WITH August being the most popular month to move, with an estimated 75,000 homeowners moving in that month in 2019 ahead of the new academic year, cleaning experts at Kärcher have shared their top tips on how you can give a property a deep clean yourself and avoid costly professional fees.

1) Declutter and plan

It can be hard to factor in cleaning a property when you have boxes to pack and logistics to sort out.

But whether you’re moving in or moving out, before you embark on your big clean you should ensure that all of the clutter from the house is gone – passed on to friends or donated to charity shops – so you’re only moving the items you really need.

Once that’s done, create a checklist of the jobs and rooms that need to be tackled.

This will help you to not feel overwhelmed – and who doesn’t love ticking off a job completed from a to do list?

According to research by Kärcher, the area’s most often forgotten during a deep clean include the guttering (35 per cent), mattresses (33 per cent), door handles (24 per cent) and carpets and rugs (23 per cent) so make sure these areas aren’t neglected.

2) Ceilings

Ceilings should be first on the to do list. As you dust them, some dirt may fall to the ground, so it makes sense to get this out of the way first.

You can then vacuum up any dust later. A big fluffy duster is best for catching all of the cobwebs and dust.

Run this along all of the edges and any light switches in the room. You can also dust any lampshades or wall fixtures.

Although it may be tempting to vacuum the ceilings or walls you could easily scratch, or flake paintwork so take care.

3) Windows

You can tackle all of your windows in one swoop go rather than cleaning them room by room.

There are many ways to do this with newspaper, squeegees and window cleaners, but the most efficient way is to use a window vacuum.

Kärcher’s WV 2 Plus has a run time of 35 minutes and leaves windows sparkling – that’s 75 windows in just one charge.

4) Kitchen

When all the cupboards are free of food, plates and glasses you have the perfect opportunity to de-dust and de-crumb all the shelves with a damp cloth.

Take out all of your fridge shelves and drawers and leave them to soak in hot soapy water.

You can wipe down the interior of the fridge with an anti-bacterial spray to give it a really deep clean. You can then dry the shelves and place them back in the fridge.

Cleaning your oven can be an intimidating job, but with some handy tips the task can be done with less stress.

You can remove any cooked-on food or stubborn burnt areas on your oven door with a brush with tough bristles. The SC 3 EasyFix comes with a large round brush which is perfect for the job.

Once they’re gone, you can clean the area with an oven cleaner.

To clean the oven shelves, line your sink with dryer sheets and fill the basin with warm water and washing up liquid for a soak.

The antistatic in the dryer sheets will help to separate the food from the racks by diluting the bond and the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.

A steam cleaner can be used on hobs, tiles and sinks to give surfaces a deep clean. Kärcher’s steam cleaners, such as the SC 3 EasyFix, kill 99.99% of common household bacteria using just tap water.

If you’re leaving the house, the fridge door should always be left open with the machine plugged out at the mains to ensure no mould grows.

5) Bathroom

Run the taps to ensure that all of the drains are clearing properly.

If not, you may need to use an unblocker. You can also pour a kettle of hot water down the drain, followed by a solution made up of 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup water and 1 cup vinegar. Follow up again with boiling water.

Then, it’s time to get the gloves on and clean down the tub and sink.

A steam cleaner will get your bathroom sparkling, without the need for chemicals. The nozzle of the SC 3 EsayFix is ideal for cleaning crevices and grouting.

For any difficult water marks on metal surfaces, try rubbing them down with a lemon. A thick bleach is the best bet for the toilet – and make sure you get into all of the crevices.

A steam cleaner is great for removing grime, soap scum and bacteria from the tiles in the bathroom.

You can also use a window vacuum to tackle shower screens and doors. Kärcher’s WV 2 Plus sucks up moisture and leaves surfaces streak free.

6) Bedrooms and living spaces

If you can, pull out your furniture so that you can reach all of the areas that are usually blocked off from vacuuming.

A mattress benefits from a once over with the steam cleaner, as it can remove stains and sweat. The Kärcher textile nozzle steam cleaner attachment will come in handy here as it gives your mattress a refresh.

You can also use the textile nozzle with the steam cleaner to freshen up your curtains.

7) Floors and Skirting

Lastly, go for the floors. Start off with the skirting boards. In most cases they will need a good scrub with some warm soapy water and perhaps a touch up with paint too.

Carpets need a really deep clean in order to remove all of the bacteria that they house. Kärcher’s Carpet Glider attachment is compatible with all of their EasyFix steam cleaners and expands the application area of Kärcher steam cleaners as it refreshes and straightens carpets and rugs, giving them a new lease of life.