Spring cleaning season is upon us. We feel the urge to get outside and fix up our porches and patios, plant new landscaping, paint the shutters, dust off our outdoor furniture, and wipe the outside windows clean. When the Spring rain shows up, don't get discouraged if you can't get to everything right away. There is a lot of spring cleaning waiting to be done in your home too.
Get organized and make your home sparkle and shine with these easy clutter-busting tips. Work through your home one room at a time at a steady pace, so you don't feel overwhelmed.
Here are some spring cleaning tips to help you on your journey:
Make that Kitchen shine!
- The first place to start is your kitchen. Is to do a sweep. Go through your pantry and reorganized your can goods and dry foods. Make sure to look at the expiration dates and toss out any expired or nearly expired foods. Donate food that is still good and tableware to your local food pantry.
- Next, open your refrigerator and clean out old food and wipe each shelf as you go along. For a deep clean rinse, each shelf and drawer and wipe warm soap and water.
- While you are at your sink, wipe away water spots with rubbing alcohol. This works great on stainless steel appliances as well. If you have a porcelain sink, cover the bottom with paper towels and soak them with hot water and bleach.
- The dishwasher can be cleaned by running an empty load.
- A garbage disposal can cause a lot of unwanted odor, clean and deodorize it by dropping a couple of lemon slices in with a pinch of salt and a few ice cubes and drop some salt and ice cubes down there and turn it on.
- Don't forget to wipe down cabinets, shelves, drawers. This is also a perfect time to reorganize and throw out some things as well.
- While you are at it, clean the stovetop and oven. To make cleaning easier between oven cleanings, a nonstick oven liner can be used and wiped down with a paper towel and then put in the dishwasher. Put dirty sponges in the microwave or dishwasher too for an easy disinfecting.
- Last but not least, take the trash out and scrub the inside of the can, you may need to let it soak in hot water to get all of the gunk out.
Scrub-a-dub-dub the tub
- Start going through cabinets, drawers, and under the sink. Donate any beauty items like hair curlers you no longer use. Safely discard expired medicine bottles, throw out old makeup, applicators, and toiletries. Then organize the remaining items in trays and baskets.
- It is time to clean the shower curtain! Wash the mildewed shower curtain and liner with some towels in the washing machine and hang them up to dry; the towels help scrub the liner and curtain clean.
- If your sink, tub, and shower drains are clogged using a snake tool to pull out hair and gunk and remember to scrub down the toilet and bathtub.
- Rubbing alcohol can be used to wipe down mirrors and glass shower doors can be cleaned with white vinegar. Furniture oil will get rid of those pesky water spots on metal frames.
- Mix ½ cup baking soda and 1-gallon water (mixed well) to clean tile and grout. Then apply the solution with a mop.
Refresh the bedroom
- Wash all the linens, pillows, and the mattress cover. This is a perfect opportunity to vacuum the tops and sides of your mattress before rotating it. Now your bed can be freshly made.
- These tips will help you better organize and clean your closet. Tackle any laundry you may have first so you can get a better idea of what you're working with before organizing. Use the hottest water for sheets, towels, and unmentionables; other garments can be washed in cold water
- If you have a lot of clothes, you can dedicate one day to going room to room, pulling and sorting clothes that don't or that are out of season (or out of style). Put out of season garments in storage and donate anything you don't want.
Final details
- Vacuum all carpets, rugs, curtains, and window coverings. It is best to start in a far corner and work your way to the other side, so you don't leave the middle undone.
- Steam clean your carpets (or have a professional clean them) and take area rugs outside and shake them out.
- Wipe down baseboards interior painted walls with a mixture of warm water and dish detergent. Scratches dings and nicks in interior walls can be touched up with paint.
- File away important documents, put old magazines in the recycling, and shred old sensitive documents like credit card statements, and paycheck stubs that you no longer need.
- Test your smoke detectors and change the batteries.
- Ditch clutter at the door year-round by creating drop zone areas for book bags and shoes.
Sometimes spring cleaning can get a little overwhelming, that's where Gator Clean comes in. We can help with the deep cleaning such as your floors, bathroom tiles, and upholstery. We can even clean the air in your home with our whole home odor removal process. Contact us today for a free quote request.