You may not be dancing among the newly blooming flowers quite yet, but spring is right around the corner — so it’s time to make a few preparations to get your house organized and sparkling clean! With a few housekeeping tips now, you’ll be ready to throw open the windows and enjoy the fresh air. Soon.
Preparing for the Spring Clean
1. Get in the mood!
In order for your spring cleaning endeavors to be effective and at least a tiny bit fun, you need to prepare yourself mentally. Focus on how wonderful it will feel to transition into spring with a fresh, clean, welcoming home and set a date that you can keep with your cleaning. Mark it on the calendar, and commit to keeping that date.
2. Make a list of all of the things you want to tackle
As you ponder how to prepare your home for spring cleaning, the priorities will dictate what gets moved where, what supplies you need purchase, and what you take on first.
3. Purchase necessary supplies
Fresh rubber gloves, plenty of cleaners, trash bags, and other supplies that you may need. Stock up on lightbulbs, drain clog remover, door hinge grease, and other small things you may find require fixing along the way!
4. Declutter
In the days leading up to the Big Clean, make little steps toward decluttering. Take out all of the recycling, put away all of your clothes, get rid of old food from the refrigerator, and so on – one of the simplest ways to get your home ready for spring.
On Cleaning Day
5. Save vacuuming and mopping for last
Start with dusting all of those hard-to-reach places. Clean ceiling fans, the top of your refrigerator, the top of the TV stand, and light fixtures – whatever places you don’t typically clean on your average house cleaning day. Since you haven’t vacuumed yet you don’t have to worry about getting dust on the floor.
6. Clean out furniture
Similarly, clean out cabinets and the refrigerator early on. Don’t forget to clean underneath and around the coils, where dust and grime can have an impact on your appliance’s efficiency.
7. Wipe down your walls
A winter of being closed in will likely mean your walls have accumulated more grime and dust than you think they would, being vertical surfaces. As long as your paint can handle a washing, you can use a sponge mop to do the dirtiest work and dry your walls with a soft, clean cloth. If you aren’t sure whether your paint can withstand washing, spot test it somewhere out of sight.
8. Wash carpets and upholstery
Especially if you have pets! Fabrics may not show the grime yet, but over time it will set in and stain. Use a carpet cleaner and you will be amazed at just how dirty the water becomes. Similarly, a small upholstery cleaner can be rented for a decent price and will do wonders for your sofa seat. You won’t regret it – just be sure you arrange your schedule to leave enough time for it to dry.
9. Vacuum & Mop
Lastly, vacuum, mop, and vigorously sweep your entry stairway and walkway. Voila!
If cleaning your house top to bottom just seems to be more than you can handle with your lifestyle or family needs (or maybe your house is really big!), check out our post on how to find a great cleaning company and let someone else worry about which room to dust first. Realizing that you have a lot of excess stuff, but can’t decide whether you’re ready to get rid of it? Book a storage unit from Unpakt, and you don’t have to decide quite yet.
