Spring Cleaning Guide: How to Spring
Clean Your Whole House
Spring cleaning is a chance to reset everything in your home. It’s a chance to catch up on all the cleaning tasks you’ve been meaning to get to or to do the ones that niggle at you. Instead of laying awake wondering when you last cleaned your mattress, for instance, spring cleaning is the nudge you need to get it done and get the idea out of your head. In addition, deep cleaning once a year staves off bigger problems, like a mold takeover of your grout. You can clear dust and grime from areas that hardly ever see the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner attachment. By the time spring cleaning is finished, your home will feel so fresh and clean—a state of habitation that will serve you well.
SPRING CLEANING CHECKLIST
Bedding: You wash your sheets, pillow cases, and duvet covers regularly, but your pillows, comforters, and blankets need a refresh too. Read care instructions, but most can be washed in the washer (with care) and even dried in your machine as well.
Mattress: While your bulky bedding is being laundered, take the opportunity to give your mattress a deep cleaning. Sprinkle it with baking soda, let it sit, and then vacuum slowly over your entire mattress with the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Next, use the crevice tool to vacuum around the top and bottom seams that encircle your mattress. Rotate your mattress, and flip it if applicable.
Curtains: Window dressings lend a softness to your indoor space but they're also huge dust magnets. Cleaning them gets so much dust out of the house and away from your breathing zone. Remove curtains from rods and take them to be cleaned or launder them yourself if you can. In some instances, vacuuming and/or steaming them while they're still hanging is preferable.
Blinds, shutters, and shades: In addition to curtains, your blinds and shutters collect a significant amount of dust. Hopefully, they're being dusted regularly, but if not (no judgment!), spring cleaning addresses them. Use a microfiber duster and follow up with a damp dust rag to remove any hard-to-remove grime. Shades can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, lint roller, or a very slightly damp microfiber cloth.
Ceiling fans: A big part of spring cleaning is removing dust from rarely dusted areas. Your ceiling fans are about to get switched on again to combat warmer temperatures (or you'll rotate the way they're spinning). Stave off an avalanche of dust by cleaning your ceiling fans now. An extendable duster can do the trick, or try the pillowcase method.
Doors: If you look closely, you might be surprised at how dirty your doors are. Cleaning them gives a spic-and-span feeling to the whole house. Start by dusting the top of the door frame. Next, grab a damp microfiber cloth, some all-purpose spray and a rag, or a Magic Eraser and wipe down both sides of every interior door, paying special attention to the bottom portion and the space near the knobs. Don't forget to swipe the door knobs themselves as well.
Cabinets: Cabinet door fronts rarely get cleaned, but with hands touching them frequently, they definitely need it! Start with kitchen cabinets and use a cleaning solution that cuts through grease. Don't forget to check and address other cabinet doors as well, in storage areas, play rooms, or your office space, and give their fronts a wipe down.
Windows: Cleaning windows might be the quintessential spring cleaning activity. But it isn't the easiest household chore. Doing all the windows in the house at once means you can enjoy the rest of the year without that nagging feeling that you really should clean your windows. A cloudy day is best for window washing, so that your glass isn't left with spots or streaks. Clean the dirtiest parts of your window first (read: tracks and sills), then get screens clean, if you have them. Last, wash your window panes, inside and out, and enjoy the crystal clear view.
SEE MORE OF THIS EXTENSIVE GUIDE HERE.
