The best time to deep clean your house in Richmond

People often ask me when they should book a deep clean. For most Richmond homes, my answer is about four times a year, once at each change of season. Our weather swings hard between spring pollen, summer humidity, and closed-up winter months, and each shift leaves a different kind of buildup behind. A deep clean on that rhythm, with standard cleans in between, keeps a home from ever getting away from you.

Spring: after the pollen

Richmond tree pollen is no joke. From late March into May, oak, pine, and sweetgum coat everything in a yellow-green film that works its way indoors through windows and on shoes and pets. Book a spring deep clean once the counts drop, usually mid to late April.

Focus on:

• Wiping pollen off windowsills, blinds, and window tracks
• Washing interior windows and entry doors
• Dusting from the top down, since winter dust has had months to settle

Summer: humidity and the AC

Once the AC runs full time and the air turns sticky, bathrooms and north-facing rooms are prone to mildew, and dust rides the air out of the vents. Early to mid June is a good window.

Focus on:

• Scrubbing tile and grout in the showers before mildew sets in
• Cleaning vent covers and ceiling fan blades
• Wiping down the refrigerator and its door seals

Fall: before the house closes up

When the heat kicks on for the first time, dust in the ducts and on the baseboards burns off and spreads through the house. Get ahead of it with a deep clean in late September or October, while you can still open the windows.

Focus on:

• Baseboards, door frames, and vents throughout
• The kitchen, including the range hood and behind small appliances
• Entryways and mudrooms before the muddy, leaf-covered months

Winter: the indoor months

From December through February the house stays shut, everyone is inside more, and the air gets stale. Holiday cooking hits the kitchen hard, and ice melt and salt get tracked in by the doors. A January deep clean resets all of it.

Focus on:

• The stovetop and, as an add-on, inside the oven after holiday cooking
• Floors and entry rugs where salt and grit collect
• Dusting and high-touch surfaces, since everyone is home and germs spread

If it has been a while

If your home has not had a professional deep clean in six months or more, or ever, do not wait for the next season. Start with one deep clean now to bring everything to a baseline, then fall into the seasonal rhythm from there. Homes that have gone a long time usually need the extra time a deep clean allows, so we quote it as an estimate rather than a flat rate. You can see how that works on the deep cleaning page, and the full task list is on our cleaning checklist.

Want a hand keeping your Richmond home on a seasonal schedule? Tell us about your home and we will put together a plan and a quote.