Why Melbourne homes need deep cleaning by spring
What winter leaves behind
Melbourne winters are often cloudy, and average afternoon humidity at Melbourne Airport climbs from 44% in January to 65% in June. Closed-up houses hold that moisture, and it shows on window frames, shower grout and the corners of cold rooms by spring.
Changeable weather
Melbourne is well known for changing its mind, so the windows go up and down all year. Dust gets in on the warm days and stays when the heater goes on. Skirting boards, door frames and window tracks collect it.
Terraces and apartments
Multi-storey terraces are common in inner suburbs such as Carlton, Fitzroy and South Melbourne, so mention stairs and narrow halls. Flats and apartments made up 16% of occupied homes in Greater Melbourne in the 2021 Census: tell the business about parking and any lift booking.
Renting and mould
If you rent, Consumer Affairs Victoria says rooms must be without mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure. Tell your rental provider about a leak or a damp wall before you pay for a clean, because cleaning won't fix the cause.
Deep cleaning in Melbourne goes past the regular clean
A regular clean keeps a home ticking over. A deep clean goes after everything else: skirting boards, doors and door frames, light switches, window tracks, range hood filters, inside empty cupboards, and built-up grime on shower screens, tiles and grout.
People often book one before they start regular cleans, or before a sale, a move or guests. The oven, inside windows, carpet steam cleaning and wall marks are add-ons, so tick the ones the home needs. Moving out of a rental is a different job: that's the end of lease clean in Melbourne. Getting a place ready before you move in? See move-in cleaning in Melbourne.
Spring cleaning in Melbourne: your jobs and the cleaner's
Worth doing yourself
- Clear the benches, the bathroom shelves and the floors.
- Empty any cupboards you want cleaned inside.
- Open windows, or run the exhaust fan, in the weeks before the clean to dry things out.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Built-up grime on shower screens, tiles and grout.
- Range hood filters, light switches and door frames.
- Window tracks and the long run of skirting boards.
When mould in a Melbourne home is more than a clean
Don't dry brush mould, because it flicks spores into the air, and never mix bleach with ammonia, acids or other cleaners. Pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease shouldn't be nearby while mould is removed. If large areas keep growing back, consult a mould remediation professional.
Time a Melbourne spring clean for early spring
Time it for early spring, when the heater's nearly finished but the windows can stay open afterwards. Pick the three worst rooms, usually the bathroom, the kitchen and one cold bedroom, and name them in the note. Then ask whether the quote includes the range hood filters and the tracks, because those are the items that get left off.