They call Delray Beach the "Village by the Sea," and it earns the name. Five historic districts, the Mediterranean Revival and Craftsman bungalows of Del-Ida Park, the Marina Historic District along the Intracoastal, the galleries of Pineapple Grove, and Atlantic Avenue humming every night of the week.

Living here often means living in a home with history — much of it built before 1940. That's the charm. It also means cleaning it takes a lighter, smarter touch than a brand-new build. Here's how to protect an older Delray home and keep it ready for company.

What makes cleaning a Delray home different

• Older finishes. Original hardwood, vintage tile, plaster walls, and period fixtures don't tolerate the harsh products that a modern kitchen shrugs off.

• Older windows and casings. Beautiful, and excellent at collecting dust in tracks, sills, and moldings.

• Coastal humidity and salt air. Proximity to the beach and the Intracoastal means moisture and a fine salt film working on your home year-round.

• Homes built before central AC. Many were designed to breathe — which is lovely, and also means more dust and pollen find their way inside.

• An actual social life. Between season, visiting friends, and everything happening on Atlantic Ave, Delray homes host a lot of guests.

Caring for older finishes

The wrong product can undo a hundred years of character in an afternoon:

• Original hardwood: minimal water and a wood-safe cleaner. Standing water is the enemy of old floors.

• Vintage tile and grout: pH-neutral cleaners only — harsh acids eat away at old grout and glaze.

• Plaster walls and original woodwork: dust and spot-clean gently; never soak.

• Period fixtures and hardware: skip abrasive pads and powders, which strip original finishes.

• Natural stone: no vinegar, lemon, or anything acidic — it etches.

When in doubt, gentler is always the safer bet on an older home.

A year-round routine

Splitting tasks by frequency keeps it manageable:

• Weekly: kitchen and bathrooms, floors, high-touch surfaces, and interior glass.

• Monthly: baseboards, ceiling fans, AC vents and returns, window tracks and sills, and detail work on trim and fixtures.

• Seasonally: grout and caulk, upholstery and rugs, salt film on exterior glass, and a deep clean before and after hurricane season.

Guest-ready without the scramble

Delray hosts. Season arrives, friends visit, and suddenly the house needs to look its best on short notice. A little strategy beats a panic-clean:

• Focus on what guests actually see: the entry, powder room, guest bath, and kitchen.

• Keep fresh linens ready so the guest room is a ten-minute job, not an afternoon.

• Do a nightly ten-minute reset so you're never starting from zero.

• Book a deep clean before season, the holidays, or a stretch of visitors — not the week of.

Don't forget hurricane season (June–November)

Hurricane season overlaps with our most humid months, and older homes feel humidity more than new construction does. Before a storm, clear porches and patios and secure loose items. Afterward, wipe surfaces down and run the AC or a dehumidifier — old wood, plaster, and grout are all happier dry.

When it makes sense to call in a pro

Plenty of Delray homeowners handle the day-to-day and bring in a professional team for the heavy lifting. It's worth it when:

• You own an older or historic home that needs a careful hand.

• You host often and want the place reliably guest-ready.

• You're a seasonal resident who wants the home fresh on arrival and cared for while you're away.

• You need a one-time deep clean, a move-in / move-out clean, or ongoing recurring cleaning.

That's exactly what we do at Sun Cleaning. We're local, we know how to treat older Delray homes with the care they deserve, and we tailor every visit — recurring, deep, or one-time — to your home and your schedule.

Ready for a cleaner, healthier home? Contact Sun Cleaning for a free quote and keep your Delray Beach home looking its best all year.