Spring Cleaning Hacks and Annual List
It’s that time of year again when the weather warms and it feels like you need to clean your house from top to bottom. Spring cleaning is that time when you clean areas you only do once a year. When I was growing up, my mother would send off each of us kids with a toothbrush and a bucket of water instructing us, “Clean your room with this.” A reader requested I write about this topic and I think it is something every homeowner ought to be interested in. Here are some deep cleaning tasks I’ve completed this spring and every spring since owning my own home.
Deep Clean All the Bedding
Of course I regularly wash our bedding, but in the spring I really refresh them. I wash the blankets and sheets and duvet covers in hot water on heavy duty cycle with detergent and bleach. Then I hang them up to dry in the sun. Is there anything more refreshing?
Clean Out Window Tracks
When we replaced our windows to all white a few years back, I knew the dirt and grime would show up more. After the windows have been closed all winter, they need a good scrubbing. I use baking soda and vinegar to create a chemical reaction which bubbles up and blasts away caked on grime. For a step by step tutorial on how to do this, visit this blog’s instructions.
Flush Water Heater
If your water heater is less than five years old, you should be flushing it once a year to maintain the water quality and lengthen the life of the appliance. If it is older than five years, do not flush the water heater because the sediment you disturb on the inside will be extremely difficult to flush all the way out. Flushing your water heater is actually really easy, all you need is a garden hose. Learn how here.
Windex Windows Inside and Out
When that spring sun starts shining in your home, you will definitely want to clean the windows! Grab a bottle of Windex one sunny day and get to work! If your home does not have pop-out or crank windows, you will need to use a ladder on the outside of your home to reach.
Wash Baseboards
Even if you don’t have white baseboards like me, once a year you should wipe your trim down with hot water. I like to use a toothbrush to get in the cracks and really get the built-up dust and dirt off.
You better believe our white walls, white trim, and white windows all get a thorough spring cleaning when 3 young children eat in this dining room on a daily basis.
Scrape Out the Freezers
I have a deep freezer and regular refrigerator freezer. Once a year I unload both of them, wipe them out with dish soapy water, and scrape the built up ice from the walls. This will help your appliance cool and run more efficiently.
Wipe Down Cupboards Inside & Out
Hopefully you clean out your fridge more than once a year, but it’s likely you don’t with your cupboards. Taking out all the dishes, pantry items, and utensils in your cupboards is important to do once a year so you can clean. You will find spills you never knew happened, long expired items to throw away, and maybe even discover you have a mice problem (hopefully not!). Besides cleaning the insides, use hot dish soapy water and a toothbrush to clean the cupboard doors, hinges, and exterior surfaces.
This is my spring cleaning check list for the interior of my home. These tasks I only do once a year and when they are done, everything feels so clean! What are some spring cleaning jobs you take on once a year?
