The Washington Post calls spring cleaning “the annual guilt trip.” The tradition traces its history to the days when homes were lit and heated with kerosene, wood, coal and oil.
When the weather warmed and the sun shone, women would transfer the home’s entire contents to the outdoors and then attack the grime indoors.
Old habits die hard and the spring cleaning ritual is still very much alive.
As with any process with multiple “moving parts,” this one is easiest when you break it down into its most basic components.
Here are our 6 tips (plus two bonus tips) for tackling your spring cleaning project in spring 2022.
1. Dust
All those cozy, warm fires you enjoyed over the winter can leave fine dust and ash on most surfaces in the home, including the walls. Get out the duster and get to work, starting with the ceiling, and working your way down.
Don’t neglect the ceiling light and fan. Hardware stores typically carry either long-handled or extendable dusters which will keep you off the ladder and out from under the falling “gunk.”
You can find them online at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Amazon.com.
2. Windows
The wintry mix really takes its toll on our windows but a quick clean will allow all that glorious springtime sunshine to stream through.
Remove fabric window coverings and wash or dry-clean them. If you have blinds, give them a good dusting, then raise them to get at those windows and then remove the screens.
Use a solution of mild dishwashing soap and a strip applicator to wash the windows.
Then, swipe a squeegee across them to remove the dirty water. The pros at This Old House offer a handy walkthrough of their easy and effective window-washing process online at thisoldhouse.com.
Once the windows are sparkling, all that’s left to do is to wipe down the sills, clean the tracks (give each a squirt of lubricant after cleaning) and attack those dirty screens. Use the same type of soap-and-water solution you did for the windows and a soft scrub brush on the latter.
3. Baseboards
Even though they aren’t within our direct line of sight when we enter a room, clean baseboards can make the entire room feel fresh.
If there is still dust leftover from your dusting session, get rid of that first. A whiskbroom or even a paintbrush works well for this.
Home maintenance expert Bob Vila recommends using a solution of dishwashing soap and water on painted baseboards, but vinegar and water works as well. If your baseboards don’t require scrubbing, use a magic eraser product instead.
4. Floors
Carpets
The flooring experts at Empire Today recommend a thorough and professional cleaning of the carpets in the home to set the stage for a healthy, happy spring.
Naturally you can DIY this project or, hire pros to do it for you.
Hardwood Floors
Avoid scratching your hardwood floor by getting rid of every last speck of dirt, dust and debris before cleaning it.
Then, use a cleaning solution recommended for the type of finish on your floor. If your hardwood flooring is relatively new, it’s most likely surface-sealed with polycrylic, polyurethane or urethane. Older floors are either not sealed, or finished with oil, lacquer, shellac or varnish.
Surface-sealed hardwood floors are the easiest to clean; just sweep or vacuum and then run a damp mop over them. Floors with other finishes take a bit more work to bring them up to epic spring-cleaning standards.
Depending on the beating the floor took over the winter, this may include stripping the old wax and applying fresh wax and then buffing it. Rent floor buffers at Lowe’s, Home Depot and other home improvement outlets.
Laminate Floors
Popular for their easy-care requirements, laminate floors typically respond well to a damp cleaning with a commercial laminate-floor cleaning product. The experts at Mohawk FloorCare recommend using a microfiber, terrycloth or cotton mop and to avoid wet-mopping (keep it damp) your laminate floor.
Use an acetone-based fingernail polish remover to carefully remove any stubborn stains. Wax or chewing gum will come up by rubbing them with an ice cube and then using (gently) a plastic-edged scraper.
Sure, there are a seemingly-endless number of things that will require a deep cleaning this spring, but focus on the basics first and the rest won’t seem so daunting.
5. HVAC Service
Most people don’t think of their AC unit or their furnace when they think about spring cleaning, but this is an excellent time to schedule a spring cleaning of your most expensive appliance. Before you hit the heat of summer, it’s a good time to have a professional come to your home, check your unit and get it clean and ready to provide you with the blast of cool air you’ll desire in the coming months.
Many heating and cooling companies run springtime specials or even offer annual service deals that offer to come out twice a year and keep your HVAC units in tip-top shape.
If you need a local recommendation for a Southern Indiana HVAC company, email us at 812Living@gmail.com and ask for our 2022 MVP List.
6. Change Smoke Detector Batteries
This is another item that doesn’t make most Spring Cleaning lists, but it’s just as important, if not more so, than having clean baseboards. Take time to change out the batteries in your smoke detectors.
If your smoke detector is more than 10 years old, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends you replace it with a new one.
Bonus: Declutter
Instead of cleaning your stuff or moving it around to make you feel like you’ve accomplished something, why not just get rid of your excess stuff altogether.
Jennifer Kelly Geddes released an article just in time for spring that offers “7 Strategies For The Most Successful Yard Sale Ever”.
You can always take stuff to Goodwill or other charity and donate it, but why not follow Jennifer’s tips and put a little money in your pocket this spring.
Here is a link to her article: https://www.realtor.com/advice/move/how-to-run-a-successful-yard-sale/
Double Bonus: Let Someone Else Do It For You!
You’re too busy. You’re too overwhelmed. Your too much like us and just don’t feel like it.
If you decide you don’t want to do the cleaning yourself, you can always hire a local company to come and do it for you.
We interviewed Alicia Lewis, owner of Together We Thrive, who gave us some of her own cleaning tips as well as information on how you can hire her team to help clean your home.
Take a look at our interview below:
Live and Thrive
Whether you are planning to sell your home or not, spring cleaning can help make your house a happier home to live in.
As always, our goal at the 812 Living Group is to help you LIVE & THRIVE where your home is. We publish a weekly blog about local events, real estate information, and home tips.
If we can help you with anything real estate related, we’d love to connect with you. You can reach us at 812Living@gmail.com