Does Your Home Still Need a Spring Cleaning?
We’ve got a spring-cleaning to-do list for you
The way the weather has been in 2023, you may not have finished your spring cleaning yet. But with summer officially here, it’s time to get your home ready to enjoy the [consistent] warm and hot weather. And the best way to do that is by decluttering, organizing, and rejuvenating your living spaces.
Regardless of if you’re thinking about selling your home, or just want to get your home ready for the summer season and entertaining guests, follow the list below for the best results of your spring cleaning!
Dust First
Spring cleaning starts with dusting. Since your windows have been closed most of the winter and spring, dust will have accumulated throughout your home. Start by dusting surfaces, including furniture, baseboards, and light fixtures. Your best tools for this task are microfibre cloths and a vacuum with a brush attachment. These tools prevent the dust from being spread around.
Related to dust is changing your heating and cooling system filters. Open your windows and let the fresh air in before it gets too hot to do so. You can also invest in some new indoor plants known for their air-purifying qualities.
Ground Level
Next up for spring cleaning are the floors and carpets. Go room by room and begin organizing those boxes, clothing, or other items that have accumulated over the winter. Whether you’ve marked some items for donation, a yard sale, to recycle, to discard, or just to go back in storage (winter clothing and boots), removing clutter is important to an effective spring cleaning.
Once you’ve cleared out the clutter, which may take longer than you think, you’re in a great position to start cleaning. Begin with a sweep and/or vacuum, and then break out a durable mop. Ensure that your mop is versatile and that your cleaning solution can properly and safely clean your surfaces. Whether you have wood, marble, stone, tile, or laminate, you don’t want to tarnish a surface by using the wrong cleaner. Have a scrub brush handy too, as you’ll likely find some areas that need a more aggressive cleaning.
Fresh Fabrics
It’s time to launder all of your bedding, pillows, comforters, and mattress covers. If you’ve got an outdoor clothesline, let them dry in the fresh air! You’ll also want to look at your blinds, curtains, and drapes to see if they need dry cleaning or washing to remove the dust that has accumulated since last year.
Check your Appliances
You’ll not only want to clean appliances such as ceiling fans and the air conditioner (did any leaves or branches fall in during the offseason?), but also test them so they’re in working order to keep you cool during the hot, humid summer months. Here are what appliances and tools to clean and test before relying on them this summer:
- Ceiling fans: Are they dust-free and running quietly?
- Lawn mower/trimmers: Remove grass and foliage from last year’s work; check the blades and the gas/oil or battery; get them serviced if needed.
- Hoses: Reattach after its winter inside and run water through it, checking for leaks.
- BBQ: In addition to burning off that last meal from the fall, you’ll want to inspect the burners and the grill to ensure that no creatures made a nest during the winter.
- Washer and dryer: Is your washer due for a clean cycle? When was the last time that the pump filter was drained and cleaned?
- Have you checked your dryer’s outside lint trap lately? What about the venting and ducts?
The Outside
Spring cleaning also includes tidying your yard. You’ll likely need some yard-waste bags to take care of excess branches, dead leaves, and foliage after your pruning, trimming, and raking. Get the pressure washer out and remove dirt and grime from surfaces, whether that’s your deck, driveway, or other entertainment space. Then head to your local home improvement or garden store and stock up on brightly-coloured plants and flowers to give your outdoor gardens a new look.
Spring cleaning your home, indoors and out, is a chance to start fresh and organize your spaces for the upcoming season. Clean out winter, and welcome the warm weather!