Spring Cleaning Tips For Your Home

FCIS Insurance Homeowners

Why is spring cleaning important for your home? Spring cleaning allows you to declutter, organize, and deep clean your home. Living in a messy, disorganized home is bad for your health and your overall attitude. Living in a clean home can boost your attitude, and the feeling of a tidy home can leave you feeling motivated to get other work done. Below are a few spring cleaning tips to help you out.

  • Make a schedule – Take a moment to think about the rooms in your home and chart out which ones need the most work and which ones need just a little bit of care.
  • Don’t do everything in one day – It’s understandable that you might want to do all your cleaning in one day if you don’t have a lot of time. However, you should try to set aside a few days to do all of your cleaning. If at all possible do a room a day. That way you don’t become overwhelmed by the cleaning process. 
  • Know your sensitivities – If you’re sensitive to dust and household cleaners make sure to take the proper precautions. Wear a mask over your face to avoid dust and fumes from cleaners. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, in order to avoid breaking out because of household cleaners. 

Start in your bedroom

The best place to start cleaning is in your bedroom. Having a clean organized bedroom can greatly affect your mood when you begin your day:

  • Organize your dresser/closet.
  • Get rid of clothes that you don’t wear. 
  • Clean your bedding. 
  • Get rid of bedding you don’t use.

Things that you should do in every room

Within your household, there are specific things you should do in every room of your home.

  • Vacuum/sweep – You should vacuum all the carpets and upholstery in your home. Make sure to use the extensions on your vacuum in order to get into hard to reach places. Depending on how much of your floor is carpeted you should also make sure to sweep non-carpeted surfaces. For a deeper clean use a Swiffer mop on your non-carpeted surfaces.
  • Clean Windows –  Grungy and smudged windows can bring down the mood of any home. Make sure you take time to thoroughly wipe down your windows with a nice glass cleaner and a microfiber towel.
  • Dust -Dusting every inch of your house is very important especially if you have allergies. Make sure you start high and then go low. 
  • Curtains – It’s very important that you clean your curtains as they often collect a lot of dust. If possible take them down and wash them, or use a lint roller.
  • Blinds – This is another place where dust builds up. Use a microfiber towel to collect the dust. 
  • Ceiling fans – You can either wipe down the ceiling fan with a microfiber towel, or you can use a pillowcase to ensure that the dust doesn’t get everywhere. 
  • Tables and shelving – Make sure to dust off your tables and shelving with a microfiber towel. For extra clean go over them with a Lysol or Clorox wipe.

Kitchen 

  • Cabinets – You never know what kind of dust and gunk can build up in the back of your cabinets. Make sure to take everything out of the cabinets and then wipe them down. Make sure to organize your cabinets so you can find things easier, and get rid of outdated food.
  • Fridge – You’re most likely cleaning your fridge regularly, but every once and a while you should give it a deeper clean. Remove items from the fridge, if possible remove the shelving from your fridge and soak it in hot water. Then clean the fridge with some sanitizing wipes, Clorox or Lysol will work. Throw away outdated food.
  • Counter – Countertops are often the place where messes happen. It’s important to keep your cooking space clean. You can either find a nice countertop cleaner, or some hot water, soap, and a washcloth will do the trick as well.
  • Stovetop – If you have a gas appliance remove the grates and place them in a grease removing detergent solution, and scrub thoroughly. Use a soapy cloth around the rest of the exterior. 
  • Microwave – A good way to clean your microwave is with steam. You’ll need white vinegar, water, a glass measuring cup, a wooden skewer or a wooden spoon, and a microfiber cloth. Pour a cup of water and vinegar into the measuring cup. Put the wooden spoon into the cup and then place it into the microwave. Set your microwave for 5-10 minutes. When the times up, carefully remove the cup. The steam from the mixture will have softened dried up spills. Use the microfiber towel to clean up the mess.
  • Sink – Lime can build up around the faucet, here’s an easy way to make scrubbing it away easier. Lay paper towels soaked in vinegar over the faucet for an hour. This should soften the lime build up so you can easily scrub it away.

Bathroom 

  • Toilet – There are a number of different types of cleaning solution from powder, liquid, and gel. Any of these types of solutions will work. Remember to put the cleaner as close to the rim of the toilet as possible. Also, remember to scrub the top to the bottom when cleaning the inside of the toilet. Use a spray cleaner on the outside of the toilet.
  • Shower/bathtub– Whether you have both or one you need to make sure they are cleaned properly. Mineral deposits can build up inside a showerhead. Spray it with a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water, let it sit for a few minutes then wipe it clean. For the rest of the shower, or bathtub a regular cleaner will do the trick.
  • Mirror – A nice glass cleaner can easily get rid of smears and grime that’s formed on the mirror. Be sure to use a microfiber towel to avoid leaving streak marks.  
  • Cabinets – You should wipe down your cabinets with a sanitizing wipe. Throw away outdated medicine and makeup. 
  • Sink – Much like your kitchen sink lime can also build up in your bathroom sink as well. Lay paper towels soaked in vinegar over the faucet for an hour. This should soften the lime build up so you can easily scrub it away.

There is nothing more satisfying than living in a clean organized home. Hopefully, the above tips will help ensure that your next spring cleaning experience is well organized and leaves your home looking sparkling clean!