Spring Cleaning Tips + Checklist

Blog, Home Improvement, Seller News

Spring is officially here and with it comes the traditional “spring cleaning” endeavor. We do our best throughout the year to keep our homes neat and tidy, yet Spring is when we tend to think about the tasks we’ve let go by the wayside.

When was the last time you dusted your ceiling fans? Cleaned out your closets? Washed your baseboards? Cleaned behind the fridge and stove? Dusted your walls?

Chances are you’ve put some of these things off, or never even thought about them. We’ll talk about the best way to tackle spring cleaning, left behind chores, and provide a checklist you can use to keep your chores better organized.

Tackle Each Room Separately

This is pro-cleaning-tip #1. It doesn’t matter which room you choose to start but completing it before moving on will really help keep you focused and motivated. Trying to take on your whole home at once can leave projects unfinished and take you longer to complete.

After you’ve picked a room, clean from top to bottom. When dusting your ceiling fans, for instance, some of that dust will inevitably fall to the floor or furniture. Hold off on cleaning and vacuuming furniture and surfaces below until you’ve cleaned above—no sense in cleaning a mess twice.

Kitchen

Deep cleaning your appliances will help them operate better and last longer. When is the last time you fully cleaned your coffee maker inside and out? Clean out those smaller appliances to keep them operating at their best.

Cleaning out sink drains, the garbage disposal, and the dishwasher drain will help prevent clogs and get rid of funky smells. An often-overlooked item is the garbage disposal splash guard. The underside builds grime that not only smells but holds bacteria.

And of course, the ever-neglected spaces behind the fridge and under the stove. Dust and crumbs galore await you in these uncharted places. Dirt, food particles, and grime can cause stress on appliances, as well as attract unwanted guests into your home. Clean them out this Spring to keep your kitchen smelling and operating at top-notch.

Bathrooms

Hard water build-up and discoloring grout and caulking can make any bathroom look grungy. Lime and calcium deposits build on shower heads and sink faucets. This creates uneven and decreased water flow. Pull up those drain stoppers, too, and clean off soap scum and mineral deposits to keep water from slowly draining.

Brighten up caulking and tile grout to give your bathroom a fresh look. If your bath or shower caulking is getting moldy or cracking, remove the old caulk and apply new. Your tub or shower will thank you.

Have you ever cleaned the inside of the toilet tank? The tank can also build up grime and rust that puts stress on the working parts inside the tank. Turn the toilet water valve off and flush to empty the tank of water before you clean. Then don’t forget to turn the water back on when you’re done!

Bedrooms

Has anyone told you should rotate your mattress? If your mattress looks or feels sunken, where you tend to sleep, flipping it over will give you a firmer side to lay on. Using an iron or steamer on your mattress will kill dust mites living near the surface. Clean out your closets and donate any unused or unwanted clothes and items.

If you have kids, they most likely have toys. Disinfect plastic toys and surface clean stuffed animals. Donate older toys and clothes your kids don’t need or want anymore. If you have fur kids, don’t forget about their toys and upholstered items!

Smaller Rooms

Home offices or workspaces are becoming more common place. Canned air is your friend in keeping your electronics dust free. Sanitize surfaces used frequently, like keyboards, mice, phones, and monitors. Canned air works well for your video game consoles, too!

CAUTION: Don’t spray cleaner directly on any of your electronics! The moisture will drip into places you don’t want to get wet. Some cleaners also leave a sticky residue behind. Lightly spray a paper towel or microfiber cloth with your cleaner then wipe down your electronic surfaces.

Your laundry appliances need cleaning, too. Did you know washers have a lint trap or filter? Read your washer’s instruction booklet to find where yours is and how to properly clean out the trapped lint and gunk.

Of course, clean and vacuum the lint filter for your dryer. Using a crevasse tool, you can usually clean the lint filter compartment. Some compartments may have a screw or two to remove the cover if you really need to get down in there. Lint can build up on the outside vent cover as well. Remember, dryer lint is a fire hazard, so you want to make sure your dryer is free from lint clogs.

Rugs, pillows, curtains, carpets, and upholstered furniture hold a lot of dust, dirt, and pet dander. Give them a good vacuum or wash. Light switches, doors/door frames, bannisters, and walls gather dust and dirty fingerprints. A damp microfiber cloth will have them looking like new. Windows, sliding doors, and their tracks trap dirt and dust, as well capture fingerprints. Wipe them clean to let in the warm Spring light! Add a polish your clean wood surfaces and floors for that extra shine!

Outside Spaces

Pressure washing siding, patios, decks, driveways, and walkways can really spruce up the outside of your home. Not to mention, blasting away that grime is very satisfying! Wash or wipe down your outside furniture so you and/or your guests don’t sit in a pile of dirt and cobwebs. Remember cleaning all those windows from the inside? Well, they have an outside as well! Gently hose window screens to wash away debris.

And One More Thing…

Your cleaning tools get dirty too! Wash your cleaning cloths and mop heads, rinse your scrub brushes and brooms, and clean out your vacuum filters and brushes so they can keep on cleaning!