spring cleaning
It’s the time of year when many of us get the urge to purge, organize and deep clean our spaces. If I could have one full day every week to deep clean and organize my house then I would gladly take it but, of course, that’s not realistic! Here are a few ways to make house cleaning and organizing a bit more manageable so that it, hopefully, doesn’t feel like the huge chore that it is:
WEEKLY CLEAN: Living Room and Hallways
Dust flat surfaces and decorative items with a microfiber cloth (this is my favorite one!) and dusting spray
Clean windows and glass surfaces
Wash throw blankets
Vacuum rugs and upholstered furniture
Vacuum hardwoods and mop with a wood-safe cleaner (I like this mop by Bona)
Wipe doorknobs and light switch plates
SPRING CLEAN: Living Room and Hallways
Clean light fixtures and/or ceiling fans
Vacuum or wash window treatments
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Wipe down the TV and other electronics
Wash air purifier filters
WEEKLY CLEAN: Laundry Room/Pantry
Dust flat surfaces with a microfiber cloth and dusting spray
Wipe down the inside and outside of the washing machine and dryer
Clean windows
Vacuum and mop the floor
Wipe doorknobs and light switch plates
SPRING CLEAN: Laundry Room/Pantry
Run the “Tub Clean” cycle on the washing machine
Vacuum the lint trap in the dryer
Clean light fixtures
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Declutter and organize the pantry (throw away expired items or items you don’t/won’t use)
WEEKLY CLEAN: Kitchen
Wipe down vent hood over the stove/range
Clean the inside and outside of the microwave
Clean the inside and outside of the oven
Wipe down the stovetop/range-top (I like to use rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and, if it needs an extra shine, rubbing alcohol with a Magic Eraser does wonders!)
Sprinkle Barkeeper’s Friend in the sink and scrub it with a damp paper towel or sponge, rinse away
Wipe down counters (I like to use Method Daily Granite and Marble Cleaner on my marble counters or Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Disinfecting Cleaner on granite countertops and in the sink daily)
Wipe the outside of the refrigerator and dishwasher with a microfiber cloth and Pledge Multisurface Cleaner
Clean windows
Vacuum hardwoods and mop with a wood-safe cleaner (I like this mop by Bona)
Wipe doorknobs and light switch plates
Empty trash cans
SPRING CLEAN: Kitchen
Clean light fixtures
Wipe down cabinets (if you’re feeling extra “clean-y”, empty cabinets and drawers, wipe down and re-organize)
Clean behind and on top of the refrigerator
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Empty the refrigerator, wipe down shelves, throw away expired or rarely used items, re-organize
Run the “Self Clean” cycle on the oven (make sure to remove the oven racks before you do so!)
Run the “Sanitize” cycle on the dishwasher
Clean trash cans
WEEKLY CLEAN: Dining Room
Dust flat surfaces and decorative items with a microfiber cloth (this is my favorite one!) and dusting spray
Clean windows and glass surfaces
Vacuum rug
Vacuum hardwoods and mop with a wood-safe cleaner (I like this mop by Bona)
Wipe doorknobs and light switch plates
SPRING CLEAN: Dining Room
Clean light fixtures and/or ceiling fans
Vacuum or wash window treatments
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
WEEKLY CLEAN: Bathrooms
Wipe down countertops, sinks, faucet handles and toilet (I use Seventh Generation Lemongrass Disinfecting Cleaner on my non-marble surfaces)
Clean inside the toilet bowl with a bleach-based gel like this one by Clorox, scrub with a toilet brush and flush
Clean mirrors and shower door
Clean shower/tub walls, floor and spigot/faucet handles
Wash all towels
Clean windows
Vacuum and mop tile floor
Wipe doorknobs, toilet handle and light switch plates
Empty trash cans
SPRING CLEAN: Bathrooms
Clean light fixtures
Spray shower doors with Rain-X Glass Cleaner and Rain Repellant (follow directions on the bottle)
Purge and organize linen closet
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Clean trash cans
WEEKLY CLEAN: Bedrooms
Dust flat surfaces and decorative items with a microfiber cloth (this is my favorite one!) and dusting spray
Clean windows and glass surfaces
Wash sheets
Vacuum rugs and upholstered furniture
Vacuum hardwoods and mop with a wood-safe cleaner (I like this mop by Bona)
Wipe doorknobs and light switch plates
SPRING CLEAN: Bedrooms
Wash duvet covers, throw blankets and shams
Rotate/flip mattresses
Clean light fixtures and/or ceiling fans
Vacuum or wash window treatments
Wipe down plantation shutters/blinds
Wipe down walls and baseboards
Wipe down the TV and other electronics
Wash air purifier filters
JUST A COUPLE OF TRICKS…
If you feel overwhelmed then spread your cleaning day out over a couple of days. Tackle the whole house one day and the floors the next day, or break your cleaning days up by level (ex. do the upstairs one day, the main level another day and the basement the third day). This will make sure you don’t get burned out and feel rushed to finish!
I can’t recommend air purifiers enough! With two dogs and seven people in our house things can get pretty dusty around here. We have a purifier in every bedroom, one in our family room and one in the laundry room. My favorite purifier is the BlueAir Purifier followed by the Levoit Purifier. The amount of dust and dog hair these guys filter out of the air is amazing!
