A Toxicologist Explains How Often You Really Need To Be Cleaning Your Home

There's no better feeling than deep-cleaning your home—and nothing more disappointing than watching it get dirty all over again one day later. It's one of the great tragedies of life that dust and grime pile up faster than you can say "all-natural air freshener," but thankfully we have Rhea Mehta, Ph.D., a toxicologist, to tell us where we can get the most bang for our proverbial cleaning buck.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are the main category of chemicals that you want to avoid at home. The compounds—which have been associated with headaches and eye, nose, and throat irritation1—are commonly found in products like paints, cleaning products, furniture, and textiles, which can "off-gas" or release irritants into the air over time.

While you probably won't feel the effect of said VOCs right away unless you have a chemical sensitivity, Mehta thinks the damage is more cumulative. "It's not right to say that inhaling one product is going to harm you—it's about the accumulation over time. It very much depends on your environment, your stress levels, and your genetics," she clarified. "There are many different factors at play, but certain chemicals could impact your hormonal pathway in the body—your sex hormones, sex hormone, sleep, metabolism—and contribute to fogginess and lack of clarity."

Once you've taken steps to tackle VOCs, it's time to scrub down the high-trafficked areas of your space. "Think through all the places you grab with your hands or touch with your feet," Mehta recommended. That means floors (especially if you allow shoes in your home!), countertops, and appliances, as well as less obvious spots like light switches, doorknobs, and fridge handles. You don't have to go crazy here—just take a cloth and some of those cleaners we mentioned (or make your own DIY version using essential oils and vinegar) and give these spots a quick wipe-down. You'll want to focus on areas that tend to accumulate dust too: the back of the fridge and stove, the screens of your electronics, etc. For dusting, Mehta recommends using a microfiber towel.

So how many days (or weeks) can you get away with not cleaning? According to Mehta, it depends on your habits and sensitivities. "If you're practicing preventive measures every day: If you're ending your shower with a quick wipe or washing counters after every time you cook, you probably don't have to clean as much," she said. In that case, you can get away with one deep clean every three to four weeks. If you really don't do any upkeep daily, or you tend to be sensitive to dust or different allergens, you should probably aim for once every two weeks.

Good news—Mehta has a few tricks to help you get away with going longer between deep cleans. Namely, investing in an air-filtering plant for the rooms you spend the most time in (she loves bamboo, aloe, spider plants, and snake plants) and keeping your windows open a crack at night, even if you live in a city. This is an especially beneficial habit for the bedroom. "It's a good practice for cleaning the air," she explained. "It also helps the body sleep."

Another timesaver? Mix 15 to 20 drops of antimicrobial thieves' oil with water in a spray bottle and keep it by your bed. "Spray this on cloth areas like curtains, pillows, sheets, and mattress one or two times a week—but don't get the mattress too wet because that's a breeding ground for mold." This natural refresher will help you go longer between washings thanks to the antimicrobial properties of the oils.