A dirty living room is an ungodly sight, particularly after a long day at work. Considering that your living room is where cuddly family huddles happen, ensuring it is clean and hygienic becomes super important. In this blog, we will look at how to clean dirty areas of the living room, paying special attention to your foyer, carpets, sofa upholstery, corner units, bookshelves, foyer units/ shoe racks and rugs. Let’s jump right in.

Think About Your Foyer and Foyer Units

Your foyer entrance is the place where people literally bring in the dirt. Dirty sandals, wet umbrella, paw tracks, muddy jogger shoes, you name it. To ensure that your foyer does not end up becoming a breeding ground for harmful pathogens and bacteria, you should clean it every now and then. Take a look at the image above. If you’ve got a wall-clad board and a built-in bench with storage drawers topped with white and brown pillows, you need to ensure that every single element is squeaky clean. To clean the foyer, follow these steps:

• Empty out your foyer (all items included) to ensure that you get a deep clean and a fresh start.
• To get rid of the dust and dirt, sweep or vacuum the floor. Get rid of cobwebs and dust everything from the light fixtures to the wall decor.
• Use a wet mop to clean your tiled floor and wash the doors and windows with a warm, damp cloth and mild soap as thoroughly as possible.
• You can also disinfect high-traffic areas such as the door handle, light switches, key hooks, etc.

Revisit Your Carpets and Rugs

Whether you have wall-to-wall carpets or a stylish rug, these items are dirt magnets. Even if you do vacuum them every day, they need to be cleaned professionally every once in a while. To clean the rugs and carpet, use a mixture of mild soap and distilled water. Do not use too much soap if your rugs are made of woollen fabric.

To get rid of stains, invest in a good stain remover from the market. Alternatively, you can mix one part white vinegar along with three parts water. Then, put a scrub brush into this solution and gently rub it into the carpet. Massage the fibres and follow up with a cloth to help absorb excess moisture.

Tackle Your Sofa Upholstery

People spend hours and hours on couches, eating and enjoying quality family time together. Unfortunately, this can lead to instances of spills, stains, and all kinds of dirt accumulating over time. To clean your couch, start by reading the label. Then, proceed to follow these steps:

• Start by brushing the couch with a hand towel or a stiff brush to loosen the dirt.
• Sprinkle the couch with little baking soda and let it sit for 20 minutes.
• Make your own multi-purpose cleaning solution by mixing 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 1 cup of warm water in a small spray bottle. Then, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and it’s ready to use.
• Wipe down the couch with this cleaning solution. Make sure to gently dab on the fabric, do not rub it aggressively.
• Finish the process by letting the fabric dry for a couple of hours.

Pro tip: While cleaning the sofa, you can also clean your curtains, draperies, and blinds as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Don’t Forget the Corner Units

Oftentimes, corner units, like the books they house, keep gathering dust. This is true for any piece of furniture you may have placed at strategic corners in the house. So carve out some time to clean these items, which often go unnoticed. Take out all the items and de-clean with a dusting cloth. Make sure to dive into those pesky nooks to get rid of layers of dust.

Clean Your Book Shelves and Other Items of Furniture

Books are another piece of item that get dirty with time, dust being the main culprit. So clean your bookshelf. If your bookshelf is flowing, it might be a good time to ‘edit’ some items. You can donate books that you don’t need, sell some as needed, or throw them in the trash if they’re damaged beyond repair. Remember that an overflowing bookshelf can make your living room look cluttered and chaotic.

Pro tip: In addition to the bookshelves, make sure to clean any photographs, wall art, your ceiling fan, accent lamps, accent tables, entertainment centre, and other knickknacks in your living room.

Lastly, Clean Your Shoe Racks

Your shoe rack is undoubtedly bound to be dirty most of the time. So, you need to pay special to them. Take all your shoes out, keep them in the sun for some time, and bring them back in. Dust off the dirt or remove with a damp, wet cloth. Make sure to air-dry your shoes before you place them back in. And while you’re cleaning your shoe cabinet, have a go at the doormat as well.

Your living room is truly symbolic of your home’s personal style and character. It is literally the first thing a guest sees on entering the house so make sure it is clean at all times. For more hacks on how to keep your living room in tip-top shape, refer to HomeLane’s repository of blogs. You’re bound to leave with useful hacks on day-to-day cleaning!