It’s one thing to make your space appear to be clean, but it’s quite another to deep clean and disinfect your home. The latter task is, of course, a bit more intense than the former. However, it doesn’t have to take as much time as it seems like it would — you just need to know the easiest ways to get the job done.
 

1. Empty the Trash

It’s no surprise that your trash can would be a source of germs, so be diligent about taking them out to the curb as often as possible. Not only will you rid your kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms of potential sources of bacteria, you’ll also give the space a cleaner look in general. Stuffed trash cans can create a cluttered look, so this disinfecting move will also have your home looking more organized.

2. Steam Clean the Floors

Whether you have hardwoods or tile, a quick way to disinfect flooring is to invest in a steam cleaner. The lightweight, handheld devices heat up to create the warm mist that’ll break through dirt. The high temperature kills germs, too.
In fact, there are plenty of health-related reasons to switch to a steam cleaner. For starters, the devices deep clean your floors without the use of chemical-laden solvents, thus keeping toxins out of the air in your home. You can cut through bacteria, mold and viruses with the high heat. And, eliminating dust will keep allergies at bay.

3. Toss Dirty Furniture

You can’t go throwing away an entire home’s worth of furniture every time you want to disinfect your abode. Still, it’s valuable to know when you should be replacing certain items — older pieces can harbor the very germs you’re trying to rid from the premises.
Perhaps the worst offender is the mattress, which holds onto dust, germs, dead skin cells… you spend eight hours a day there, after all. You should be replacing your bed every five to ten years to properly disinfect your sleeping quarters. Other furniture is more ambiguous. Signs of wear and tear appear on the outside, alerting you that they should be replaced. And, once you do pick a new sofa, table or chair, you’ll be instantly disinfecting your space with a brand new piece of furniture.
 

4. Disinfect Your Sponge

You use your sponge to clean dishes, counters and every other surface in your kitchen. So, what happens if the sponge itself isn’t clean? It ends up spreading germs around, rather than wiping them away.
So, before you do a deep clean of your kitchen, start by disinfecting your sponge. It’s a quick process: use soap to suds up your sponges and rinse them out. Then, soak them in heavily salted cold water. After an hour or two, any germs lingering on your sponges will be dead.

5. Open the Windows — and Naturally Freshen Air

Amazingly enough, your indoor environment can be laden with pollutants. And, if you’re relying on your HVAC unit to heat and cool your space all the time, the indoor air is simply being recycled, thus cycling the same unwanted particles throughout your home.
So, crack open a window occasionally. This simple to-do can refresh the air in your home in just a few minutes, so you don’t have to worry if it’s extra hot or cold outside — a short stretch of time will be enough to clear the air.
Once you’ve gotten in the habit of regularly airing out your home, keep pollutants at bay by ditching aerosol sprays and other unnatural fragrances you use to freshen the place up. Instead, go the all-natural route — just slice a lemon in half and simmer its peel on your stovetop. You can add more water as necessary to fill more and more of your home with the zesty air.

6. Rely on Tea Tree Oil

You might think notoriously germy surfaces — think your bathroom or your kitchen — need a heavy-duty cleaning agent to get rid of all the bacteria that builds up on a daily basis. However, you have a natural option when it comes to disinfecting.
Tea tree oil has antiseptic properties, instantly ridding your home of viruses, mold and bacteria. And you can quickly whip up a tea tree oil-infused cleaner that naturally rids your home of these unsavory particles. In a spray bottle, mix two cups of hot water, two tablespoons of Borax, half a teaspoon of dish soap and half a teaspoon of tea tree oil. The resulting spray will kill germs without releasing any additional toxins into the air — a win-win for disinfecting.

Keep It Clean

Your home is where you feel safest and most comfortable. Ensuring that the space is clean is just another way to make it that way. And, best of all, these tips will help you to quickly disinfect and clean your space, so you can go on with your life without worrying about the four walls surrounding you.
 
About the Author
Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Tripping.com and more!  Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
 
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