Spring is coming, and this season reminds us of one thing: deep cleaning our homes. From disposing of expired medicines to decluttering every room, spring cleaning means leaving no stone unturned. This task can be overwhelming, but with our guide, you’ll find yourself effectively completing this huge chore in no time.
Spring Cleaning Explained
You might be asking, what is spring cleaning? Why is it even a thing? Generally speaking, spring cleaning means giving your home a thorough clean during springtime, usually between March and June. Though this method is commonly practised in countries with cold winters, spring cleaning is also a term used worldwide to refer to annual cleaning at the end of the year.
In popular culture, spring cleaning also refers to any heavy, duty deep cleaning. It involves cleaning parts of your home that you usually do not cover with a regular, daily, or weekly sweep. This means moving furniture, wiping hard-to-reach areas, and even performing routine maintenance of our appliances.
Where to Begin
This is the most important question when undertaking a huge task. With spring cleaning, it’s best to tackle each room once at a time. You can begin with your own room or the guest room and work your way across the house. The living room is often the last place to clean because it is where your family stays most of the time.
It will also be best to stay organized. Grab a notebook and create a checklist of the process you’re most comfortable following. You can also write down some things that you feel like you do not need anymore. When decluttering old stuff, you can have four separate boxes and label them accordingly: trash, donation, store, and storage room. This method will help you identify where to put the clutter once you’re finished with the spring cleaning.
Cabinets and Cupboards
The top of cabinets are normally hard-to-reach that’s why they tend to collect dust over time. Besides the outside, you also need to look at the inside of all your cabinets. You’ll be surprised to find out tonnes of things that you have forgotten over time.
If your cabinets and cupboard also act as your pantry, make sure to take a look at each item and double-check their expiration dates. If there is food that’s a month or two from their best before dates, put them in front of the cabinet to make sure you consume them first.
Windows
Pollution and grime develop over time, making your window quite dirty. Aside from the dust build-up, the dirt also prevents natural sunlight from coming into your home. Experts say that it is best to clean your windows when it’s dry and cloudy day because the chemicals or cleaning materials will easily dry on their own.
Speaking of cleaning materials, there are tonnes of window cleaners on the market, but it will be safer for your health to choose those that do not contain alcohol and ammonia. They may seem like intense cleaning agents, but they leave thin film and streaks on the window that attract moisture and dust over time. You can try making DIY window cleaner by mixing two cups of water, a half cup of apple cider or white vinegar, and one-fourth cup of 70% rubbing alcohol.
Curtains and Blinds
These three items in your home are not often cleaned and are notorious for collecting dust over time. If your curtains are made of fabric that can not be easily washed, you begin cleaning them by removing dirt and dust using a lint roller or vacuum cleaner.
Grim and dirt can build up on your blinds, especially during winter. Like when cleaning the windows, it is best to clean your blinds when it’s hot outside. Metal and plastic blinds can be cleaned with soap and water but avoid this cleaning method if your blinds are made from wood. Wetting wood blinds can warp and cause discolouration.
Carpet
Microbiology research says that indoor carpet is around 4,000 times dirtier than your toilet bowl. That is roughly 200,000 bacteria per square inch. The stains on the surface are just the tip of the iceberg. Your carpet absorbs all sorts of things like dirt from outside the house, dead skin cells, hair, food crumbs, dust and dirt, smoke, and the poop and pee of your pets.
When left uncleaned for long periods, these things can attract all sorts of germs and bacteria that can be dangerous for you and your family’s health. You can either hire professional carpet cleaners or make your cleaning concoction by spraying a mixture of apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and water.
Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
Cleaning your HVAC unit is important when spring cleaning. The air conditioner units run all summer long, and this is when the filters attract a lot of dust and dirt. Unclean filters can become obstructions that prevent clean air from passing. In addition, filters full of dust can cause a build-up of bacteria that can cause cough and asthma.
Deep cleaning your HVAC also helps keep your family safe from allergens and harmful dust. Power washers are helpful tools when removing or rinsing particle build-up. You can also try a method called steam cleaning, which uses 180 degrees Celsius of steam to remove grease. If you have limited time to do this on your own, you can also hire HVAC cleaning services and schedule routine air conditioner maintenance at the same time.
Spring cleaning can be an extremely exhausting activity, but you do not have to do the whole chore on your own. There are professional cleaners that you can hire, or you can enlist the help of your family to make this a fun and rewarding experience.
