Spring is a time to pack up the old, usher in the new, kick off the winter blues and slip into your gardening gloves. Our team has decided to spruce things up by getting some spring cleaning done!

Here are a few helpful tips on cleaning your home up for spring:

• What about your furniture? During the winter months, it collects dust, dirt, body oils, and germs. (And if you have a pet, it has also collected pet hair and dander.) Time to haul out the vacuum cleaner. You can steam clean furniture as well. Just make sure you test an unobtrusive spot to make sure that the detergent from the steam cleaner doesn’t fade the color or ruin your upholstery.
• While you’re in cleaning mode, wash down your walls. Dust and dirt sticks to vertical surfaces, too. The easiest way to clean your walls is with a good soft sponge and warm, mild, soapy water. On flat painted walls, try using a dry microfiber cloth. It will work well on removing dust.
• Light fixtures can be full of dust. Take a minute or two to clean easily accessible light fixtures, lamps and ceiling fixtures. Don’t be surprised if everything looks a bit brighter when you’re finished!
• Safety first! Change the batteries in ALL of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  And make sure the unit is free of dust.
• Take your area rugs outside for a good shake down and maybe a few hours of airing out. Your wall-to-wall carpeting could probably use a good cleaning too, so break out the steam cleaner! It may help with those seasonal allergies, too.
• Your windows and blinds could probably use a good scrubbing, too. Take down your heavy curtains/drapes and send them to the cleaner. When washing your windows, it is best to clean them on a wind-free, cloudy day so the cleaning solution does not dry out and leave streaks.
• Head for the kitchen! When was the last time you gave your fridge a good scrub down? Go ahead and throw out those leftovers that you’ll never actually use. Check out your condiments. Bet you have a few that have expired. A magic eraser or a sponge and hot soapy water will get the stuck-on grime. Clean the outside too. And don’t forget a fresh box of baking soda to help absorb any odors that may be lingering.
• While you’re in the kitchen, give the stove, cabinets, walls and counters a going over with a grease-cutting cleaner. You’ll be amazed at how nice they feel when they aren’t sticky anymore!
• Don’t forget the outside chores! If you don’t have them, add extensions to your gutter downspouts to keep water flowing away from your foundation. Clean out the gutters in case there is debris left over from fall. Blow out the air conditioning condenser with a leaf blower to clean the filter. Call your sprinkler installer to get your system set up for warm weather.

Remember, spring is the beginning of yard sale season too – keep an eye out for great bargains and weekend decorating projects you can do on a budget. We hope that these helpful hints will get you started on your spring cleaning adventure.

Categorised in: tips, Uncategorized

This post was written by Sandcastle Homes