It is Spring Cleaning time again! Time to clean all those dust bunnies lurking around and declutter your home. If you are like me, we always have a yard sale right after to make a little extra cash. That extra cash is used for vacation; NOT buying more stuff, lol. Spring clean like a pro by doing the following:
Bedrooms
Launder the bedding & pillows – Pull everything off the bed, to include the bed skirt if you have one. Launder according to the directions on the bedding. For pillows do an extra spin cycle so they will dry faster and wash two at a time to keep the load even. If you have down pillows dry on low heat with a tennis ball to prevent them from clumping.
Curtains – Time to give them a good wash or have them dry cleaned!
Freshen & Clean the Mattress – Sprinkle baking soda directly on the mattress and allow to sit for at least an hour then vacuum thoroughly using either the hose or mattress attachment (if your vacuum comes with one).
Baseboard & Windows – Time to give them a good scrubbing! Pull furniture away from the walls if needed. Touch up any baseboards that need to be touched up.
Closets – (See clothes section below). Use command hooks to organize belts, necklaces, and purses. Go through clothes. Wipe down shelving, baseboards, and light fixtures.
Nightstands – Man our nightstands are more like junk collectors! Time to go through them and put everything in its proper place. Toss junk/trash and stuff that is not needed consider donating or selling. Vaccum drawers and give the nightstand a good wipedown all over!
Dressers – (See clothes section below). Remove all clothing and vacuum out drawers. Pull away from wall and vacuum behind and under the dresser. While it is pulled away from the wall, give it a good ole fashioned wipe down before moving it back to its place.
Ceiling Fans & Light Fixtures – Dust off blades. Remove light fixture covers and clean well.
Windows – Clean windows inside and out as well as the window sill.
Blinds – Time to dust those blinds off! This task always seems to be the most tedious and longest. Invest in a blind duster to help you out!
Bathrooms
Wash the shower curtain & replace liner – If you have a cloth shower curtain, launder it according to the tag (typically the gentle cycle with cold water). Replace the vinyl liner with a new one.
Clean Shower Doors – For those that have shower doors with water spots and soap scum, give it a good scrubbing using a soap scum & hard water remover such as Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner. To keep future water stains from showing consider giving your glass shower doors a cheap and easy makeover like we did.
Clean under the sink – Time to pull it all out, toss expired items, stuff you no longer need/use and give it a good ole fashioned wipe down and vacuum. After you have pulled everything out, vacuum the inside to remove debris and hair then give it a thorough wipe down with either a disinfectant or damp cloth. Make sure to go over it with a dry cloth once done. Consider investing in baskets and other items to keep it organized under there!
Light Fixtures – Remove light fixture covers and clean well.
Windows – Clean windows inside and out as well as the window sill.
Blinds – Time to dust those blinds off! This task always seems to be the most tedious and longest. Invest in a blind duster to help you out!
Kitchen
Clean the outside of the cabinets – When is the last time you gave the outside of your cabinets a good cleaning? Wipe down the exposed tops first (unless your cabinets go all the way to the ceiling). Next, wipe the front and back of the doors using wood cleaner for wood cabinets or water and dish soap for painted and laminate cabinets.
Clean inside the cabinets – Start with one end and work your way through each one. Take everything out, toss items you no longer use such as broken dishes, lids that go to nothing, cracked or broken Tupperware, etc.. For everything else, go through and donate or sell items you have not used or know you will not use or maybe you have duplicates of. While everything is out of the cabinets. give the inside a good wipe down then place everything back in and move onto the next one.
Clean under the sink – Time to pull it all out, toss expired items, stuff you no longer need/use and give it a good ole fashioned wipe down and vacuum. After you have pulled everything out, vacuum the inside to remove debris and hair then give it a thorough wipe down with either a disinfectant or damp cloth. Make sure to go over it with a dry cloth once done. Consider investing in baskets and other items to keep it organized under there!
Deep Clean The Fridge/Freezer – Try to plan when the fridge/freezer is near empty if possible. I like to do this right before it is time to go grocery shopping. Remove everything from the fridge and throw away expired items. Remove shelving and drawers and give them a good wash in the sink with hot water and soap (let glass shelves come to room temperature before putting them in hot water!). Once the fridge/freezer is empty, give it a good wipe down with a damp rag. Pull the fridge away from the wall and clean behind the fridge. Push fridge against the wall, replace shelves, drawers, and food then give the outside a good wipe down. If you have an air compressor use it to blow the dust off the refrigerator coils.
Oven – Remove racks and use the self-cleaning option on your oven if it is equipped then wipe down the inside of the oven. If it does not have a self-cleaning option, use oven cleaner following the directions on the label. Wipe down outside of the oven.
Tidy up the countertops – Remove everything and clean the countertops and backsplash thoroughly. Only place items back on the countertop that you use at least once a week. For everything else, store it in your cabinets that you just cleaned out which now have room =)
Light Fixtures – Remove light fixture covers and clean well.
Living Room
Clean Furniture – Vacuum thoroughly removing any removable cushions and vacuuming underneath. Steam clean fabric furniture according to manufacturer directions or hire a company to do it for you.
Dust electronics – Remove electronics from entertainment centers, wipe down with an electronic cloth and wipe down furniture or shelving it was on.
Dust frames – Take down all pictures and artwork and dust frames. For glass covering pictures, use a damp microfiber cloth. Never spray anything directly on the glass.
Launder throw pillows & blankets – If you have throw pillows and blankets, now is a good time to wash them. For throw pillow, launder two at a time to keep the load even. For pillows that have covers, remove the covers and launder according to tag.
Go through media (DVD’s, games. etc…) – Now is a good time to go through all your DVD’s, games, music, etc… Throw away those that are scratched beyond repair. Next, decide which ones you no longer want and could sell instead.
Fans & Light Fixtures – Dust fan blades. Remove light fixture covers and clean well.
Windows – Clean windows inside and out as well as the window sill.
Blinds – Time to dust those blinds off! This task always seems to be the most tedious and longest. Invest in a blind duster to help you out!
Clothes
When going through your clothes (whether in the closet or in the dresser) ask yourself these questions to determine whether to keep, toss, or sell/giveaway:
- Is it stained? If so and the stain cannot be removed, toss it.
- Are there rips or tears? If the answer is yes and you absolutely LOVE that item, set aside to have repaired. If the item cannot be repaired toss it.
- Do you absolutely LOVE the item? If the answer is no, throw it in the sale/giveaway pile.
- Does it still fit? If the answer is yes, keep it. If the answer is no, ask yourself what is the chance that you will be able to fit back into it within the next 3 months. If the answer is you won’t, put it in the sale/giveaway pile.
- Have you worn it in the past 12 months? If the answer is no, put it in the sale/giveaway pile.
Laundry Room
Clean your laundry machine
- This should actually be done at least once a month. You can use either vinegar or non-chlorine bleach (follow the manufactures instruction for this). Fill bleach dispenser with vinegar or non-chlorine bleach to the max level. Use the normal wash setting with the hottest water setting and extra rinse cycle if you have it. Some machines have a self-cleaning option as well that you can use. Either way, I suggest always doing an extra rinse cycle even if you have to manually do it.
- Next, clean out the soap dispenser.
- For front load washers, wipe down the rubber seal for the front door. Depending on your model, you may be able to remove the rubber gasket or partially remove it. Make sure to wipe behind it (this is where all the gross stuff is)!
- Next, wipe down the outside of the machine.
Clean your dryer
- Start by wiping down the outside and inside.
- Remove lint trap and use an old toothbrush and soapy water to clean thoroughly (make sure it dries thoroughly before re-inserting.
- Next, use a dryer vent tool and vacuum to clean the dryer vent (typically behind the dryer). If you don’t feel comfortable, hire a professional to do it. This should be done at the very least every year (did you know failing to do so could cause a house fire?)
Garage / Shed
For this, it is best to start with an empty driveway or area right outside the door to the shed or garage.
- Begin by making a Keep, Toss, & Sell/Donate pile (separate them out pretty far so things do not get mixed together).
- Start towards the door side and work your way in. Going through every single thing within the garage or shed (yes, everything)!!!
- Put each item into either the keep, toss, or sell pile.
- Once everything is out of the garage or shed, wipe down shelving, walls, baseboards, and give the floor a good sweep (or use a vacuum). Don’t forget to wipe down doors and light fixtures as well!
- Go to the toss pile and immediately put items in trash bags for trash collection or if needed take to the dump.
- Get totes and label them Yard Sell, place all items in the sell pile in the totes for when you have a yard sale which should be soon! If donating instead, do not place them back in the garage, instead take them directly to your choice of donation center.
- After the toss and sell piles are gone, work on your keep pile. As you place each thing back into the garage or shed ask yourself again if you really need it. If not, place it in the toss or sell pile (that should be clear now)!
What tips do you have for making Spring Cleaning easier? Comment below and let us know!
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