Attic cleaning isn’t an easy task, but even the messiest attic has some areas that are relatively accessible. If you don’t use your attic very often, it can be tempting to work on these areas and ignore everything else – but that’s never really a good idea.
If your attic is full of hard-to-reach spots and tight spaces, you may not know how to clean them effectively. Fortunately, these tips (and help from attic cleaning experts) can make this work much easier.
Attic Cleaning Is Important For Many Reasons
Even if you take cleanliness seriously in other parts of your home, the same might not be true for your attic. In that case, you should know that regular attic cleaning can improve your:
Physical Health
If a health hazard started to develop in your home’s living space, it wouldn’t take long for you to notice. That’s not always the case for problems like mold growth, chemical leaks, and infestations in attics; after all, most homeowners don’t use these spaces on a daily basis. Regularly cleaning your attic will help you spot these problems, giving you a chance to address them.
Mental Health
Almost everyone feels better when their home is clean – according to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), that’s true for 87% of Americans. Because of that, you’ll want to include your attic in your cleaning routine. When you give this space the attention it deserves, you won’t have to dread going into your attic when you need to get something out of storage.
Attic Cleaning Tips for Various Attic Spaces
As you can see, attic cleaning should be a high priority for homeowners, but keeping these spaces in good condition isn’t easy. The average attic is full of awkward corners, tight spaces, and other tricky-to-clean areas.
Fortunately, accounting for this issue as part of your overall attic maintenance strategy can help. While cleaning your attic, it’s important to:
Take Safety Seriously
Many attics pose safety risks, including mold, rodent droppings, and old insulation. Because of these dangers, you shouldn’t attempt to clean your attic before you take some steps to protect yourself. While getting ready for this job, make sure you have personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves, knee pads, and goggles.
While working in your attic, you’ll also need to look out for other safety hazards. For example, some attics have drywall covered with insulation instead of a real floor. To stay safe in attic spaces like these, it’s best to support your weight by laying down boards first.
Use the Right Tools
No matter what condition your attic is in, you won’t be able to get it as clean as possible without a few must-have supplies. Your supply checklist for attic cleaning should include:
- Brooms and dustpans
- A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
- Trash bags
- A ladder
- Cleaning products
- A headlamp or flashlight
- PPE
- A first aid kit
- Storage boxes/bins
Keep Dust Under Control
When you think of health hazards in your attic, dust probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Still, dust is an allergen, and that means you’ll need to look out for it while cleaning your attic.
Luckily, a spray bottle filled with water can keep dust under control. By lightly misting dusty attic surfaces, you’ll be able to clean them more easily without spreading dust through the air. (Of course, this technique can’t replace the protection that comes with a high-quality dust mask – for best results, use both.)
Know Where to Clean First
Believe it or not, the order in which you clean different parts of your attic matters. While working in your attic, start by tackling easy-to-access spaces, dusting and vacuuming floors and beams, and cleaning the items you store in this space.
Once that’s done, you’ll be ready to focus on tight spots and out-of-the-way areas. Though these spots can be tough to deal with, small brushes and vacuum hose extensions should help.
Look Out for Red Flags
Attic cleaning is the perfect time to check for other problems in your attic – especially if you haven’t been up there in a while. While you’re cleaning your attic, keep an eye out for:
- Damaged insulation
- Mold
- Signs of rodent infestation (such as chewed wires and droppings)
When you notice any of these warning signs, you shouldn’t ignore them. Instead, you’ll need to start working on a solution to your attic’s underlying problems ASAP.
Get Organized
If you’re like many homeowners, there’s a good chance that your attic is cluttered. Because of that, it may have more hard-to-clean places than it should – but getting things under control shouldn’t be too difficult.
While preparing for a major attic cleaning project, make sure to invest in clear storage bins. These bins will make it easy to organize loose items in your attic, and since they’re clear, you’ll have no trouble knowing what items are in each container.
When Should You Find an Attic Cleaning Service?
Sometimes, cleaning an attic is something homeowners can tackle by themselves. However, that isn’t always the case – if your attic needs more than a quick cleaning job, you’d almost certainly benefit from professional cleaning services.
If you’ve noticed signs of serious trouble in your attic, this situation may be more than you can deal with on your own. That applies to potential health hazards like mold growth and rodent damage, as well as problems like visible water damage.
Professional attic cleaners are ready to deal with these issues, and they have the experience and equipment needed to clean even the most hard-to-reach attic spaces. If your attic’s layout or level of clutter makes the thought of deep-cleaning it daunting, it’s probably time to call the experts.
Our Attic Cleaning Pros Can Help You
The ACI has stated that cleaning tasks are overwhelming for 21% of US residents. Of course, there’s a good chance you fall into this category if you’re trying to clean a messy attic full of tight spaces.
In situations like these, your best bet is to leave attic cleaning to the professionals. The hard-working team at Attic Projects can sanitize and declutter any attic, including yours. If you want help getting your attic under control, contact us today.