More than half of City of Sarasota homes were built before 1980, and about a quarter before 1960. How to clean original tile, wood, glass and painted surfaces in these homes without wearing them down.
Sarasota's newer suburbs can give the impression of a young city, but the housing inside the city limits tells a different story. The median city home was built in 1976, about 58 percent were built before 1980, and roughly 1,722 still standing were built in 1939 or earlier.
Older homes reward a careful approach. This guide covers what to expect from those houses, how the city's historic preservation program fits in, and how a cleaner should treat finishes that have lasted decades.
Census figures for the City of Sarasota show about 24 percent of homes built before 1960 and about 58 percent before 1980. Across Sarasota County as a whole the picture is younger, with a median year built of 1988, yet the 1970s were still the single busiest decade and account for about 19 percent of the county's homes today.
In practice that means many households live in a house, villa or condo that is 45 to 50 years old or more. Even where kitchens and baths have been redone, original elements such as window frames, doors, trim, tile in a hall bath and built-in shelving often remain.
The City of Sarasota keeps a list of about 180 locally designated historic buildings, and it encourages owners of Sarasota School of Architecture homes to seek designation. The city's preservation program also includes the Newtown Historic Conservation District.
Historic designation generally concerns changes to a building rather than how it is cleaned. Still, owners of designated or architecturally notable homes tend to care about original materials, and a cleaner should know before the first visit which surfaces are original and which products the owner prefers.
Older surfaces are often more porous and more worn than new ones, and strong products can etch, dull or lift them. A good rule is the mildest product that does the job, tested first in a hidden spot.
Any home built before 1978 may have lead based paint somewhere under newer coats, and with a median year built of 1976 that describes a large share of city homes. Cleaning is not the risk; disturbing paint is. Cleaners never sand, scrape or strip paint, and they wipe rather than scrub chipped areas.
If paint is peeling or a renovation is planned, that work belongs to a qualified contractor. Wet wiping and a vacuum with a good filter are the right tools for ordinary dust in an older home.
Older homes were often built before central air was standard, and some still have less insulation and more air leaks than new construction. In a climate where nights stay above 75 degrees in July and August, that means more moisture finding its way into closets, cabinets and bathrooms.
The Florida Department of Health advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent. In an older home, check the reading in closed rooms, run bath fans and keep air moving. The humidity and mildew guide covers this in more detail.
The City of Sarasota recognizes more than 50 neighborhoods, and its Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations includes 36 active associations. If your neighborhood has an active association, it can be a useful source for local contractors, preservation guidance and neighborhood history.
When TotalCare Cleaning comes to Sarasota, a first visit to an older home will be an Initial Deep Clean or a One-Time Deep Clean, which gives the cleaner time to learn the surfaces before settling into a regular routine.
The questions Sarasota homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Sarasota 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.
