Getting Ready for Spring

Spring is still a few weeks away, but it’s not too early to begin your spring cleaning checklist. Plan ahead to ensure everything is completed on time and important areas of your home are not overlooked. When making your spring cleaning checklist, be sure to include:

• Wipe your walls and ceilings. Vacuum dust and cobwebs, then go back over with solvent-free degreaser to remove stains.
• Vacuum and shampoo rugs and carpet. Pay attention to cleaning requirements for each piece. A rotary shampoo machine and hot water machines can be used on most carpets. Oriental rugs require professional cleaning.
• Dust books and bookshelves. Remove everything from the shelves, wipe off or clean each item, and put it back.
• Polish all metal door and window hardware. Pay attention to doorknobs and hinges.
• Wax wooden furniture. Wipe down your surfaces with a mild dishwashing liquid and water. Let them dry then apply wax with a clean cloth. Let dry again and buff to shine.
• Do a safety check. Examine batteries in smoke detectors and give them a quick wipe to eliminate dust. Check the date on your fire extinguishers and refresh your family on their fire escape plan.
• Clean curtains and blinds. Your window treatments gather dust throughout the year, so make sure you clean them thoroughly. Check labels and machine wash what you can. Dry clean and wipe down the rest.
• Clean out your pantry. Check cans and boxes to see what’s expired and throw it away. Anything that will expire soon needs to be rotated to the front or donated.
• Wash your windows. The inside and outside surfaces need a good cleaning. If the exterior of your house is dirty, you can tackle everything at once with some environmentally friendly cleaner and a pressure washer.