Your Ultimate Guide to Spring Cleaning
The birds are singing and the sun is shining! As the temperatures begin to rise after a long, cold winter, it’s time to enjoy the many benefits of spring!
As we gear up for another season of spending time outdoors and enjoying all that the warmer weather has to offer, it’s important that we first give our homes and outdoor spaces the refresh that they deserve!
Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to organize, clean and refresh your home. Once your home is feeling fresh and revitalized, you can spend your free time enjoying the great outdoors!
The Importance of Spring Cleaning
Before we dive into your indoor and outdoor spring cleaning initiatives, let’s first take a closer look at the importance of this annual routine!
Spring cleaning can provide you with the opportunity to purge and organize the items in your home. By gathering items and products that can be donated, sold or disposed of, you can create a more organized and calm living environment that is free of unnecessary clutter.
Not only that, but it also allows you to give the surfaces and pieces of furniture throughout your home a refresh. Especially the most overlooked surfaces that aren’t wiped down regularly!
As you perform your spring cleaning, you can also keep an eye out for any damage or problem areas that may need to be addressed.
Indoor Spring Cleaning
Purge and Organize
The first step to effective spring cleaning is purging the unnecessary items within your home. We recommend creating several piles for this process: keep, dispose, donate, and sell. This will help to create an action for the items you no longer need or wish to keep!
Once you have had a chance to de-clutter the spaces throughout your home, you bring a little added organization, too!
Clean Windows
It’s hard to deny that the windows in our homes can quickly become quite dirty. As you embark on your spring cleaning journey, spend some time giving your windows a good cleaning.
Start with wiping down your blinds or shutters, or removing your drapes and washing them accordingly. Once your window coverings have been addressed, give your windows a good wash using paper towels and a window cleaning solution of your choosing.
Refresh Linens
Nothing feels as refreshing as clean linens! Walk around your home to gather the linens that are due for a good cleaning. This could range from tea towels and bath towels, to bedding, window coverings and throw pillows!
Once you’ve gathered the linens that are due for a refresh, clean them according to the kind of material and return once they are clean. This is also a great opportunity to make note of any linens that need to be replaced due to damage or wear and tear.
Deep Clean Carpets and Floors
While most of us sweep, mop and vacuum regularly, spring cleaning can allow you to perform the deep cleaning that your floors most certainly deserve! As a high traffic area that picks up dirt, debris and dust, these surfaces are often overdue for a deep cleaning come springtime.
How you clean the floors in each space of your home will depend on the type of flooring. Carpets may benefit from vacuuming and shampooing, while wood, laminate, tile, and other hard floors will require a cleaning solution that is intended for each kind.
One product may work well for a certain type of flooring, but could damage another.
Begin with sweeping and vacuuming - and don’t forget to move your furniture and rugs to get underneath! Once the surface-level debris has been removed, you can move forward with the deeper cleaning.
Address Overlooked Surfaces
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to address the overlooked surfaces in your home!
Overlooked surfaces may include:
The top of your cabinets
Wall trim
The sides of your bathtub and toilet
Cabinet and fridge doors
Ceiling fans and light fixtures
Many of these surfaces can benefit from dusting or wipe down with a warm, damp cloth. For more soiled surfaces or bathrooms, we suggest using an antibacterial cleaner.
Clean Your Appliances
Give your hard-working appliances the deep cleaning they deserve! How you clean each appliance will depend on the preferred products and process, but each one equally deserves your time and attention!
Appliances you may want to consider cleaning can include your:
Microwave
Dishwasher
Fridge
Washing machine
Dryer
If you are unsure or uncomfortable cleaning any of these appliances, you may want to source a local business who specializes in servicing your appliances.
Outdoor Spring Cleaning
Remove Leaves and Debris
Once the snow has melted away, the unsightly debris underneath becomes quite visible! Using supplies such as work gloves, garbage bags, landscape bags, leaf blower, and a rake, take some time to remove and dispose of the debris accordingly.
This can range from animal waste and leaves, to garbage, sticks and anything else that entered your yard during the winter months.
Removing the debris will not only improve the appeal of your yard, but also improve safety for all.
Power Wash Surfaces
What better way to make your home sparkle than with a little power washing!
Wash away dirt, debris and sediment left behind from the winter season, which may have built up over time. You can use your pressure washer to wash the sides of your home, deck, patio, walkways, and driveway.
Clean and Place Furniture
Now that the debris has been removed and dirt has been washed away, it’s time to place your seasonal outdoor furniture once again!
Once you have brought your furniture out of storage, begin by giving them a quick wipe down with a cloth and warm water. For more soiled surfaces, you may want to use a gentle soap for extra cleaning power!
Once the furniture is clean and ready to use, add the finishing touches such as throw pillows, seat cushions and decor!
Prepare Your Lawn and Garden
The last step to spring cleaning your outdoor space is preparing your lawn and garden.
To prepare your lawn and garden for the season, we suggest following these helpful tips:
Remove debris, leaves and fallen branches.
Address thin grass or patchy areas with slit seeding.
Touch up the edging along gardens and flower beds
Re-attach your garden hose and water the grass
Refresh the mulch in your garden to promote health
Remove weeds as soon as they begin to appear
Aerate the soil in your grass and fertilize every eight weeks
How will you elevate your lawn and garden this spring?
Enjoy Your Home 365 Days a Year!
With a little hard work and the right approach, you can give your home the refresh it deserves! Once your spring cleaning endeavours are complete, you can continue to enjoy your home and the warmer weather.
For more helpful homeowner tips, tricks and information, take a look at the other resources in our blog!
