How To Clean A Filthy House When You Don't Know Where To Start: 9 Tips To Get You Started

How To Clean A Filthy House

So you have a super dirty house that needs to be cleaned up? Well look no further, I have some great tips for you! If your home is truly filthy, then these next three products are a must for you.

By the way, if you are tired of always playing “catch-up” with your cleaning . . . Try this cleaning planner to keep you on track.

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My Top 3 Must-Haves For Cleaning A Filthy House:

#1 Kilz Multi-Surface Stain Blocker

Kilz is an interior oil based primer that can be used on walls, floors, or any other surface in order to block stains and odors. I have used this in a house we flipped many years ago and it works wonders on pet odors and stains, mold and mildew smells and stains, and any other kind of disgusting stain you can think of.

Then, you can just paint, tile, drywall, or what ever you need to do over it and the stain and smell is gone.

#2 Clorox Clean-Up Spray

If the house you are cleaning is that disgusting, you are going to need some bleach. I don’t normally recommend it, but in truly nasty cases, you need to pull out the big guns. This spray with bleach will disinfect just about anything you find in the house to keep you safe while you are cleaning.

#3 Heavy Duty Trash Bags

More than likely, if the house is a complete disaster, you are going to be throwing a lot of junk away. So if you don’t want the trash bag breaking on the way out to the dumpster, you need to make sure you have some really strong trash bags that can take about anything.

How To Clean A Filthy House…Yes I have been there!

Over the years, I have cleaned some really nasty houses.

As a matter of fact, the last house we flipped, was a house that we bought at an auction, had never seen inside before, and could not believe what we had gotten ourselves into.

Holes in the walls, carpet with stains (blood, urine, stool), walls with stains, broken floor boards, leaks in the plumbing, mold and more. But believe it or not, those were all things that were pretty easy to deal with.

The gross and filthy part was cleaning the bathrooms that had never been cleaned before. Mold was taking over the showers and bathtubs, there were blood and urine stains on the floors, they had let their dogs and cats pee all over the house.

But in the end, we got everything cleaned up. And here is how you can clean a filthy house too.

8 Steps To Start Cleaning a Filthy House

Now that you know the top 3 cleaning supplies to clean your dirty home, let me give you some steps about how to clean a nasty house.

Where to Start Cleaning A Filthy House:

1// Make sure you have the right cleaning products and cleaning tools

Most of what you are going to be cleaning is dirt, grime, mold, and mildew.

So make sure you have the following to get you started on the deep clean if your house is really dirty:

Clorox Spray
Kilz Multi-Purpose Paint
Heavy Duty Trash Bags
Hydrogen Peroxide Spray
Scrub Brush
Toothbrush (not one you use ;))
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
Steam Cleaner (optional for carpet and upholstery)
Really Good Vacuum
Broom and Dustpan
Mop and Bucket
Microfiber Cloths
Paper Towels
Dawn Soap (the blue one)
Spray bottle
Liquid Bleach (optional)
Baking Soda

Some other items you may need are shovels, a nose clip for smells, and protective eye wear.

2// Begin Where You Live Most Often

Start cleaning your filthy home in the space that you spend the most time.

Why? Because when you know what it feels like to be in a clean space, it will make walking into the dirty places in your home that much harder.

And you will want to clean the places that are still dirty.

The living room and kitchen are your best bet. And I have this great article for you by a friend of mine about how to clean a burnt pan when you are not sure how.

Once you get these main areas cleaned up, you will feel more motivated to start working on the other areas of your house.

3// Clear The Walking Spaces

So that you don’t trip and fall, you will want to work on clearing the floor of objects. So start by removing all the trash, then put away the things you want to keep.

When you clean a really dirty house, sometimes what would normally be easy to clean up in a clean house, can be harder to clean than normal.

So clearing out all the trash so you can get to the real dirt is the best first step.

4// Start High and End Low

When you actually begin cleaning the dust, cobwebs, and dirt in the really messy room, you want to start at the top (meaning around the ceiling) and work your way down.

That way all of the grimy bits settle on the ground and can be vacuumed up at the end of cleaning that room.

I love this extending duster for cleaning things that are both high and low.

5// Disinfect hard surfaces

When you are cleaning a super dirty house, you will definitely want to disinfect everything you can.

Especially in the kitchen and bathroom, disinfecting hard surfaces is important.

It means killing off all the bad germs like bacteria, viruses, and parasites from feces so your family won’t get sick.

You should also clean the mold and mildew in your bathroom. Mold can make people really sick, and mildew can make your entire house smell.

Use this bleach spray to clean hard non porous surfaces like tile and use this Hydrogen Peroxide to clean porous surfaces like grout.

Make sure you do not mix these two chemicals thought, they can cause toxic gases that will make you very sick.

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6// Tackle Stains And Smells

Once all of your clutter is picked up off the ground and put away, you will be able to see any stains on your carpet, upholstery, or sub floor.

Spray them with the appropriate cleaner and let the cleaner soak in. Hopefully the stain is not too set in.

If there are pet smells and large stains on the walls and sub flooring of a room, you can use this stain and odor blocker to cover them for good.

In the end, if you want to be able to say, “My house is my sanctuary”, then you need to get your messes under control.

Meaning, you need to make sure the filthy mess does not return.

cleaning planner image with cleaning planner sheets spread out to see.

Buy This Cleaning Planner

7// Clean Appliances

Use the this multipurpose cleaner to clean the fronts of all appliances in the kitchen.

It easily cuts through greasy and grimy fingerprints and leaves no streaks if you follow up the cleaning with a microfiber cloth to dry it.

8// Get Organized

The best way to stop the filth and clutter from coming back is to get organized.

Create a cleaning schedule that you can stick to and find a place to put everything in your house. If it has no place in your home, then throw it away.

9// Start a Routine

To completely stop the filth and clutter from taking over your house again, you need a routine.

By creating a routine, you can make sure you do certain things at certain times.

For instance, you clean up your bathroom every Monday. You do laundry every Friday. You vacuum and mop every Saturday.

With a good cleaning routine, you will have your house in tip top shape all the time.

Filthy Houses Can Be Unhealthy

Some kinds of filth in your home can cause health problems. So I think it is safe to say you can definitely get sick from living in a filthy house.

Things such as mold, mildew, and animal feces are just 3 of the toxic items that may be in your home.

They can cause breathing problems, stomach problems, and if really bad, they could even cause death.

So taking action to learn how to clean a disgusting house as soon as possible is a MUST.

I like to use this cleaner to combat mold mildew and animal feces in my house.

What if I Just Can’t Get My Really Filthy House Clean?

Sometimes a big mess is just too messy to clean on your own.

So in that case, it is OKAY to ask for help to clean a home that is overwhelming you. There are plenty of ‘nasty house’ cleaning services out there.

You can call services now like 1800GOTJUNK, hire a maid, or even hire an organizer! The possibilities are endless.

If you can’t afford to pay someone, see if you can get your family and friends to help.

Let them know how important it is that you figure out how to clean your filthy home.

Either way cleaning up your filthy home is going to make you feel better in the end.

Cleaning a Neglected House

Cleaning up a neglected house can really make you feel good since the beginning and end are so drastically different.

Be sure to take some pictures before you start cleaning so you can see just how far you have come by cleaning up that disgusting house.

Filthy House SOS Cleaning Tips In Review:

Make sure you have the right cleaning tools for the job.
Purchase the proper cleaning solutions and products.
Start in the walkways and living areas.
Clean from high to low so you can vacuum (or shovel) up the things that fall to the floor.

When Filthy House Cleaning Becomes Too Much To Handle

There are plenty of times when cleaning a filthy house becomes overwhelming.

You may run into disgusting messes you can’t handle. Or that you just don’t want to take care of yourself.

When that happens, there are plenty of filthy house cleaning services out there. Find one near you and enlist their help.

Also try asking a family member to help

FAQ’s

How do you clean a house that has been neglected?

Neglected homes can be filthy and hard to clean. Many times they need professional help. But here are some things you can do on your own.

Clear out the garbage.
Clean dirt and grime off surfaces, walls and floors using bleach and other heavy duty cleaners.
Paint with Kilz any surface where there is still staining or odor.
For more extensive cleaning, like extensive mold, rotten walls or subflooring, or structural damage, be sure to call a professional.

How do you clean an old dirty house?

Most old dirty houses just need a little TLC.

Sand, stain and varnish any old wood.
Clean or install new ceilings and floors
Seal basements or cellars with waterproofing
Clean out the vents
Fix any holes where critters can get in in the roof or walls

Quick Tips To Help You Clean A Filthy House

These are tips to help you deep clean the dirtiest of areas when you don’t have much time.

Declutter using a laundry basket to pick up items that are out of place.
Go around picking up trash with a garbage bag especially in common areas like the living room and bedrooms, and walk ways.
Clean windows and window sills, and also light fixtures to help let more light in and ease the filthy feeling.
Use a spray disinfectant anywhere and everywhere you can, like the toilet bowl, shower curtain, and sinks.
Clean around and under appliances like the refrigerator, stove and washing machine.
Vacuum up anything you can in corners and around baseboards.
Wash all comforters and blankets on hot water to kill dust mites.

Clean on A Regular Basis

You really should have a daily and weekly cleaning schedule at the very least.

First thing you should do is get a cleaning planner to help you.

The next step is to decide which parts of the house are most important.

It is a good idea to do simple things each day and things that take a little longer each week. A cleaning checklist can also help.

Daily Cleaning Tasks For Clean Home

Create a cleaning routine with this cleaning planner.
Load dirty dishes in the dishwasher or wash them by hand.
Unload clean dishes from the dishwasher.
Use a small laundry basket to collect items that need to be put away each night.
Do one load of laundry everyday from start to finish.
Collect all dirty laundry in a laundry hamper so it is not laying on the ground.
Wipe down the kitchen sink.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks For A Clean Home

Vacuum
Scrub the toilet bowl.
Dust with a telescopic duster like this one.
Use a handheld vacuum to remove pet hair from furniture.
Clean sheets using hot water in the washing machine and vinegar as a fabric softener.

See more things to clean and when with this cleaning schedule.

When To Call A Professional Cleaner

If you just cannot keep up with the cleaning in your home, then try calling a service. There are services out there for just about every type of cleaning there is. From general weekly cleaning to monthly deep cleaning.

You can also hire someone to steam clean your carpet, clean out mold and mildew from a shower or basement, or just remove the junk from a room that has become a daunting task.

The important thing to remember is that keeping up with routine cleaning once your house is clean is the most efficient way to keep a house from getting filthy or disgusting in the first place.

Happy cleaning!

P.S. – Want to refer back to this post? Remember to Pin it!

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Julie Hazard

As a stay at home mom myself, I have found ways to keep myself sane and organized while loving what I do …be home with my kids! After 14 years of being home, I realized other moms may benefit from some of the tips and tricks I have learned over the years. Join me to learn ways to manage your home and life as a stay at home mom so you can make time to enjoy the best part…family. Things I love…feeling motivated, Harry Potter, being outside, and digging deeper into my life and my family’s life in order to make it better. I have a Degree in Biology and am also a freelance writer.