Home Spring Cleaning

Dear Family, Friends & Clients,

Here are a few easy home spring cleaning tasks to do while many of us are staying close to home during these uncertain times. Not only will this help us mentally + physically to be a even just a little bit productive during this time, it will also ensure our homes are sanitary + germ-free = proper cleaning of indoor spaces can help remove irritants that trigger allergies and asthma.

Spring Cleaning Tips – Clean the interior of your house thoroughly. While doing so, be conscience to check the condition of everything you clean, this is the time to correct small issues before they grow in to large ones.

Doormats

Trap more dirt by using two mats, one outside the door and one inside. To refresh, hose off and air-dry mats. Vacuum indoor ones on both sides — going over the back will push trapped dirt out onto the floor where it will be easier to pick up.

Cell Phone

Bad news: Your cell phone probably harbors more germs than your toilet seat. That’s why you should give it a once over with an alcohol wipe to zap germs, as well as other electronics, like your TV remote and computer mouse.

Grocery Bags

Reusable grocery bags cut down on wasteful plastic, but they can get grimy with time. Run your reusable bags through the washer regularly to remove any lingering food bacteria, turning them inside out before you toss them in. Pay attention to the bag’s fabric when selecting a dryer setting.

Kids’ Toys

Don’t overlook the convenience of your dishwasher. It can take on more than just plates, including your children’s (and pet’s) plastic toys. Just choose the crystal or quick cycle and skip the heated dry. For stuffed animals, check the care tag first and then gather in a mesh bag or pillowcase and throw in the washer on a gentle cycle.

Kitchen Sink

Got kitchen stink you just can’t kick? Try running a couple of lemon rind slivers through your garbage disposal and follow with cold water to dispel the smell.

Microwave

Enough with the tomato sauce stains — this trick will make cleaning ’em up easier. Place large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and a chopped-up lemon, lime, or orange or several tablespoons of vinegar inside. Turn the appliance on high for several minutes or until the solution boils and the window is steamy, then let it sit to cool for 15 minutes before opening the door. Remove and wipe out the inside and outside with a sponge.

Countertops

Dig out the granite polish to restore shine and help repel stains on your kitchen surfaces. For daily wipe-downs, use a specialized cleaner, like GH Seal star Weiman Granite & Stone Daily Cleaner & Polish. The mild formulas cut grease and remove surface stains without the damaging effects of vinegar or ammonia, and they won’t leave behind a dull film like ordinary dish soap can.

Cutting Boards

If you think that nasty mark is permanent, you’re wrong. Run the cut side of a lemon over the board to remove food stains and smells. Want an extra cleaning oomph? Sprinkle it with salt or baking soda first.

Fridge

You probably wipe down your fridge’s interior shelving on the regular already, but don’t forget about the rest. Pop out the door shelves and bins, and wash in warm, soapy water to get rid of food bacteria and spillage.

Pots and Pans

Soften burned-on residue by adding water and dish liquid to your cookware and letting it simmer on the stove. Use Brillo pads to remove any remaining stuck-on bits. Ketchup (yes, really!) helps dissolve tarnish on copper pots and other copper cooking accessories. Just massage the red sauce over the surface and add a pinch of salt to your polish if you come across exceptionally stubborn spots.

Oven

Use your appliance’s self-cleaning function to remove stubborn, baked-on grime. If your oven doesn’t have one, place a hot, wet cloth on top of burned spots to help soften the gunk. Then scrub with a heavy-duty pad and wipe dry.

Kitchen Cabinets

Sticky kitchen grime is a mix of dust and grease that builds up over time. Run the exhaust hood over your range every time you cook to keep grease from settling. To de-gunk, use Parker & Bailey Kitchen Cabinet Cream because it cuts through dirt and leaves wood moisturized. Do an extra pass around door and drawer pulls and other places where grease collects.

Stainless Steel 

To make this surface sparkle again (see ya, fingerprints), mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot tap water. Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections, going with the grain. Rinse with clean hot water only, and dry immediately with a clean cloth.

Junk Drawer

Start small and pick your stash spot. Empty it out and suck up dust with your vacuum’s nozzle. “Toss or relocate any items you no longer need or that don’t belong there,” Forte says. Everything else goes back, but this time in an organized manner. Repurpose pretty plates and bowls to store cords, stamps, and other odds and ends. A nonslip liner will keep them in place.

Shower Curtain

Yep, you can wash a plastic or vinyl curtain in your washing machine. Do it on the gentle cycle with detergent and add a couple of bath towels for extra cleaning power. Then hang it to dry. To keep the curtain cleaner longer, spritz it a few times each month with a bleach-containing all-purpose cleaner. Then just let the shower rinse it off (before you hop in).

Grout

Trust us when we say this 15-minute task makes a huge difference in your bathroom if you have white (not colored) grout. Spray grout with Good Housekeeping Lab pick CLR Bath & Kitchen Cleaner. Let it set for several minutes, then scrub with a stiff brush and rinse.

Shower Drain

To freshen drains (not unclog them) and help keep them free-flowing, mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt. Pour the mixture down the drain, followed by 1 cup heated vinegar. It will foam and bubble. Let it stand for 15 minutes — longer does not work any better. Follow by running hot tap water for at least 15 to 30 seconds. This is especially good for seldom-used drains, like in a guest bathroom.

Furniture

Pull furniture away from walls and vacuum behind and under it. Do the woodwork and air vents while you’re back there. Then switch the upholstery tool on your machine to go over both sides of cushions and underneath them. The crevice tool can help degunk along the trim and stitching.

Curtains

Put your dryer to work and toss drapes, curtains, and even throw pillows in the dryer for 15 minutes on the “air-only” cycle, then rehang immediately to avoid wrinkles.

Ceilings

Spring cleaning season is all about focusing on the spots you forget about the rest of the year. Grab an extendable duster and attack ceiling fans, hanging and recessed lights, moldings and more

Mattress

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to pay attention to the thing under the sheets. Press firmly with your vacuum’s upholstery and crevice tools to clean the top and sides. After cleaning, rinse with a damp cloth, bolt dry, and sanitize with a disinfectant spray like Lysol. Steam from a garment steamer or iron will also kill dust mites near the surface. Vacuum afterwards.

Closets

Go through clothes and shoes from the season that’s just ended — and remove anything stained, in need of repair, or worn out. Make a second pass through spring and summer clothes as you take them out of storage. Try on anything you’re unsure about before giving it closet space.

Washing Machine

Before you start to notice an odor in your appliance, disinfect it by running the special washer cleaning cycle with bleach or using a washing machine cleaner, like GH Seal star Tide Washing Machine Cleaner.

Dryer

More than 15,000 fires start in home laundry rooms every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (yikes!). Beyond removing the fuzz from your dryer’s filter after every load, pull out hard-to-reach lint with the crevice tool on your vacuum to suck up debris. Vacuum under, around, and behind the dryer as well. 

Vacuum Cleaner

Yes, you have to clean your cleaners. Replace the bag, clean the dust cup, and replace or wash the filters. Snip threads snarled in the brush with scissors or a seam ripper.

Broom

Another cleaner that needs to be cleaned! Clear any dust bunnies stuck on your broom’s bristles by swishing the broom head around in warm, soapy water, or vacuum it with the end of the vacuum hose.

Windows

Wait for an overcast day and start on the shady side of the house, as direct sun can lead to streaks. Raise blinds or shades and wash windows with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Then lower the blinds and vinyl shades and dust with a duster like Swiffer and finish by vacuuming fabric shades and drapes.”

Patio Furniture

With warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to get your outdoor furniture ready for lounging. To do this, add a squirt of dish detergent to a bowl of warm water, then wipe down tables and chairs. Finish it all off with a spray of water from the garden hose.


Thank you to Good Housekeeping for these spring cleaning tips.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *