Want to make a big impact on your family’s life? Organize a spring clean, tossing out the old dust (and out-grown baby clothes) and welcoming sunshine and light back into the corners winter hid cobwebs in. With this power-packed spring cleaning checklist, no dust mite shall remain!
First, some ground rules. This isn’t as enormous a job as it might seem. Go systematically through the checklist and keep these spring cleaning tips in mind:
Start from the top – of the room and of the house – and work your way down. You don’t want to set yourself back because you mopped before you took on the task of dusting.- Start in the rooms that won’t see a return before you’re done; save utility, laundry, kitchen and bathrooms for last. You might be in and out of them, replenishing mop water, so you don’t want to have to clean them twice.
- Start with the really wet stuff first, like painting and laundering, then move onto the dry jobs like dusting, polishing and waxing.
- Vaccum and mop last, once each room is spotless. Then shampoo the carpets. It’s the final touch.
- Once the inside is done, it’s time to tackle the outside, like garages, the yard and your porch. Unless you luck into having some helpers. Then, by all means, hit both places at once!
Now, to the magical spring cleaning checklist that will see the sun streaming into a serene, clean home. Go through the list for each room, step-by-step. If a step doesn’t apply, then skip it and move onto the next. You’ll be done even sooner than you thought!
- Wash blankets, duvets and pillows, swapping them for their seasonal counterparts, if necessary. While you’re at it, launder your curtains, as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Rid your closets of clothes that no longer fit, and those that are in disrepair – mend, tailor or donate them. If you haven’t worn something for two years, sorry honey, but it’s bound to be useful to someone else. Swap out winter clothes for spring and summer, and store them as you need to.
- Rid the areas where we tend to toss clutter of items that you no longer use, need, enjoy and those that need repair – decide whether to donate, repair or turf the piles from each room. Decluttering can be a great zen feeling, as can knowing that you’re donating valuable goods to someone who would use it, and sometimes, donating can earn you a tax break.
- Vacuum or dust books, CDs, movies and shelves, as well as any displayed art, lampshades, photos and nick-nacks. Don’t forget the blinds, too! And wash fixtures, containers, surfaces and other items that might have gathered dust or dirt.
- Wash the ceilings and walls of each room after you’ve vacuumed up any cobwebs. If you’re keen, wash doors, and inside cupboards and drawers, too.
- Clean underneath the stuff that never moves (and probably collects the scariest amount of dust and dirt), like furniture and appliances.
- Wash the windows.
- Dust and polish wooden furniture.
- Sweep and mop or vacuum the floors after all of the dust has settled to the ground. If you’ll be shampooing rugs, have at ‘er!