Spring is in the air...so are dust and pollen! It’s time to give your home a fresh clean and tackle those places you tend to ignore throughout the year. Here are 15 tips to get your home sparkling clean this spring. Plus, these are great tricks to keep in mind when it’s time to sell. Clean these overlooked spaces, and your house will look and feel fresh to potential buyers. But in the meantime, your family can enjoy all of the perks of a clean house.
1. Doormats: Keep dirt out of your carpets and off your floors by hosing off the outside doormat and letting it air dry. Then, vacuum both sides of all indoor doormats and bathmats.
2. Windows: There’s nothing like natural light filling a room during the springtime. Until you raise the blinds to see stained and cloudy windows. Simply use your favorite glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth to wash the inside of your windows. Then, dust blinds or shades and vacuum curtains to complete the job.
3. Microwave: Make your microwave look brand new by removing stains and dried food. But rather than finding the most awkward position and getting an arm work-out by scrubbing, fill a bowl with 1 cup water and a couple tablespoons of vinegar, or chopped lemon, lime, or orange. Then, microwave for a few minutes on high. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and then you can easily wipe down the sides and door of the microwave.
4. Oven: Remove stubborn stains in your oven by using your oven’s self-cleaning function. Or, you can place a wet cloth over spots of baked-on grime to soften the sludge. Then, sprinkle baking soda over the stain and scrub with a heavy-duty pad. Finally, rinse and wipe dry.
5. Kitchen Cabinets: Wash grease and grime away from kitchen cabinets to revive your kitchen. Don’t forget to wipe down cabinet door handles and drawer pulls to simultaneously remove grime and germs.
6. Stainless Steel Appliances: Help your kitchen look bright and shiny by creating your own cleaning solution of 1 tsp dish detergent and 1 qt hot water. Use a microfiber cloth and, going with the grain, rub the solution onto your appliances. Rinse with clean water and a clean sponge, then towel dry to eliminate streaks.
7. Furniture: Pull furniture away from the walls to vacuum baseboards and easily missed places. Then, use the upholstery tool on your vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean cushions, crevices, and pillows.
8. Curtains: You don’t even want to think about the dust that’s collecting in your curtains. In most cases, you can give them a quick refresh by tossing drapes, curtains, and throw pillows in your dryer on the “air only” cycle for 15 minutes. Then, hang them back up immediately to avoid wrinkles.
9. Bookshelves: Before guests come over, you may give your shelves a quick wipe-down. But this time, take everything off the shelves and dust the entire shelf as well as all decorative items and books. Consider rearranging your shelves or organizing books by color for a fresh look.
10. Ceiling Fixtures: It’s easy to forget to look up when you’re busy cleaning the kitchen (again) and picking up toys (again). Use this time to dust ceiling fans, recessed lighting, molding, and other fixtures that you tend to overlook.
11. Closet: Use this change of seasons to change out the clothes in your closet. Get rid of all worn and stained clothes, and donate or sell any clothes that are still in good condition but that you didn’t wear during the colder months. Dust shelves, vacuum the floor and organize your closet to maximize the space.
12. Washer: Did you know that if you don’t clean your washing machine you may experience an odor on your clothes? Use a washing machine cleaner, or run a special washer cleaning cycle with bleach, to freshen up your washing machine.
13. Dryer: Protect your home from a fire hazard by removing lint from your dryer after every load. Several times a year, vacuum under and around your dryer and remove lint and fuzz from the hard-to-reach places inside the dryer.
14. Vacuum: There’s a scene from the TV show Friends when Monica—the group’s clean-freak—is using a handheld vacuum to clean her larger vacuum. Then she says, “I wish there was a smaller one to clean this one!” We laugh because it seems over the top, but she’s on the right track! We have to clean our vacuum cleaners by washing or replacing filters, cutting away knotted hair in the brush, and cleaning the dust cup.
15. Patio Furniture: Wipe down outdoor tables and chairs with dish soap mixed in warm water. After scrubbing away pollen and other residues, spray with water and let the furniture air dry. It’s a quick way to prepare for restful outdoor time!
It might sound like a lot, but you don’t have to tackle each of these projects in one day! Try setting a timer for 15 minutes every day and work down your list. A little cleaning every day helps you accomplish more without feeling overwhelmed. You may find that you can check off multiple items in 15 minutes. Before long, you can enjoy a fresh, clean home!
If you have questions about buying or selling
your house, contact us at Inhabit Real Estate Group today.
