Spring cleaning is usually viewed as a tiring and time-consuming process. However, I’ve found that organizing the spring clean and drawing up cleaning checklists makes this yearly sprucing up easy, efficient and much quicker than you’d think. Read on to find spring cleaning checklists and household cleaning tips for a clean home.
Photo courtesy of go_greener_oz
Spring Cleaning Checklist for the Home
Begin by drawing up a room-by-room cleaning checklist for the entire house. Admittedly, this exercise does take a bit of time; however, it saves a lot of time and effort in the long run. While you may want to adapt a cleaning checklist according to your own needs and requirements, a general spring cleaning checklist will look something like this:
- Dust or vacuum walls, ceiling and floors of dry rooms such as bedrooms, living room, guest rooms or the home office.
- Remove carpets, curtains and other linen. Launder and iron.
- Replace any linen that is shabby, torn, stained or simply too old to be used for one more season.
- Clean out cupboards, drawers and other storage areas. Read Organizing Closets for tips on decluttering and organizing.
- Vacuum mattresses, under the bed and in the box springs. Rotate and flip the mattresses to extend their life, as well.
- Air out, vacuum or wash pillows, quilts and other bed linens.
Wet rooms, such as the bathroom and kitchen, may need more time and effort due to a buildup of dust and grime. Keep these heavy cleaning areas for last.
- For the kitchen, empty cabinets and cupboards, wipe clean, line with fresh paper and rearrange dishes, pots and pans. Wipe clean walls, backsplash and clean areas that are neglected during daily or weekly cleaning. Wash the floor, check if grout needs to be cleaned or resealed and clean the grime and soot from exhaust fans or chimney hobs.
- For the bathroom, scrub and wash the walls and tiles. Clean the toilet bowl, sink, bath tub and shower areas. Empty out medicine and linen cabinets. Wipe clean and rearrange, discarding old and empty tubes and bottles. Change window linen or clean the window treatments.
- Read Cleaning with Baking Soda, Vinegar and Lemons to help you find eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
Take the time to sit down with a cup of coffee and write down the cleaning checklist on a sheet of paper rather than type it out on a laptop, simply because it is easier to refer to a sheet rather than lug a laptop around. Focus on one room at a time. Spend a minimum of two days per room.
Schedule Carpet Cleaning and Window Cleaning
Spring is the perfect time to schedule carpet cleaning. While most stains and spots can easily be removed at home, heavy and complete carpet cleaning is best done by a cleaning professional. Consider hiring or renting a carpet cleaning service to get the carpets looking and smelling fresh for the year.
Windows, too, need to be cleaned inside and out. This, again, is a task that can be done by a homeowner. All it needs is a good cleaning solution, a sponge and sheets of newspaper to buff the windows. The Quick and Green Way of Cleaning Windows contains more tips. However, if other spring cleaning chores are bogging you down, you can hire a professional window cleaning service and have them get your windows clean and shiny in next to no time.
Organize Heavy Household Cleaning
Spring cleaning also involves tackling areas that usually get completely neglected. The garage, the attic and the workshop or crafts areas are all rooms that need to be emptied out, cleaned and organized. Follow the rule of spending a minimum of two days per room and focus on one room at a time. Also, work from the inside out. In other words, tackle cupboards, storage shelves and other areas before moving on to washing the doors, floors and windows.
Organizing spring cleaning with cleaning checklists and schedules will make it easier for you to get more done in less time than you would otherwise. Decide on areas that need most attention and tackle them first. Delegate tasks that can be done by others. Hire cleaning services, if budget permits. Rope in family members and make spring cleaning a fun, family activity. Play music, organize cleanup games and reward the family and yourself at the end of the spring clean with special treats. In short, treat spring cleaning as a fun activity this year, and chances are you’ll enjoy it more than ever.
