Spring Cleaning 101

08 Apr Spring Cleaning 101

Today was a great day. The windows and doors in my home sprung wide open and the fresh air started to seep in. After months of treacherous weather, spring is finally here! The weather is warming and the snow is all but melted. You can start storing that winter coat away and make room in your closet for the lighter, prettier fabrics that will make up your wardrobe for the next couple of months.

There is nothing better than the feeling you get after you’ve cleaned your house, from the bottom up. It’s a great way to welcome the new season and breathe a little life back into your home. I used to hate spring-cleaning, but I’ve grown to like it, heck even enjoy it! But spring-cleaning is no laughing matter. It takes work, patience and a whole lot of effort. Don’t expect to have your entire home spick-and-span in one weekend, as it will most likely take a number of days.

Getting started can be difficult though, and we’re here to help by offering you a number of tips and tricks to get you going.

First things first, prepare a cleaning schedule!
Knowing that you have to tackle every single room in your home can be overwhelming. As mentioned above, spring-cleaning is going to take some time and effort. Take a few minutes before you start to plan out what tasks you’re going to tackle that day and set deadlines! Maybe you will focus on the front yard and backyard today and possibly the living room. Or maybe you will start your cleaning in the basement or in the attic. Wherever you start, plan ahead and create a checklist. This will help keep you on track, and checking off all the tasks on your list feels great as well!

Getting Started
Now that you’ve got your schedule all set up, it’s time to get cleaning! Here we will give a brief overview of what you should tackle first throughout your entire home.

1. Walls & Ceilings

Dust accumulates in your home and attaches itself to all surfaces including your walls and ceilings. Many people use a telescoping brush to get rid of visible cobwebs around their home on a weekly basis but when spring-cleaning, you want to make sure all of the dust and dirt that has accumulated on your walls is gone. Vacuuming your walls is the best way to make this happen. Afterwards, use a cloth and go over your walls with it. If you really want to deep clean your walls, use water and a soap-mixture and go over every surface.

2. Furniture

Make sure that every surface of your furniture gets dusted. To do this, invest in a good quality duster. Whether it’s your shelves, or your lamp-shaded or even your photo frames, dusting is necessary to remove dust. For upholstered furniture, make sure to vacuum the surface and run a damp cloth over the items.

3. Carpets & Rugs

Rugs are beautiful. They make a space. That’s why you want to make sure you keep them looking great for years and years. Taking your rugs and carpets to a professional cleaner will ensure that all the dust and dirt that has accumulated throughout the months gets removed. Professionally cleaning your carpets and rugs will increase their lifespan and will get rid of any harmful bacterial residue.

4. Windows

This task is easy enough but it takes a lot of work, especially if you have many windows. So grab someone, a friend or family member, and get started. It’s always easier with a friend! If you want to clean your windows from the outside, you will need a ladder to reach the top windows and a gardening house to rinse the cleaning solution off!

5. Window Treatments

Heavy drapes should be exchanged for lighter curtains so that the sun can shine into your home every morning. Drapes pick up a lot of dirt and dust as well. It would be beneficial to also take your drapes and curtains to get professionally cleaned. Whether they are being put back up or being stored away, you want to make sure they stay in good condition, but most importantly, that they are clean.

Finally, make sure you use a disinfectant when cleaning all surfaces of your home. You want your home to be bacteria free and the best way to do this is to keep disinfectant wipes in every room in your home and clean the surfaces of your home on a regular basis.

If you plan your cleaning schedule and make sure to include the above-mentioned tasks, you’ll have a spring-ready home in no time!