This post is brought to you by guest author, Jenna Smith.
Spring is in the air. Springtime showers saturate the ground in water, which breathes life to flowers and offers newly born animals a drink. This is a time of cleansing, which is why many people take this opportunity to freshen up their homes, oftentimes by deep cleaning every room. This handy guide shows how you can rejuvenate your house, without over spending.
Kitchen
Time: 2 – 3 hours
The kitchen is such an important part of the home. It’s where your meals are prepared, families often gather, and dust bunnies hide under appliances. It’s time to evict that dust and grime, offering you and your guests a cleaner environment in which to prepare meals and socialize.
Begin by cleaning up as usual, wiping down all surfaces and washing the dishes. Use a broom to sweep in tall corners. Move appliances to sweep behind and underneath. Even dust the ceiling fan and drapes. Wash everything. You may even need to wash the walls. Use a damp rag to clean the backsplash of your stove. Use oven cleaner to clean inside your oven. Wash inside and outside your refrigerator. You’ll also want to clean inside the microwave and all cupboards and storage. Finally, mop your floors and enjoy the fresh pine scent.
Closets
Time: 30 mins – 1 hour
Closets can become overrun during the year. Springtime is a great time to start pulling out all that old junk and really organizing it. Begin by taking everything out of your closet. Sort everything into piles. Keep one pile for garbage, another for donations, and a final pile for the stuff you plan to keep. Once you’ve moved your garbage and donations, you’ll want to sort the keep pile into “belongs in the closet,” and “doesn’t belong in the closet.” Finally, organize everything that belongs in the closet, employing the use of shelves and dividers.
Wardrobe
Time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Spring often marks the time when families begin shopping for summer clothing. Before bringing in new items, it’s important to remove some older clothing. This is going to help eliminate clutter and keep your closets clean. You went to all the effort of organizing your closets, so why ruin it by packing them full of new clothes and not eliminating older stuff? Do yourself a favor and throw out anything with holes or stains, and donate the stuff that doesn’t fit or you don’t wear anymore.
Bathroom
Time: 1 – 2 hours
Just like your kitchen, every inch of your bathroom needs to be cleaned. Employ the use of spray cleanser to deep clean showers, sinks, toilets, and more. This is a good time to clean or replace your shower curtain. Wash all linens, including bath mats and toilet seat covers. Sweep and mop the room. Spring cleaning is a good time to ensure that everything is working properly, so you may want to have your plumbing and condensate system checked.
Everywhere Else
Every room of your home requires a deep cleaning. Any rooms with carpets require carpet shampooing, while rooms with hardwood floors should be swept and mopped. This is a great time to organize attics, basements, garages, and other storage areas. Be prepared to delve into these projects, often spending hours to complete them. When everything is said and done, you may have everything you need to have a garage sale and earn some extra cash.