This post may seem a little late, but in the Northeast it hasn’t been warm enough for me to want to throw open the windows and start spring cleaning. Thankfully summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st, so I’m still within the realm of spring! Anyway, here are 8 spring cleaning musts that often get abandoned during our usual cleaning routine!
Clean Inside and Outside of Appliances
This includes the oven, range, dishwasher, refrigerator, toaster, coffee machine, and any other fancy appliances you might have. If you have a self-cleaning oven, that’s great! When cleaning the fridge, remove everything and ditch the old stuff. Remove all shelves and drawers to clean them and the interior. Toaster ovens you can clean out the crumb tray and coffee makers you can run some vinegar through. Make sure after you’ve run a few cycles with vinegar through the coffee machine that you run many cycles of hot water through until it’s all clear and not vinegary!
Wipe Down Cabinet Fronts
While we wipe down countertops often, wiping down cabinet fronts doesn’t happen as nearly often as it should! Just think of all the dirt and grime that’s accumulated on the handles and fronts while cooking. The same dish soap you use on dishes to remove grease, yup that’ll work on the cabinets too!
Clean the Windows
This includes the inside and outside. For those of us that have newer windows where we can clean both sides from the inside, this should be a relatively simple task.
Clean Inside and Outside of Garbage Can and Recycling Bin
These can easily become quite disgusting! Sticky drinks can coat the recycling bin. Spilled, leaking, or over-stuffed garbage bags can create quite the mess in the garbage can. Take these outside and hose them down! Inside and out! If you have additional barrels in the garage, these are just as gross if not grosser! Don’t forget them!
Grout
Man, I’ve never had so much grout to clean as I do in my current house. All bathrooms, the main hallway from the garage, and the kitchen where we spend a lot of time. It’s a very daunting task, and time consuming, but one that needs to be done. If you’ve got light colored grout, Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner will work well. You can also use Tilex.
Some tips:
1. Work in small sections.
2. While you wait, go clean something else! Nothing is more frustrating than impatiently waiting. It could be worse than watching paint dry!
3. Don’t forget to seal! Resealing the grout will prolong you hard work, keeping them clean longer!
Bathrooms
If you’ve got grout in your bathrooms the most difficult part is done! Now it’s time for the rest of the bathroom! The sinks, but most importantly the tub and/or shower and the toilet. You want that stuff sparkling! Including the showerhead and fixtures. If you have a shower liner that’s grimy, it might be time to clean or replace. If you notice some sealant or caulking that needs to be replaced, replace it! You definitely don’t want any leaks!
Gutters
Gutters are great to collect rainwater and drain it away from the house to help prevent leaks into the basement. However, they are also a great collector of other things as well, including sticks and leaves. In order to ensure that your gutters are working properly, they need to be cleaned 1-2 times per year. If you don’t feel comfortable climbing the ladder yourself, gutter cleaning by professionals is fairly affordable.
Power-Wash
Whether your house has vinyl siding or is made of brick and stone, your house exterior needs to be cleaned once in awhile. Power-washing can remove many layers of dirt and restore your home’s exterior. The last thing you want is vegetation growing. It can also help you assess other areas of the exterior that may need repair as well. As you clean, look over your home top to bottom. Take note of anything you need to keep an eye on or anything that needs repair due to the elements.
Any other must-do’s on your spring cleaning list?
