I like to clean my carpets to start. Winter brings in all sorts of gunk in the house and I like to get all of that off the floor. If you have tile floor it would be a good time to reseal your grout and if you have wood floors it’s a great time to wax your floors. I have wood laminate so I don’t need to wax or seal my floors but I will be cleaning all of the gunk out of the cracks in my floors and washing them really well.
Moving up, I like to wash my baseboards, walls, and doors. I like to use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean all of my wood trim. It makes the wood look shiny and new. Another tip I have is to wipe your baseboards with a dryer sheet. It helps dirt not stick to them. Make sure you wipe all of the grooves on your door. You wouldn’t believe how much dirt they can hold, especially the back side that faces the wall.
Windows are next. If you have plastic blinds you can take them down and wash them in the bathtub or shower and then let them air dry. It’s much faster than dusting each slat. Now is a great time to wash your curtains too (just make sure you read the tag on your curtains before you wash something that is dry clean only). Be sure to wipe down the insides of your windows really well. The condensation that we get on the inside of our windows because of the cold can make the inside of your windows get kind of gunky (for lack of a better word). You can use Murphy’s Oil Soap to wipe down the wood window frame too.
Ok, now look up. Now it’s time to dust your fans because hopefully we will be using them soon. (Hopefully!) If you have plant shelves, get out your ladder and dust up there too. Don’t forget to dust off any knick knacks that are up there. If you light fixtures are looking like they need more than a dusting, you can take them down and wash them in the dishwasher. If your fixtures look delicate you should hand wash them just to be safe.
Don’t forget to change your air conditioner/heating air filter. I like to vacuum my air intake vents (they’re the ones that look like vents but air doesn’t come out of them) and to take the covers off of my regular vents and vacuum inside of them to get all of the crumbs and dirt that fall in. Did you know that you can put a couple of drops of a scented or essential oil (like lavender or lemongrass) on your air filter before you put it in and it will release a scent throughout your house? Now you do. You’re welcome.
Well did I motivate you to start cleaning? Stay tuned for some more tips and motivation and some great giveaways to help you along the way.
Ashley