Why does a vision of Full House’s Danny Tanner with his Spring Cleaning Clip-Board in hand come to mind whenever I think of this seasonal trend? After months of stale air recirculating through the house, it’s time to open those windows and take in some fresh spring air. With the variety of tools and products out there, it can be a more-stressful task than it has been in the past.
A common least-favorite room to clean is the bathroom. Scrubbing tile and toilets? YUCK! However, tackling such dirty areas doesn’t mean you have to partake in full-fledged chemical warfare. Break out those lovely rubber gloves (you can even find cute ones to make the project less dreadful that much more exciting) and use a pumice stone to work out those mineral deposits and rust. If you need something a bit stronger for stubborn marks, mix baking soda with acidic vinegar — it’s probably a cheaper solution and not to mention much better for your family and the environment. When working on your tile floors, stay with your standard cleaner but instead of mopping over it, use a wet/dry vac to help remove contaminants from the grout (instead of creating an adverse effect of driving germs into the grout with mopping.)
When cleaning your kitchen — there is much more involved than just removing germs from the area. People often find this room of the house one of the hardest to clean because there is just too.much.stuff. Before you bust out those sprays and sponges, take a hard look through your cabinets and drawers and see if there are things you can either get rid of or store in a better-suited place. We all know about that ‘junk drawer’ that is in nearly every home! As for your counter-tops, if it’s not an appliance you use every day or at least very frequently, find a new home for it permanently and pull it out when you need it. Don’t forget to clean out your fridge and pantry of expired items. Now that those things are taken care of — it’s time to get down and dirty! If you think using old socks and cut-up t-shirts are going to do the trick when cleaning, think again. For a minimal price, invest in a all-purpose microfiber cloth that uses it’s own composition paired with a bit of warm water (or baking soda and vinegar) to pick up grease and dirt, rather than having to use tough chemicals. Remember, we prepare our food in our kitchen and while chemical cleaners get rid of bacteria, they can also leave behind a little special something in our food!
Attacking a bedroom cleaning project also involves plenty of organization and not just conventional cleaning. Flip and rotate your mattress and consider a professional cleaning service to come thoroughly disinfect your bed. Take some weight off those closet racks and store out-of-season clothing and sheets or even see if there are items you can donate. Even if you opt for a professional service to clean your carpets, which is highly recommended, don’t overlook your own vacuum. Be sure to use those hose attachments to pick up debris along the baseboards, under the bed and in the window sills/blinds and while you’re at it, give the curtains a nice run through the dryer on high heat to kill the dust mites.
Almost done — right after you straighten up your living areas. If you opt to hire a cleaning service for your carpets and/or mattress, go ahead and let them apply their magic to your upholstery in common, high-traffic areas. Remember how you bought that microfiber cloth for your kitchen?? Go purchase another one (don’t cross-contaminate rooms by using the same cloth for different purposes.) A damp microfiber cloth can be used to wipe down mirrors, fan blades, furniture surfaces, wood paneling, windows and even plastic electronic casings. Once those to-dos are checked off your list of tasks, take a shower and a deep breathe then relax and enjoy your clean home!
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