We’re finally approaching the end of the winter season, which brings about warmer weather and longer days. As the flowers begin to bloom and the grass gets a little greener, we find ourselves feeling refreshed and renewed as we enter into spring. As our minds start to think “out with the old, and in with the new,” we get in the mood for some spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning doesn’t just mean tidying up the house, dusting off picture frames, sweeping the floors and vacuuming the carpets—although, those are all essential to spring cleaning. It also involves touching up the exterior of the house, fixing chipped paint spots or squeaky doors, deep cleaning kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures, organizing your pantries and closets throughout the house, and much, much more.
If that all sounds exhausting…well, we won’t lie to you, it kind of is. But, it is definitely well worth it. Once you wrap up your spring cleaning, you’ll have a fresh start for the rest of the year. To get you started, check out these spring cleaning tips.
Around the House
The exterior condition of your house is just as important as the interior, but unfortunately the exterior is often overlooked while cleaning.
First, start with the windows. Wash your windows inside and out, and also wipe down the window sills. To clean the window screens, remove them from the window, rub them with kerosene, then rinse down with soap and water and let them dry—it’s best practice to do this outside.
Then, take a few minutes to empty your trash cans. Use a hose to rinse them off and spray the interior of the bins with disinfectant. If you think your trash cans are just too disgusting to be saved, it might be time to purchase new ones.
Next on the task list is checking your doors, windows and walls. Look for leaks or drafts, particularly near corners. If you see chipped or peeling paint, you may have a water leak. Looks for cracks in your ceiling or open areas between the frame, this can be an indicator of deteriorating building materials. Also, don’t be afraid to put a little extra oil on squeaky doors and windows.
In the Kitchen
The kitchen is a very important room in your house, not only is it a central gathering area but it’s also the area where you prepare and eat most of your food. Be sure to give your kitchen the attention that it needs during spring cleaning.
First things first, start your kitchen cleanse by tackling the refrigerator. Remove old food items, outdated condiments, and anything that may seem a little smelly, fuzzy, or moldy. Then, wipe down the shelves and remove lower bins to clean.
If you find that your kitchen sink has any lime or calcium buildups around the faucet, use paper towels that are soaked in vinegar and lay them over the fixture for one hour. After an hour, you’ll find that the deposits will have softened and are easier to remove.
On your stovetop, use a toothbrush to remove food around the burners. Set your oven to self-clean, but be sure to clean up any leftover oven spills before starting the self-cleaning.
In the Bedroom
Some of the most important rooms in your house are the bedrooms. It’s where you sleep, it’s where your children sleep, and it’s where your guests sleep. Unfortunately, bedrooms often collect lots of dust, so be conscious not to skip these rooms during spring cleaning.
Start your bedroom cleaning with the mattresses. Overtime, mattresses can wear out and become uneven. To extend the life of your mattress, vacuum each side and if possible, flip it over a few times each year.
You should regularly wash your bedding and pillows, and if you change your bedding for the season then don’t forget to air out the new spring blankets before putting them on the bed.
In your closets, swap out cool-weather clothing for warm-weathering clothing. If necessary, wash pieces of your winter wardrobe before storing it away for the season.
In the Bathroom
The bathroom is never a fun area of the house to clean, but unfortunately it is an area that needs a lot of attention.
First, spray generous amounts of tile cleaner or pine cleaner on your shower walls and other tile throughout the bathroom. Allow the cleaners to soak while you do other work around the bathroom, then go back to scrub and rinse the tile.
Similar to our tips for removing deposits in the kitchen sink, when it comes to removing hard-water scale or mildew on shower heads, faucets, drains, and more, use a paper towel soaked in vinegar and let it sit on top of the deposits. Like in the kitchen, after an hour these items should be easier to clean.
Before finishing up, don’t forget to give all your toilets around the house a deep clean and scrub. Use a cleaner with bleach in order to remove orange stains around the rim.
Additional Cleaning
Here’s a few final tips to freshen up the remaining parts of your house.
- When it comes to curtains and drapes, remove them from the wall and take them completely off of their hooks. Place them in the dryer with a damp towel for 15 minutes on the air-fluff cycle in order to remove dust.
- Thoroughly dust all parts of your house. Remove picture frames and other items from shelves, tabletops, and dressers. Don’t forget to dust your ceiling fans and around baseboards. Also, move some furniture around if needed to get behind small, tight spaces.
- Your floors are constantly taking a heavy beating in your home, so be sure to pay them special attention when spring cleaning rolls around. Deep clean all hard wood or laminate floors, and you might have to have your carpets professionally shampooed.
- Don’t forget to clean your upholestered furniture, like couches, chairs, and loveseats. Use a vacuum on the cushions and pillows, and underneath.