With the arrival of spring comes warmer weather, blooming flowers and fresh air throughout the house. As a time of renewal, spring is the perfect time to refresh and clean your home. While cleaning your entire home may seem daunting, it does not necessarily have to be. We’ve created a list of tips and tricks to make the job a little less overwhelming.
Kitchen:
• Pantry: It’s easy to forget about left over food in the pantry, especially after a long winter. That extra Halloween candy could still be tucked away behind a row of soup cans. Now is the perfect time to clean out your pantry and get rid of the expired food. Take everything off of one shelf at a time and go through each item. If an item is not expired and you do not think you will use it, donate it to a food pantry.
• Refrigerator: Similar to the pantry, items can get lost in the back of a refrigerator. First, take out each item to review the expiration date. Once all of the items are out, clean each individual shelf. Juice can spill and create a sticky mess. Wash each shelf individually and completely, to ensure all stains are cleaned. After the shelves are dry, organize the remaining food.
• Cabinets: Wipe down all surfaces of the cabinet, both the interior and exterior. The handles may need extra attention, depending on if there is any grease.
• Appliances: Dirt and dust often accumulates behind appliances. To reach these tough spaces, move out the appliances and sweep behind them. Focus specifically on the area behind the oven and refrigerator.
Bathrooms:
• Shower curtain & bath mats: Throw the shower curtain and bath mats in the washing machine. If the shower liner is old and moldy, replace it with a new one.
• Toilet: Clean the inside of the toilet bowl with a brush and a bleach based solution to remove any excess build-up. Don’t forget to clean the exterior and top of the toilet.
• Shower tile: Clean the shower tile with the appropriate cleaning solution, depending on the make of the tile. For an extra deep clean, use a tooth brush to clean the grout.
• Shower glass door: Water droplets can leave a mark on glass shower doors. To clean these droplet stains, try Rain-X. Rain-X is a water repellent used for the car windshield, but it also works on a shower door.
Bedrooms:
• Bed: Various items have a mysterious way of always ending up underneath the bed. This is a great time to address the stockpile that has been growing over the winter months. Move the bed from its normal position and organize contents you find. After organizing everything, vacuum the remaining space and move your bed back.
• Surfaces: Dust tends to build-up on the top of ceiling fans and can easily be missed. Wipe down all surfaces, including shelves and drawers to ensure all dust is gone.
• Closet: Go through your closet and pull out any items you have not worn in a while. From there, try on each piece. Does it still work? Separate into three piles: yes; no; maybe. By separating the items, you will have a better grasp on what you should keep or donate.
• Windows: Take down and launder any window treatments, according to the directions. Wipe down each blind individually and clean the window track. These two areas are known to have dust and dirt.
These are just a few tips to help start the spring cleaning process. By breaking down the project into smaller parts, it becomes more manageable. After the long winter months, spring is a time to refresh and clean your home. How do you get your home ready for spring?