Last Updated on January 22, 2025 by Kimberly Crawford
Homes that have been around for decades may show their age, but proper and regular cleaning will help them to keep their beauty for longer. You can take great care of your historic home and allow it to look its very best with the right cleaning methods.
We want to share some of those so that you can make the most of your antique home and keep it in great condition for longer.
Get Rid of the Musty Smell
Older homes might have a smell that could be unusual if you have never been in a home that is more than a few decades old. That musty smell could be caused by mold or mildew or something else entirely. While you may be able to get rid of the smell by finding out what is causing it, that isn’t always possible. What helps a lot is to use an air purifier. This clears up the air and gets rid of many of the particles in the air that you cannot even see.
That makes everything smell nicer, at least in the area of the air purifier. If you want to track down the musty smell, then you may need a mold remediation expert or a professional cleaner. You can find cleaning services for historic homes and get help you need with dealing with any smells.
The problem with the smell in the home could be simply that there isn’t enough fresh air getting in. It helps to open doors and windows frequently and to air out the place. It’s a good idea to check the ventilation system and ensure that it is working properly too. Change out the air filter if necessary and run the HVAC system regularly to circulate air and get rid of unpleasant smells.
You can also track the smell down to old books, curtains, bedding, and clothes that may be stored in the house. Sometimes, wooden furniture or flooring will hold musty smells in, and they can be replaced to improve the way the house smells.
Another way to get rid of unpleasant smells is to use lemon peels, vinegar and baking soda in key areas to remove odors. These are natural substances that kill odors quickly and safely without any toxic fumes or chemicals.
Use Dry Cleaning Methods
Many old homes are made with wood and other porous materials. These may absorb water easily and be damaged by any wet cleaning chemicals that you use. If you want to preserve the wooden parts of the home, you can polish them and seal them, but until you do that, it is wise to use non-liquid cleaners.
Make use of scrubbing brushes, baking soda, and microfiber clothes to deal with most of the cleaning. On any wood surfaces, you want to be careful that you don’t let any water absorb into the material. That could cause decay and rot and could also warp the materials.
Use a Fresh Coat of Paint
Before you try to do too much cleaning the house, you may want to preserve the building materials in a smart and effective way. If you paint over the old materials, this will protect them from water damage, rust, and a variety of other problems. You can paint with water-proofing paint to give them even stronger protection, and make sure that the paint you use is designed for the surface you are using it on.
After the house has received a fresh coat of paint, it will be much easier to clean the house and to keep it clean as well. What you may have noticed is that some furniture and wood paneling can get pretty decayed over time and could leave tiny particles everywhere.
The paint will slow down decay and stop the particles from falling onto the floor and spreading through the house. If you can take the time to do a full painting, or at least paint the problem areas, then cleaning will become much easier and will get done much faster.
Reduce Clutter
If there is a lot of clutter in your old home, then dirt, dust, and pests will tend to accumulate. Clutter makes for a great hiding spot for pests of all kinds- rats, roaches, and ants. They love places where they can stay hidden until they can come out and eat, and your clutter provides that for them.
Mold and mildew may easily hide in clutter as well, which is why it is important to declutter regularly. As you get rid of clutter, it becomes easier to clean your home, and you can enjoy a fresher smelling house that is easy to navigate.
Look for items that you don’t use often that you can store away or throw away. Find a place for each and every item in your home so that there are never loose items just lying on the floor or placed in a corner. If you can make sure that every item in your home has a proper place to be put, you will eliminate a lot of clutter.
Use the Proper Cleaning Products
Old homes may not be made of the same stuff that newer homes are made of. There isn’t as likely to be so much plastic and ceramic in older homes. You may have linoleum, brick, and wood, so make sure that you are using appropriate cleaning supplies and methods.
You won’t always be able to use multipurpose cleaners on all of the surfaces in your older home. You have to be gentle with the materials there- partly because they are old and weak and partly because they are potentially made of something that the cleaner is not designed to clean.
If you are looking to protect your home’s structure and keep it very clean, take the time to learn proper cleaning care of each part of your antique home. You can preserve it and avoid having to replace some parts of it as soon as you would if you were indiscriminate in your cleaning methods.
