The short answer
Dry before wet, and top before bottom. Vacuum or brush loose debris away before anything wet touches it, and clean the shelf before the floor.
- Dry first. Vacuum or brush the loose dust and crumbs. Wet cloth on dry dust makes mud and grinds it in.
- Top down. Everything you dislodge falls, so light fittings, then shelves, then surfaces, then the floor.
- Let products dwell while you do something else in the room.
- Floors last, and work backwards out of the door.
What will ruin it
Cleaning the floor first is not just wasted effort, it is worse than that: a damp floor catches everything that comes down afterwards and holds it.
Why it works
Gravity, which is undefeated. Every bit of technique in cleaning is either about chemistry or about not doing the same work twice.
Household chemicals can be dangerous in combination. Never mix them, keep the room ventilated, and test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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