Spring Cleaning Your Nook & Crannies

Author: Whitney Hollingshead

Spring is one of the most exciting times of the year. The weather finally starts to warm up, the air carries a fresh smell, and everyone’s spirits generally seem to be universally lifted. Along with ushering in a new season, spring is a great time to improve your surroundings. One of the key areas to focus on is spring cleaning your home.

Here are some spring cleaning tips for common household areas that you may neglect (mainly because you are uncertain how to get them clean):

• Walls - Think about everything that has happened in your home since the last time you cleaned your walls. Your walls are most likely wearing some of the effects of those events. First and foremost, be ready for a big commitment when you complete this necessary cleaning. Thoroughly cleaning your walls will take some time.

Remove everything from your walls and move all furniture toward the center of the room. Place an old sheet along the floor against the base of the wall to catch any drips. Don’t use plastic, as plastic won’t absorb anything wet.

Use a duster or dry rag to remove dust from the wall first. Next, grab two buckets. Fill one with warm water and liquid dish soap. Fill the other with clean warm water. Make sure you use white cleaning cloths or natural colored sponges (as colored rags and sponges can bleed color onto your walls).

Start at the bottom and work your way up to ensure that any drips coming down won’t be combining with dirt. Remember to wipe and rub gently with your cleaning solution to preserve your paint or wallpaper. Follow up immediately by wiping the soapy area with clean water. Make sure you change your clean water frequently so that it stays clean.

Tackle the project one wall at a time and do your best to avoid leaving a wall partially cleaned. Also, be careful when using step stools and ladders to reach higher spots.

• Ceilings - Use the same cleaning solution tips above to clean your ceiling. Make sure you cover the floor under the area you will be cleaning. Wear goggles and cover your head. Divide your ceiling into small sections and tackle one section at a time. If possible, use a stepladder with tread on the steps to prevent slipping.
  
• Light Fixtures - Cut the electricity to the fixture. Don’t run the risk of getting shocked as you are cleaning! Make sure you dust the fixture thoroughly first. Next, wipe all exterior surfaces associated with the fixture with a clean, damp cloth. Don’t forget to rinse your cloth frequently to keep from spreading additional dirt and grime around. Next, remove the exterior fixture. Fill your sink with soapy dish water and gently wash and rinse each fixture. Don’t give in to the temptation to put your fixtures in the dishwasher. While this may appear convenient, the extreme heat could damage the delicate glass.
  
• Blinds - Open your blinds and use a feather duster to dust between each one. Close your blinds and attach a hose or brush attachment to your vacuum. Gently vacuum the blinds. Open your blinds again and close them facing the opposite direction. Vacuum the blinds again. Next, locate some old socks. (Make sure they are clean!) Open your blinds again. Spray glass cleaner on a small section of one blind. Put your hand inside a sock and wipe down the sprayed area. Continue section by section, until you have wiped down both sides of every blind. Be prepared to change socks frequently if necessary.
  
• Indoor Shutters - The experts at Wasatch Shutter recommend using a soft damp cloth or a duster to get your shutters clean. Never use harsh chemicals and never wipe the shutters with anything that could scratch the surface. Make sure you wipe any amount of water off of the shutters immediately, as water can damage your shutters over time.
  
• Baseboards - Dust your baseboards clean by using dryer sheets. You can even attach a dryer sheet to a Swiffer sweeper so that you don’t have to get on your hands and knees. If the baseboards still appear dirty, wipe them down with the same cleaning solution you used to clean your walls. (Going forward you can wipe down the baseboards with a dryer sheet every couple of weeks for quick and easy clean up.)
  
• Dresser & Cabinet Drawers - Most of the drawers in your home have probably been opened and closed many times since you last wiped them out. The contents of the drawers have probably been overturned a few times too. Go drawer by drawer and remove all of the contents. Next, use your vacuum hose and vacuum out each empty drawer. Finally, use a liquid dish soap and water solution on a soft rag to wipe down the inside of each drawer. Be very careful to immediately dry any wood surface that comes in contact with any amount of water.
  Upholstered Furniture - Vacuum your upholstery with a brush attachment. Make sure you remove the cushions and vacuum every side. Also, make sure to vacuum the area under the cushions. While you are moving everything around, don’t forget to vacuum or sweep under the furniture too. For spot cleaning, make sure you read up on how to treat the specific upholstery. You might be able to use something as simple as baby wipes, but make sure the fabric or surface isn’t ‘dry clean only’ first.

If you are really ambitious, you may want to dedicate an entire weekend to completing all of these projects. Imagine how fresh your home will feel and smell when all of these projects are completed! If, however, you need to tackle one project per week until finished, the most important thing to remember is that deep cleaning is worth the effort. So gather your family, make some assignments, and get cleaning! Once you finish, you will be ready to have some fun outside together without feeling guilty about the dirt at home.

About the Author:

Whitney Hollingshead is an optimist, a dreamer, and a professional writer.  She loves learning and sharing tips, tricks, and fun facts with others.  In her spare time she thrives on coming up with fun and creative solutions for everyday opportunities, especially when the solutions enable her to spend more time with family and friends.