How to clean an attic

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Cleaning the attic is necessary to prevent the growth of mould and other nasty inhabitants like bats and rodents from taking up residence in your home. Clean your attic at least once a year and you can have a little peace of mind the next time you need to fetch a set of Christmas decorations that you wont run into a critter during your errand.

What you will need:

• A disposable respirator (1 for each person on the cleaning team – they are inexpensive and a great barrier to dust, spores and other irritants.


• Goggles to protect your eyes from dust and other particles


• Apron – great to protect your clothing


• Gloves – you can choose from latex to rubber depending on the nature of the cleaning.


• Vacuum cleaner or a feather duster, broom and dustpan.


• Label printer


• Cleaning cloths


• A bucket with a solution of water and mild dishwashing liquid

Step 1 – getting rid of the dust
- Be sure to wear your protect gear especially if it’s been several years since your last cleaning.
- Vacuum the attic from the top down- starting at the ceilings, walls and finally the floor.
- If you won’t be using a vacuum – use a feather duster on the ceilings and walls. Once you’ve tackled the ceiling sweep the dirt from the far end of the room towards the doorway, finally brushing the accumulated dirt into a dustpan to be disposed of in the trash.

Step 2 – Organizing your attic for storage

- Place small items into labeled boxes.
- Group boxes that contain like items in proximity with each other. Decorations for Christmas, New Years and Easter if grouped can be accessed far quicker than if they were spread out.
- Do not forget to allow sufficient space between the rows of boxes so that you have open passages to access the boxes once you’ve organized its contents.

Step 3 – Finishing off

- Dip the cleaning cloth into the soapy water solution and wipe down the area lightly.

Congratulations you have organized and gotten rid of most of the dirt and grime in your attic. It’s time now to schedule a reminder in your calendar a year from now.