Spring Cleaning of Your House Step by Step
I kept my eye on her as I did my share of chores and watched the secrets of her household success unfold. I’ve organized what she taught me into a ten-step program that can make basic spring-cleaning a breeze. Some of these tips will keep your house smelling and looking fresh all year long. These are basic spring-cleaning steps but; with the exception of rugs and curtains, this cleaning can be done weekly.
Before you begin, gather supplies. Essentials include:
1. A roomy basket or sturdy box for collecting things that have been “misplaced”.
2. A vacuum cleaner or broom
3. A bucket with the following cleaning supplies: (I keep one under my bathroom sink all the time because I’m too lazy to look for supplies each time I need to clean.)
- Paper towels or a “shammy” (chamois leather is lint free)
- Multi surface or window cleaner
- Paintbrush -for dusting books and nooks
- Toothbrush -for scrubbing stains
- Putty knife- removes gum, tar, mud and dried food
- Kitchen sized garbage bag- empty individual trash cans and found garbage into it
- Spray bottle filled with water and one teaspoon of baking soda
- Large damp washcloth or rag.
- Furniture polish or stain remover (optional- my family hates the smell)
- Toilet cleaner
To save time follow these steps:1. Take down curtains and remove throw rugs in every room and either wash them or send them out to be cleaned before starting spring-cleaning. They hold a lot of pollutants and there is no reason to spring-clean if toxins will remain!
2. Squirt toilets and stains with cleaners and allow it to sit while you do other rooms for additional disinfecting. If you are doing your oven this is also an excellent time to spray it so the chemicals can be working with you.
3. Repeat this and the next five steps in each room. Enter the first room and collect all undesirable objects in the basket. Don’t leave the room to put them where they belong, just put them in the basket; you will get to their destination soon enough. Things you want to remove permanently should go into a centrally located box labeled “donate” or “yard sale”. Keep children (and mates) away from this box or it will be empty again in no time.
4. Spray over your head in all directions with the baking soda water bottle. This “knocks down” dust, pollutants and allergens in the air and keeps dust in your carpet from flying into the air while you vacuum.
5. Vacuum or sweep the room, some dust will become airborne as the brooms bristle’s or vacuum cleaner’s beaters, wheels and your feet run over the surface; this is why it’s a good idea to sweep or vacuum well before dusting.
6. Use the damp washcloth to dust the room. The small amount of water in the cloth traps dust, but there is not enough to leave streaks. (Refresh the washcloth with the spray bottle, or rinse and wring between rooms) Lightly spray the paintbrush before reaching into hidden areas to avoid a cloud when you sweep dust out. As you dust, check for scratches and stains, these can be eradicated using furniture polish or stain remover.
7. Use the surface cleaner to shine windows, mirrors, plastics and chrome. Don’t forget switch plates, electronics facings, and telephones. (Never spray “live” electric devices; liquid gets inside and could shock you.) Instead lightly spray the paper towel before touching surfaces or unplug before wiping. Turn off light fixtures to dust light bulbs; they have been known to shatter if sprayed!
8. As you leave the clean room with the full basket turn around and lightly spray the room again with the soda water. (Or a disinfectant, like Lysol) It will knock down any remaining dust and freshen the room, signifying to anyone who enters that it has been cleaned. (They will be less likely to mess it up again!)
9. Spray all kitchen and bathroom surfaces with surface cleaner, wipe clean and scrub toilets, (They should be very easy to clean at this point!) Surface cleaner can even be used to mop your floor, spray on, sponge mop off!
10. Hang curtains while still wet and they will “iron” themselves. Rugs must be dry, non-slip surfaces retain water and can cause mildew, dyes in some rugs can run if damp.
Bonus tip: “Mop and Glow” type floor shiners can make plastics and other shiny surfaces shiny again. (an alternative to Armor-all) Just wipe on and let dry!
Now that the basic spring-cleaning is done spring is also excellent time to:Sort clothing for season, style or fit (store only seasonal-donate others)
Shampoo carpets. (Rent a shampooer or hire a service)
Damp mop walls and ceilings (spray NEW sponge mop lightly and gently go over surfaces)
Clean outside of windows-should be done in autumn as well. (There are hose attachments now that make this a breeze!)
Wash insides of kitchen and bathroom cabinets (this is the best time to donate to food banks!)
Repair or discard broken appliances or furniture
Throw out obsolete collected paperwork or taxes from more than seven years ago.
Update displayed photos
Update your address book (If you didn’t do it with Christmas cards)
Hang out a spring wreath, flag or welcome sign
Involve your family or have a traveling spring-cleaning party with your friends to make it easier and more fun. Whatever you do, don’t forget to admire your work and enjoy your new healthy house.
