The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide
Your home may be full of clutter, but we don’t blame you! In today’s world, we have so many responsibilities that it’s challenging to take the time to clean as well as we should. Fortunately, with these tips from our ultimate spring cleaning guide, you can get your home looking its best in no time! In this article, you’ll learn how to approach your spring cleaning – from the rooms that need cleaning first to the products you should use – plus what order to do each room in!
Start With the Bathroom
To reduce allergens, start with one of your least used rooms and do a deep clean on it. A good rule of thumb is to do one room every week or two. This will help you maintain focus and not get overwhelmed by looking at all that needs to be done. The bathroom can be cleaned in less than 30 minutes, but plan on a few hours if you’re changing out all products or doing heavy-duty cleaning. Start by clearing everything off surfaces and removing any items that don’t belong there. Next, wipe down each surface with a disinfectant like Lysol or Clorox wipes. If you have time, use an all-purpose cleaner like Simple Green or Soft Scrub (which also works great for getting rid of soap scum). If using chemicals isn’t your thing, vinegar mixed with water works well too! Make sure to wipe down cabinets and shelves and light fixtures (and bulbs), fans, shower curtains/doors/heads/liners, etc., inside and out. Don’t forget about things like toothbrush holders!
Move On to Kitchens
There are plenty of ways to tackle a kitchen spring cleaning project. You could go room by room, starting in a particularly dirty or cluttered place, or you could do your whole house at once. Either way, remove any breakable items from your kitchen and then clean with products for kitchens to reduce allergens while dusting, mopping, and washing surfaces and appliances. If you do an entire-house cleaning on one day, remember to put all your stuff back before bed—but if you space it out over several days (or weeks), don’t worry about putting everything away until you’re done.
Bedrooms
Don’t think you have time for spring cleaning? Make it a goal to tackle your bedroom first. This is a great place to start because people tend to spend eight hours of their day in their bedrooms; plus, when you clean them, you reduce allergens that can aggravate asthma and allergies. Invest in mattress covers, dust-repellent sheets, pillows, and quality bedding from your favorite store or brand. Wash any linen items like comforters and quilts weekly in hot water (130 degrees F). Always wash new bedding before using it; never use it before washing to ensure no bedbugs or dust mites lurk inside.
Work Through Every Room One by One
It’s essential to get your windows, doors, and ceilings as clean as possible for spring because these surfaces tend to get overlooked during most cleaning sessions. While an occasional wipe down may keep them looking okay for a while, it’s good to give them a deeper cleaning once or twice a year if you want them to continue looking their best. In addition, hard water stains can build up on these surfaces over time and can be difficult or impossible to remove without professional help. A pro cleaner in Apex can clean and seal your windows, doors and ceilings so they look great all year long.
Make Sure you do a Good Job on Windows, Doors, and Ceilings too!
When spring cleaning, it’s easy to forget about all those hard-to-reach spots. Avoid getting caught in a spider web or coating yourself in grime by focusing on these three places: windows, doors and ceilings. From household glass cleaner to a damp rag and a vacuum, there are numerous ways to clean glass surfaces. For instance, you could use newspaper to apply Windex® and then just wipe it off. In addition to Windex®, many other products are available that can safely clean various types of glass without leaving streaks or film behind. The same goes for your doors!
Vacuum Your Carpets and Rugs
Vacuuming is one of those chores that’s so mundane; we often put it off until it’s too late—until there are visible stains or odors and we have to call out a professional cleaner. You’ll probably be fine if you’re vacuuming your carpets and rugs once a week or so. When dealing with stains and odors, however, if you delay cleaning them up too long they can become more difficult to get rid of. They can also build up over time if left unchecked, making your entire house smell musty or like stale cigarettes when you least expect it. Vacuum at least once a week and you should be good to go.
Deep clean your Switches, PowerPoints and Outlets
Vacuuming and dusting are great ways to keep your home clean, but do they really address all of your household surfaces? If you’re looking for a deeper clean, you should deep-clean your switchers, power points, and light switches. This is not only time-consuming but can be difficult to tackle on your own if you have a large home. It’s best to get a few people together who can help make sure that everything gets cleaned thoroughly. To begin with, use an old toothbrush or paintbrush to scrape away any dirt or dust from around each switch and socket. Then spray some cleaner onto a rag or paper towel and wipe down each switch plate, including any screws. Once that’s done, move on to cleaning each switch itself. Use a damp cloth to wipe off any remaining grime before using an air duster or compressed air to blast out any dirt left in between buttons. To finish up, run your vacuum over every surface of each socket as well as its surrounding area—this will ensure it’s completely free from dirt before you put it back into place!
Know When to Call an Expert
The biggest mistake that people make is trying to do everything themselves. If you’re not an expert on, say, tile repair or home cleaning, don’t try it yourself—call a professional who will do it right (and save you time and money). Make sure you know what’s included in your spring cleaning and be honest with yourself about when to hire a pro. You may think you’re good at making your own home repairs or refinishing floors or cutting back trees or doing any number of other tasks. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned at HGTV over all these years, it’s that some jobs just take a level of expertise that most homeowners don’t have on hand. And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. We won’t tell anyone. We promise.