Spring Cleaning Strategy

Spring cleaning is unavoidable, but can be tackled more easily if you take it one room at a time. Print out our checklist and keep it handy as you go cleaning about the house, feeling a sense of accomplishment with each item you check off. Happy cleaning!

Before you begin…
- Tell everyone to put away their things and throw away whatever they no longer need;
- If possible, organize a yard sale to be rid of all that extra clutter;
- A few days before the big cleanup, be sure you have all tools and cleaning products handy;
- Write up a list of things to do in each room;
- Divvy up the task by assigning each family member a section of the house.

Everywhere
o    Clean your hard, non-wood surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge. Rinse it out and then run it over the same surfaces to be rid of the soap.
o    Vacuum all carpeted floors; be sure to move the furniture to ensure you don’t miss a spot.
o    Once you’ve finished with the vacuum, mop the floors. (Tip: Murphy® Oil Soap is a trusted product for all wood floors.)
o    Use a moist cloth on all chandeliers, sconces, ceiling lamps, and fans. A step-ladder will be useful in these situations.
o    Wash your windows when it’s sunny out, allowing them to dry quickly. Also, make use of a ceiling mop to help you out with larger windows.
o    Open up the windows by a few inches to let some air in.
o    Don’t forget to clean ceilings, walls, window sills and borders.

Tip: For all rooms, be sure to start cleaning the ceiling, following up with the walls, windows, and then the furniture and floor. This will prevent messes on newly-cleaned surfaces.

Living room
o    Wash all curtains and pillows.
o    Dust any lampshades you may have. (A pet hair/lint remover will be helpful.)
o    Pass the vacuum on the couch cushions and spray with a fabric freshener.
o    Dust off every CD and DVD one by one.
o    Gently clean the television screen.
o    Take the rugs outside, sprinkle baking soda, and let them sit for a few hours before vacuuming them.

Tip: Take a moist cloth, dampened with rubbing alcohol and pass it over all electronic equipment (television set, CD and DVDs players) to reduce static.

Kitchen
o    Empty out the fridge and be rid of all expired foods.
o    Let the freezer defrost for a few hours before cleaning its interior.
o    Let your oven racks soak in hot, soapy water before scrubbing with a steel wool.
o   Put your oven in self-cleaning mode, or else apply grease cleaner the night before scrubbing it to facilitate the task.
o    Clean out all your cupboards; click here for tips.
o    Clean the inside and outside of your microwave oven.
o    Clean your coffee machine by running a cycle with white vinegar instead of water—omitting the coffee, of course! Run two cycles of water to rinse.

Tip: Clean the refrigerator from top to bottom so as to not have dust and crumbs fall on the just-cleaned surfaces.