The next time you tackle attic cleaning, you’ll need to look for more than just clutter. Learn about the most overlooked areas homeowners miss while cleaning attics.

According to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), 21% of US residents feel overwhelmed by cleaning tasks—and few spaces in the average home are more intimidating than the attic. If it’s been a while since the last time you took care of attic cleaning, you could end up dealing with mold growth, structural damage, and rodent infestations while working in this space.

On the other hand, you might not notice the telltale signs of these issues while cleaning your attic (which could have even bigger consequences down the line).

Why Do You Need to Clean Your Attic?

Though you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your attic, that doesn’t mean you can afford to neglect this space entirely. By cleaning your attic every so often, you can:

  • Make it easier to get around. A clean, well-organized attic is much simpler to navigate than a messy, cluttered one. This can be helpful the next time you need to take items out of storage or do anything else in this space.
  • Lower your risk of rodent infestations. Unkempt attics can easily attract rodents. Once these creatures take up residence in your attic, you’ll have to deal with urine, droppings, shredded insulation, and other issues in your home.
  • Keep an eye on your insulation’s well-being. Attic cleaning is the perfect time to check on your insulation. If this material has been damaged, you’ll want to get new insulation as soon as possible.
  • Spot mold growth. When your attic has a moisture problem, mold could start to grow in this space before you know it. By visiting your attic regularly, you’ll have a chance to deal with mold growth before it gets out of control.
  • Improve your air quality. Once you address rodent problems/mold growth and thoroughly decontaminate your attic, these issues won’t continue to affect the air quality in your home.
  • Find it easier to enjoy your home. The ACI has also stated that 87% of Americans feel physically and mentally better once they have a clean home.

The Advantages and Drawbacks of DIY Attic Cleaning

When your attic needs cleaning work, you have two basic options: hiring someone else to clean your attic or completing cleaning tasks yourself. First, let’s look at the pros and cons of DIY attic cleaning:

Advantages

Cleaning your own attic has a few benefits—most obviously, the cost-saving opportunities it can present. Along with that, you can clean your attic whenever you want and take action as soon as you notice issues (instead of waiting for your attic cleaning service date to roll around).

Drawbacks

One of the biggest problems associated with an attic cleanup for your own attic is the fact that you might miss a step in this process. If you’re focused on decluttering this space, you could accidentally overlook issues like:

  • Mold growth. Not all mold problems are easily visible. To find less obvious mold growth, you’ll need to look for red flags like warped walls and moisture pooling.
  • Rodent infestations. Rodents tend to hide when people enter the spaces they live in. Because of that, you’ll need to keep an eye out for droppings, bite marks on wiring, and other subtle signs of an infestation.
  • Structural damage. If you fail to notice structural damage in your attic, it could get worse before long—and you could end up having to spend a ton of money on repair work as a result.

Of course, this isn’t the only obstacle that comes with cleaning your own attic. This work can also be more time-consuming than you’d think—you can expect DIY attic cleaning to take an entire afternoon at minimum. And due to the dust particles, mold spores, and irritating insulation materials often found in attics, this work might pose some surprising health risks.

What You Need to Know About Professional Attic Cleaning

Meanwhile, professional attic cleaning has its own set of strengths and weaknesses:

Advantages of an Attic Cleanup

Since professional attic services are handled by experts in this field, these people should have no trouble identifying any issues your attic has developed. These workers know what signs point to water damage, infestations, mold growth, and structural problems. Along with that, they’ll know exactly what to do in order to resolve these issues.

By hiring a professional attic cleaning crew, you’ll also enjoy:

  • The opportunity to save time. When you pay someone else to clean your attic, you won’t have to spend a day or even longer taking care of this work.
  • Efficient attic cleaning. Thanks to their knowledge and equipment, professional cleaning crews can thoroughly clean your attic—and they’ll finish this work sooner than you could on your own.
  • Minimal health dangers. Expert attic cleaners also have access to high-quality protective gear, reducing their exposure to mold, asbestos, and rodent droppings. Along with that, you won’t have to worry about dealing with these substances.

Drawbacks

Obviously, these benefits come at a cost: unlike DIY attic cleaning, you’ll need to pay your cleaning crew for their services. However, you’ll still want to factor in the time you’ll save by hiring experts while thinking about this expense. And since professional attic workers can spot serious problems right away, going this route could help you save on repairs later on.

Hiring attic cleaners will also involve letting strangers into your home, which can cause concerns related to privacy. With that in mind, you’ll need to make sure the crew you hire for this work is truly reputable. The best way to do that is to look for local attic cleaning companies with a strong reputation, which you can gauge based on online reviews.

Don’t Settle for Less From Your Attic Cleaning Crew

Do you want to hire a professional crew for attic cleaning? If so, you deserve the best—and the team at Attic Projects can deliver exceptional cleaning services at affordable prices. Contact us today to get your attic back under control!