sections. Work on cleaning from the top down. Clean the furniture, fireplace, and window sills following the cleaning tips below, then finish with the floors. Finally, follow our cleaning schedule to better keep your living room clean.

Decluttering 

Sometimes your house isn't as dirty as it is cluttered. Objects you don't need, use, or know where to store can quickly accumulate and overtake your home. Learn how to declutter your home and regain your space with these decluttering tips. Purging years of magazines, closet clutter, and orphaned toys requires an objective approach, so stand firm. You'll enjoy a more comfortable living room, and there will be less to clean after you're done purging the clutter. 

Time-Saving Living Room Cleaning Tips

We know a thing or two about cleaning living rooms, kitchens, and entire homes, so count on us for the best tips and tricks for all your housekeeping challenges. Here are a few of our favorite living room cleaning tips that are guaranteed to make the job faster and easier.

Cleaning Window Sills

Cleaning window sills is as easy as spraying an all-purpose cleaner and wiping!

Furniture Cleaning Tips

Furniture needs to be cleaned regularly, just like everything else in our homes.

How to Clean Your Fireplace

There's nothing like the first fire in a clean fireplace.

How to Clean a Coffee Table

Did someone accidentally leave a glass on your nice coffee table without a coaster under it?

How to Clean Couch Stains

Red wine spill? Pen lines on the couch? Follow these simple steps for a clean couch!

How to Clean a Flat-Screen TV

Flat-screen TVs require special care while cleaning.

The Best Method To Clean Carpets

Learn how to remove dust, dirt, and stains from your carpets.

That's how you cover all the bases for a winning living room. Less clutter, more comfort, and a freshly cleaned aroma—the kind of living room we all love.

Living Room Cleaning Schedule

Finding a living room cleaning schedule, a weekly house cleaning routine and other helpful housekeeping resources is easy. It's not so easy to find a cleaning strategy that works for every home because they are all different. Here are some pointers to get you started creating your own.

  • Daily: Declutter as you go, clean up spills and food debris, and use a lint roller on upholstery if you have pets. 
  • Weekly: Dust from top to bottom, including light fixtures, ceiling fans, and window and door frames. Dust electronics, furniture, and lamps, then vacuum thoroughly.  
  • Monthly: Move your furniture and vacuum beneath it and flip chair and sofa cushions. Vacuum beneath the cushions and use a crevice tool to get into the crevices. Clean the windows inside and out. 
  • Seasonally: Clean your living room fireplace in spring and shampoo the carpet in the fall. 

The key is to create a living room cleaning plan that works for you. If you don't have a workable plan, those inevitable hiccups in your schedule will put you right back to square one. If that happens, call in the pros. 

Difference Between Regular and Top-to-Bottom Cleaning for Your Living Room

Regular, everyday cleaning in your living room includes vacuuming or sweeping, dusting, and decluttering. For your shedding pets, you can use a lint roller on fabrics and other surfaces to remove pet hair so it doesn't accumulate. For small messes that your kids leave behind, a quick vacuum under the cushions with your crevice tool will capture snack crumbs and other debris. You'll also want to immediately clean up any spills or stains to make your next top-to-bottom cleaning easier. 

As for top-to-bottom cleaning, this involves cleaning the places that don’t get regular attention. Cleaning your living room windows is time-consuming, especially on the outside, but the payoff is worth the effort. Clean windows give your home more curb appeal and your living room a brighter and cleaner look. Removing dust and dirt from the ceiling, walls, and baseboards is backbreaking labor but also part of a thorough cleaning. Here’s a neat cleaning tip: Use a dryer sheet to clean and repel pet hair from baseboards. You'll also want to move furniture to the side to clean beneath and behind the pieces.

Professional House Cleaning When You Need It

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of keeping your living room clean after making dinner, wrangling the kids, and getting them to bed? The cleaning professionals at Molly Maid are here to help with cleaning services backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™. Contact your local Molly Maid to chat about a cleaning schedule and cost that fits your lifestyle and budget. Get your free estimate online today!

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