The arrival of spring is the perfect time to refresh your home. Here are some great room-by-room spring-cleaning tips and a useful guide to help you clean up fast and start anew.
WINDOWS – Start on the outside. One of the most gratifying spring-cleaning accomplishments is getting the windows so clean that the sunshine pours in as the weather warms up. But you can’t get perfectly clean windows just by doing the inside glass alone.
BATHROOM – Vacuum first. The bathroom has lots of corners and crevices that attract dust bunnies and dirt. Vacuuming before cleaning will make the cleaning process easier and faster. Use your vacuum’s crevice attachment to get into tight spaces and reach under cabinets.
Try a fresh scent for spring. After a long winter, citrus and floral scents evoke the coming of lighter, warmer weather.
KITCHEN – Focus on hard-to-reach spaces. Make a checklist and clean the areas you rarely touch: under the fridge (try a sock attached to a measuring stick for this one), the top of the oven hood, the inside of the dishwasher, baseboard and window moldings, light fixtures and underneath your counter top appliances.
Pare down the pantry. Spring is the perfect time to get rid of perishables and expired foods that have been in the pantry for too long. Check the less obvious stuff, like spices that have been around awhile or the cereal you haven’t eaten since 2003. Even canned goods don’t last forever.
LIVING & DINING ROOMS – Clear the clutter. There’s nothing wrong with keeping some reading material near the remote, but you don’t need dozens of magazines sitting on your coffee table. Get rid of any magazines older than three months. If there are articles you’d still like to read, cut them out and put them in one bound scrapbook or folder.
Don’t forget to disinfect. You’re probably used to disinfecting and deodorizing in the kitchen and bathroom, but other high-traffic rooms and surfaces invite just as many germs. Kill odor-causing bacteria in the air and on often-touched surfaces† like work or craft counter tops, telephones and doorknobs.
Dust the dishes. If you have a china cabinet in or near the dining room, chances are you don’t use those dishes every day. But even when the cabinet is closed, dust can still settle on surfaces.
BEDROOM – Clear the drawers. Take everything out of your dresser drawers, armoire and night stand. If you haven’t used the item in a year, donate it. If you do wear or use it regularly but it needs mending, start a “mend” pile. Then, refill each drawer with just one type of clothing (socks or T-shirts, etc.) so things are easy to find when you’re in a hurry.
Mind the headboard. If you have a headboard that’s less than new, it’s likely that time, dust and your heating and air-conditioning have sucked the moisture out of it. Banish the dust hiding in the crevices with the a multi surface duster. Then put moisture back into the wood and add shine with a wood moisturizing spray.