About 21.3 percent of Oklahoma City homes were built before 1960, many in Historic Preservation districts. These houses need a gentle hand, and some jobs belong to someone else.
Oklahoma City began with the Land Run on April 22, 1889, so its oldest residential streets are relatively young by national standards, but they are old enough to need care. Census estimates count 21,872 homes built in 1939 or earlier.
This guide covers how to clean those homes without harming them, how the historic district rules relate to a cleaning visit, and what TotalCare Cleaning will and will not take on when it comes to the Oklahoma City area.
Oklahoma City's Historic Preservation districts include Crown Heights, Edgemere Park, Jefferson Park, Mesta Park, Heritage Hills, Heritage Hills East, Paseo, Putnam Heights and Shepherd. Heritage Hills, between NW 13th and NW 23rd streets, dates to 1903 and became Oklahoma's first Historic Preservation District by joining three of the city's earliest residential areas. It began as the Highland Parked Addition, organized by Anton Classen in 1900, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Nichols Hills is another older area, though it is a separate 2.4 square mile city, planned in 1928 by Gilbert A. Nichols with wide curving lanes and thousands of planted trees. Trees on that scale mean leaf litter on walks and porches, and that comes indoors on shoes.
Further out, Midwest City has a large mid-century group of homes, with 5,042 units from the 1950s alone.
In Oklahoma City's Historic Preservation and Historic Landmark zones, changes to buildings, demolitions and new construction require a certificate from the Historic Preservation Commission or Planning staff. Ordinary interior cleaning is not what those rules are about, but anything that alters the building is a different matter.
A practical rule follows. Do not let anyone, a cleaner included, strip, sand, power wash or otherwise change an original exterior surface without first checking with the city. A house cleaner is there to clean, not to refinish, and if a surface looks like it needs more than a wipe, it should be flagged rather than attacked.
Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint under newer coats, and with about 21.3 percent of the city's homes predating 1960, this is a real concern here. Sound, intact paint can be dusted and wiped with a damp cloth as usual. Peeling, chipping or chalking paint is another story. Do not sand it, scrape it or dry sweep the flakes. Call a qualified contractor, and keep children and pets away from the area until then.
If you see old paint flaking on a window sash or a door frame, point it out before the visit. It is better to skip that spot than to spread the dust.
Old houses tend to mix materials that newer houses do not have. Original wood floors, plaster walls, glass doorknobs, built-in cabinets and old tile should get less water and milder products. Damp, not wet, is the standard. Harsh scrubbers can dull old finishes in a single pass, and water left on old wood can raise the grain.
Tell your cleaner which items are original, and which pieces you maintain yourself. A short list saves arguments later. If you have a fragile window, ask that it be left alone. Interior windows are an add-on, so they only get cleaned if you ask for that work.
A One-Time Deep Clean is often the best first step, because hand washed baseboards, wet-wiped blinds, window tracks and degreased cabinet fronts all do a lot for a house with original woodwork. After that, a Recurring House Clean on a monthly or bi-weekly schedule keeps things from building up again.
Water can be a small complication too. Oklahoma City treats its water at two plants, Hefner and Draper, and the 2025 water report shows treatment includes softening, though it gives no hardness figure. If old fixtures show spots, a soft cloth is the place to start, not anything abrasive.
If you run a short-stay rental in a historic house, know that a Board of Adjustment special exception may also apply. The home sharing guide covers that.
The questions Oklahoma City homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Oklahoma City and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
