Hi! Welcome back to our blog! Spring has arrived and what better way to start than with a spring cleaning checklist?
First of all, we’re back after some time and it’s great to be back! We’re always happy to share our cleaning tips and secrets. As a cleaning company, Memphis Maids has learned so much through the years and we love to give back some of the love and support that we receive from our customers.
Second, spring is finally here! The days get longer and the weather gets warmer. You don’t have that harsh weather outdoors anymore. It’s the perfect time to give your home a good deep clean.
We wanted to create an article to celebrate the first official day of spring. Let’s read some 7 tips for spring cleaning your home!
First Step for Spring Cleaning: Make a Plan
At this point you must be ready and excited to start your spring cleaning. But it’s important we make a plan beforehand! The first piece of advice you will hear from a cleaning expert is to clean smarter, not harder.
First, make a list of all the areas you want to clean. This doesn’t mean you will cover all these areas. But it is important that you write all of them down to keep track of what you need to do and ensure no areas get overlooked.
Next, prioritize the areas that you are going to cover for this spring cleaning. And don’t feel bad if some of them get left out of the plan! You can cover them in a second cleaning in a few weeks or in a month or two.
If you feel overwhelmed by all these tasks, you might want to break them down into smaller tasks. Setting smaller goals means you will feel more motivated to complete them. You will stay more focused as well.
Now, probably the hardest part is to add all tasks to a schedule. This can be difficult if you are cleaning several days and you also need to work or just carry on with your weekly routine. Decide which days you will tackle each area, and the time you will assign to each task.
If you always fell short on your time, once you’ve assigned the time to each task, multiply that times 2. This will give you more threshold and you will have a more realistic time management.
And don’t worry if you don’t know which tasks you should add! Keep reading because we will give you some cleaning tasks that are perfect for spring.
Get the Whole Family Involved in Your Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is a heavy task sometimes, so you don’t need to do it on your own. You can either call a professional cleaning service, or you can get the whole family involved. Turn it into a fun activity! Cleaning doesn’t have to be mechanic or boring.
After assigning tasks, you can make it a competition to see who can clean their area the best or the fastest. Whoever wins, gets a snack or a fun prize. Search for a “cleaning music” playlist.
There are so many benefits to this approach. First, your workload will be much more manageable and you will finish faster. Second, everyone gets to participate and the weight of cleaning will be spread evenly into more members of your household.
Third, if you have kids, even better! Research has shown that kids doing chores learn how to be independent from ay young age and also have better self-esteem and sense of worth.
Start Your Spring Cleaning by Decluttering
Spring is the perfect time to declutter. First of all, if you live in Memphis, you know there’s a big weather change coming, so you will need to use clothes that are more airy and lighter fabrics.
To being decluttering, we always recommend sorting your items into three categories: donate/sell, keep, and throw away.
If you have items that are well kept and that you no longer use or enjoy, you can donate them or sell them. Keep items that you love using and that have true sentimental value. Throw away items that are not in good condition, or that are no longer useful or interesting.
After you’ve decluttered, your home will feel so much cleaner and more open. Plus, it will be easier and faster to clean afterward because you won’t have that many items that require cleaning in the first place!
Related: Decluttering Tips to Start the New Year
Organize Closets and Drawers
This is a fantastic step to do after decluttering because your closets and drawers will have so much free space now! And, you will probably have items on top of your bed or even on your floors that are ready to be stored back again.
First of all, do some research on closet organizing methods. You have many options such as shelf dividers, baskets, over-the-door organizers or hangers.
Second, take the time to label all your containers. You will know exactly where everything belongs and feel more motivated to keep things organized.
Now that winter is over, you can keep out-of-season clothes out of the way. Store winter coats and similar items in a separate area or a bin.
Wash Your Windows for Spring Cleaning
Spring is the perfect time to wash your windows. The sun will start shining more brightly and the weather is also warmer.
Let’s take advantage of the extra natural light and wash your windows! Your home will feel more open and brighter.
If the day is slightly cloudy, even better! Strong sunlight can cause streaks on the glass. Grab a squeegee, a scrubber and two or three clean microfiber cloths. Regarding the cleaning solution, you can use a commercial glass cleaner, or a 1:1 white vinegar and water mix. If you are using a store-bought glass cleaner, try to get the ammonia-free version.
Remove debris with a soft-bristled brush or a microfiber cloth.
Then, apply your cleaning solution with a spray bottle. Grab the squeegee, then start at the top left of the window. Place the squeegee against the glass at an angle, with the right side tilted towards the right.
Move the squeegee downwards, while rotating the squeegee towards the left side. Then, move to the left while you rotate the squeegee towards the left. You will see the remaining soap forming an inverted V on the glass. And repeat the process until you reach the bottom.
Wipe dry with a clean cloth until the entire window is dry.
Related: Shedding Some Light: Tips on Cleaning Windows
Dust Ceiling Fans and Light Fixtures
During winter, ceiling fans and light fixtures collect dust and debris. Memphis’ air quality during the year is not great, and winter is one of the months with a higher amount of dust and bacteria.
There’s pro tip to clean your ceiling fans faster: grab an old pillowcase and stick one of the borders inside one of the fans using scotch tape.
With a long brush, start wiping all the dust and dirt inside the pillowcase. That’s it! Your fans will be clean and all the dirt will be inside the pillowcase.
Next, we have the light fixtures. Make sure you turn them off and let them cool down before you start cleaning them.
If you have crystal, brass or glass chandeliers, you can start by mixing one part rubbing alcohol with four parts distilled water. For other materials, warm soapy water should be enough.
Cleaning Outdoor Spaces
Now that the weather is warming up, it’s a great time to clean outdoor spaces. Humidity also tends to decrease during spring, which means that mold and mildew are less likely to appear.
If you clean your patios, decks and outdoor furniture now, they will be fresher and ready to enjoy during spring and summer.
To clean your deck or patio, the best tool you can have is a pressure washer. If you don’t have one, get yourself a garden hose nozzle to increase the hose’s water pressure.
Always keep some distance between you and the surface you are cleaning, especially if they are wood floors. At least 18 inches should be more than enough. Make sure to leave a 45° angle instead of a direct stream to prevent damaging the surface.
Memphis Maids’ Spring Cleaning Checklist
We’ve created this checklist so you can print it out or save it to your phone and assign tasks to all members of your household. Feel free to download the file and get your spring cleaning started! You can bookmark this page if you want to re-read our tips individually.
We left a bonus task if you want to add any other cleaning task that we didn’t mention in the article. Remember to add tasks that you consider convenient for this season.
Conclusion
There you have it! 5 tasks along with some tips to get your spring cleaning started. We hope you start this season with the right foot.
As always, remember to visit our main page if you need a professional cleaning service in Memphis.
We’ll be back so soon with more cleaning tips!