The Spring Clean- 10 Ways to Get your Dirty Clean
The Spring Clean- 10 Ways to Get your Dirty Clean
We are right smack dab in the middle of spring, and summer will be upon us before you know it. NOW is the time to do our deep cleaning so we can then sit back and enjoy the summer.
What’s on your list to really get clean this year? I’m going to start with my kitchen and bathroom cabinets. In fact, how I knew it was spring cleaning time was the other day I took something out of one of my bathroom drawers and noticed for the first time in months it was messy and even bordered on dirty!! I delayed what else I was doing and started to pull everything out of my drawers and proceeded to spend the next hour purging old bottles and medicines that had expired out of my drawer and cleaned it all out with vinegar and water and then put everything back in an orderly manner. Gosh it felt good!! I thought it was interesting how I never cared all winter and yet that one spring day it became time to do the job and I couldn’t wait any longer. Maybe it’s kind of in our DNA to become more focused on our home and getting it clean in the spring. Hmmmm.
1) Next up will be my kitchen cabinets. This is more of a chore. My cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling which means collect grease from the heavier cooking we do over the winter so it’s time to de-grease and dust all the cabinets and surfaces. There is also the ledge above the cabinets that needs some attention. In my next house I want to have the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling so I don’t have to do this!
spring cleaning your appliances
2) The stainless steel. In my old house I had stainless appliances and I used a tiny bit of WD40 on a rag once a week to keep the finger smudges to a minimum. My appliances are covered with cabinetry so I don’t have large surfaces of stainless but I still do have my sink and rims around my microwave and beverage fridge so I’ll likely give them a good polish.
spring clean appliances
3) Deep clean the counter tops. I keep my counters pretty clean but I am always surprised when I take everything off of them that there are crumbs in the corners. Taking everything off the surface allows you to get right into those pesky corners and de-crumb them!
4) Here’s a bigger job-the dishwasher. Wash all the inside edges. It’s surprising how dirty they can get!
spring clean your dishwasher
5) The fridge. I do this quite frequently. I do not like a dirty fridge so will spend time making sure all the food in there is current and all the shelves and drawers are clean. Take the vegetable drawers right out and soak them to really get them nice and clean. I find by going through my fridge regularly I can keep a better handle on what is in my fridge so I don’t waste food and money by buying it twice!
6) Here’s another chore I don’t rush to do. Believe it or not I don’t have a self-cleaning oven. The horrors! I have to put in some good old-fashioned elbow grease to get my oven clean. First, I get all the loose pieces of old burnt food with a dry cloth then I do a deep clean with baking soda and water. Sometimes I have to let the mixture sit on there a while but eventually it will all come off. Then you can use vinegar and water to make the window shine!
7) You can use the same baking soda/water mixture to clean your tile and grout in the bathrooms. Just make sure you use lots of water for rinsing after to get rid of the grit from the baking soda.
8) Organize and weed out your closet. Go through your closet and pull out items you haven’t worn for a year and then give them away. Also pull out any items that need repair. Even if you are now putting them away for the season take them to get repaired BEFORE you put them away. You will be so glad you did when it comes time to pull out your warmer clothes! This is also the time to go through your accessories. The same rules apply to your accessories as they do to your clothes. You will be so glad you went through and culled your closet. It will be easier to find the items you love and everything will be more cohesive in the closet as well.
9) Bedding. Now, I don’t mean your sheets. Those should be washed weekly but it is time to wash your pillows and comforter. Just make sure to read the labels first as some may need to be dry-cleaned. While all the bedding is off the bed you can really go for it and vacuum the mattress. Dust mites love mattresses!
spring clean your mattress
10) Bookshelves. Now is the time to lighten up the bookshelves from winter accessories so while you’re at it, you might as well get a damp cloth right into the corners.
There are a lot of other ways to really deep clean your home but I’m getting exhausted just writing about it. Sigh! I’ll get back to you after I do my own cleaning and then we will have to discuss the OUTSIDE!
Drop us a line to let us know how you’re doing with your Spring Clean!
