Go beyond the weekly dusting, sweeping, and mopping to give your home deep spring cleaning —all in just one day.
Spring Cleaning: 9 A.M–10 A.M: Bathroom
Vacuum and wipe the walls and ceilings.
If you clear them annually of the almost imperceptible grime that builds up, then you won’t have to deal with the impossible-to-remove kind that can accumulate if they’re left untouched for a few years.
Vacuum first, using the brush attachment. Then, wipe them with an all-purpose cleaner, which is fine for painted walls.
Don’t forget the wall that’s behind you every morning when you do your hair and makeup; it could be coated in hairspray, perfume, or other beauty products.
Toss any throw rugs into the washing machine.
Wash mirrors and the insides of windows.
Use microfiber cloths (they won’t leave lint).
Spray and soak
Steve Mulloy, director of housekeeping at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, recommends rubbing strong cleaning agents into shower walls, tubs, floors, and sinks and then leaving to handle a task in another room.
Fifteen or 20 minutes later (you can go move the rugs from the washer to the dryer), come back and rinse everything from the top down, starting with the showerhead.
Take the same tack with the toilet, moving from the top of the tank to the rim, bowl, and base.
And don’t use the clothes you used in the bathroom anywhere else before laundering them in very hot water.
Rinse the floor
After you’ve let the cleanser soak, as mentioned above, wipe the floor with a water-soaked mop on your way out.
Spring Cleaning: 10 A.M–12:30 P.M: Bedrooms
Let it breathe
A good airing will reduce the allergens and germs in mattresses, even if you can’t lug them outside.
Follow the advice of the Victorian era’s go-to guide, Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management: “Throw the bed open, by taking off the clothes; open the windows (except in rainy weather), and leave the room to air.”
On Mrs Beeton’s day, housemaids left the windows open for a half-hour, but if it isn’t too cold, a few hours is even better.
Head to the washing machine
Once all the linens—sheets, pillowcases, quilts, duvet covers, mattress pads, dust ruffles, shams—are off the beds, wash them in order of what goes on the bed first (i.e., start with dust ruffles and mattress pads; end with shams).
so you can put them back on the beds as they come out of the dryer and not have to worry about them sitting in a heap and getting wrinkled.
If you’re switching over to lighter quilts, wash the winter bedding before putting it away, because moths and other insects are attracted to body oil, perspiration, and perfume.
Clean window treatments
For heavy drapes, use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum, or have them dry-cleaned; light drapes can go in the dryer on the fluff cycle with a dryer sheet.
Wash mirrors and the insides of windows
Shampoo or steam-clean wall-to-wall carpets and area rugs.
Some manufacturers will void the warranty if you can’t prove that you’ve had your carpets professionally cleaned every year.
Either buy a professional-grade carpet cleaner (which costs around $400) or rent one (many supermarkets now offer this service).
Spring Cleaning: 12:30 P.M–2 P.M: Kitchen
Degrease cooking appliances
Take off stove grates and other removable parts, and scrub them with soapy steel wool pads (if the grease just won’t come off, try letting them sit overnight in an airtight bag with a quarter cup of ammonia; the next day, wipe them with a clean cloth).
Clean the oven. To get stuck-on food particles off the inside of the microwave, put a microwave-safe bowl of water with some lemon juice inside and heat it to boiling for 2 or 3 minutes.
The steam will loosen gunk, and the lemon’s acid will help lift grease.
Clean window treatments and wash the insides of windows
Wash surfaces and cabinets
The tops of cabinets and the fridge may be sticky from grease, so a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid will work best.
You can also use the mixture in drawers and on shelves (and spray antibacterial cleanser inside the cabinet where you store trash).
Pay attention to the utensils drawer and the pantry, since they collect the most crumbs.
Sweep, vacuum, and mop floors.
Spring Cleaning: 2 P.M–5 P.M
Living Room, Family Room, and Dining Room
Vacuum and wipe walls and ceilings
Care for your couch
Sofas and upholstered chairs get tons of use. Yet, says Sim Fern, co-founder of Mod Restoration, a furniture repair shop in Brooklyn, some people never clean them.
Just because you don’t see stains doesn’t mean there aren’t dust mites present (they feed on skin flakes shed by humans and animal dander).
Many Lowe’s and Home Depot stores rent upholstery-cleaning machines or carpet-cleaning machines with upholstery wands, which will give your sofa and chairs a deep clean.
Wash your lightbulbs
Give them a wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, since a dirty bulb emits 20 percent less light.
Clean window treatments and wash the insides of windows
Clean and dust electronics
Spray compressed air into crevices. Then, moving from top to bottom, use microfiber or electrostatic cloths.
Clean underneath speakers, stereos, computers, DVD players, and TVs too. Wipe away from ventilation areas so you don’t push dust back in.
Sweep out your fireplace, storing unused logs
Clean the carpets
We hope this amazing article will help you to get your home organized in just one day! Book with us now if you need help with your spring cleaning!
