Keeping a house clean can take hours each week, but the good news is that some areas of your home are better left to the professionals. While you’ll still need to do basic chores such as sweeping and mopping, there are certain household cleaning tasks that are difficult to tackle on your own without special equipment. Knowing where to clean yourself and when to call in the pros helps you maintain a beautiful home that is as clean in the hidden areas as it is on the surfaces.

Hit the Hot Spots in Kitchens and Bathrooms Yourself

Some cleaning tasks don’t make sense to leave waiting for a professional to show up. Unless you have an around-the-clock housekeeping crew, you’ll need to clean up spills and take out the trash on your own. Keep in mind that you can also do things such as wipe down the light switches. Doing these simple chores only takes a few minutes, but you’ll love always having clean surfaces to use as you cook and get ready for the day.

Arrange for Professional Deep Cleanings

If it’s been a while since you scrubbed the baseboards or cleaned the blinds, then these are areas where you’ll want to call for professional cleaning services. This is especially true if you have health conditions that make it hard to climb on ladders or crouch down on the floor. Professional deep cleanings go beyond hitting the areas you notice daily to keep your house hygienic and sanitary.

Let the Pros Remove Allergens From the Ductwork

Your home’s HVAC System plays a huge role in maintaining good indoor air quality. Over time, dust, pet dander, pest particles, and even mold can develop in the air ducts where they can be blown through the vents. The average homeowner simply lacks the necessary equipment to clean deep into the duct work while preventing allergens from making their way into the house. Professional duct cleanings remove these contaminants, which allows you to enjoy the benefits of better air quality such as improving your respiratory, cardiovascular, and cognitive health.

Dust Around the HVAC System’s Intake Vents

You might not be able to get into the hidden parts of the ductwork without help, but you can usually reach the intake vents. These vents are found at various points along your home’s walls, which a duct cleaning professional can point out. Dusting around these vents helps to prevent excess dust from getting into the system, which further contributes to better indoor air quality. Plus, you’ll notice the walls look cleaner when you remove the dirt that tends to gather here.

Plan for Professional Chimney Sweeping

There’s nothing like lighting a fire in the fireplace to give your house a glowing sense of warmth. But, fires create soot and a tarry substance called creosote that can leach into the air and increase the risk of having a house fire. Professional chimney sweeps remove these toxic substances and other debris that could impact your family’s safety.

Clean Around the Interior Opening

Similar to the ductwork in your home, fireplace openings can develop large amounts of dust and other types of debris. You’ll want to make sure that you use the appropriate cleaning solution to fit the type of materials you have surrounding the fireplace. But, a good wipe-down on a weekly or monthly basis eliminates black streaks from soot and dust.

Few people are ever able to escape doing housekeeping tasks throughout the week, but you’ll find that letting professionals handle deep cleaning work is better than trying to do it on your own. Once you’ve found your favorite pros for each task, make sure to ask them when to schedule future services. Creating an annual maintenance schedule ensures that no essential cleaning task gets overlooked.

By: Katherine Robinson, a writer for Duct Doctor USA