Spring Cleaning Checklist

What’s all the hub-bub about Spring Cleaning? Is it anything that people actually do? I think it was more commonly practiced when the home served a different purpose. For many people their home is just a place to stop for rest or to kill time. During the pandemic, when we were forced to stay in our homes, many people began to treat their homes differently. Many people even changed what they called home. Unfortunately the statistics are something like 80% of those who made the decision to sell or buy a home during the pandemic when the real estate market was crazy regret that decision in some way. HOME has taken on a new meaning for most people. Whatever you do there, it should be taken care of and Spring, a time of refreshing and regrowth, is a great time to spruce up the space around you!

My mother, and new Assistant, spent 20+ years with a cleaning company called Cottage Care cleaning other peoples homes. So when I asked her for some tips and tricks to Spring Clean, she had plenty to say!

Appliances:

Stove/Oven – Use the self cleaning setting or just wipe everything down.
Refrigerator – Clean out old things and clean up spills or drips from the shelves and in the doors.
Dishwasher – Run a cycle with a dishwasher cleaner or a solution of white vinegar.
Washer/Dryer – Run a washer cycle with white vinegar and clean the outside dryer lint trap.
Microwave – Soak a sponge with water and microwave for 10 or 15 seconds to loosen dried up bits.

Rooms:

Windows – Clean the inside. Clean the Outside if they tilt in. Pressure Wash if they don’t.
Blinds/Curtains – Wipe or vacuum blinds in closed and open position. Take down and wash curtains.
Furniture – Spot Clean cushions.
Walls/Doors – Wipe down walls with dry duster. Wipe doors with a vinegar solution and remove stains/dirt.
Fans/Switches – Dust off every blade of the fan. Wipe switches with vinegar solution or window cleaner.

Declutter:

Closets – Remove the clothes or items that don’t fit or aren’t used.
Pantry – Clean out expired food or things that will not be used.
Desks – Clean and organize drawers.
Cabinets – Throw out expired or unused items.
Drawers – Organize items so that drawers close easily. Throw away anything that doesn’t fit or doesn’t get used.

Outside:

Porches/Patios – Sweep, clean, wipe down, or power wash the deck and patio.
Furniture – Wipe down the furniture to remove dust and debris Clean or repair cushions.
Flower Beds – Refresh the flowers and mulch.
De-Pollen – Wipe down surfaces including columns or rails to take away pollen.

I am not the cleanest and most meticulous home owner in the world, but I did grow up with a mother that might be. A few of these are pet peeves of mine! The doors and light switches are one of them. Dust on the blinds is the other. The list is pretty extensive and I don’t know if I would ever get all the way through it. But it’s a great list to guide me! Spring brings some of those quiet, secretly beautiful storms that make a great day for cleaning out some of the years yuck. Spring is about renewing and rebuilding. The forest around me on the farm rebuilds the tree canopy so I can take some time to rebuild the order inside my own home.