The yearly ritual of spring cleaning is one that 70% of us take on. When our living spaces are clean and organized, we are more comfortable and both physically and psychologically healthier. What’s more, the act of cleaning and organizing can be therapeutic in itself.
If you’re gearing up for some spring cleaning, we’ve got some helpful pointers to share in this blog. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking about tackling the whole house–start with one room and work methodically through the home. There are three tiers to address for each room:
- Clean
- Organize
- Design
Let’s walk through the rooms of your home and look at it tier by tier. Below you’ll find a guide with tips for each tier. Time to get spring cleaning!
The Kitchen
Clean
We probably actually clean our kitchens more than any room in the house. However, there are surfaces that need a deeper clean every so often, and disinfecting right now is never a bad idea. Though granite countertops can be cleaned with plain old soap and water, we suggest occasionally disinfecting and polishing with one part water, one part isopropyl alcohol into a spray bottle. If you’re feeling like an overachiever, you can mix one part rubbing alcohol, with 3 parts water, and add a healthy squirt of dish soap and a few drops of essential oil (peppermint works great). Don’t use anything abrasive or acidic (like vinegar or lemon) to clean granite as it will degrade the stone. Vinegar is great for cleaning a ton of things…just not granite.
Next, you’ll probably want to tackle your cabinetry. Now you can break out the vinegar. A spray bottle with half vinegar and half water should do the trick. Spray it on and let it sit for a couple minutes before wiping it down with a rag soaked in warm water. You might still have to go over some spots more than once if they’re particularly sticky.
Organize
There are a lot of benefits to a well-organized pantry. Being able to quickly take stock of what you have in your stores helps streamline meal preparation as well as shopping trips and, in fact, saves money–if you know what you have, you don’t overbuy or let things go to waste. To do this, first clean things out that have expired or that, realistically, you’re just not going to eat. Second, use baskets or sheet pans to group like items. Third, use tiered organizers to be sure you can actually see everything. Cans and boxes can get lost behind other cans and boxes–these organizers help with that. There’s a step-by-step pantry organizing blog here: https://www.containerstore.com/organization-projects/kitchen/project/how-organize-pantry that we find really useful.
Design
Take a minute and think about the design of your kitchen and what’s working and what’s not. Remember, it’s your kitchen. If you love to cook and you’ve got a weekly curry habit, why not have an easily accessible spice rack? Or if you bake, maybe a shelf with your flour and sugar decanters displayed makes sense. Maybe you don’t cook much at all–hanging baskets or tiered counter stands holding fresh fruit might be a feature that will encourage you to reach for healthy snacks. Good design can be simple-it’s all about the form addressing the function.
The Bathroom
Clean
Again, we (hopefully) clean the bathroom pretty frequently, so during our spring cleaning project we’re probably just going for a deeper clean than usual.
A big problem with bathrooms is the tendency for scum to build up in sinks and baths and for hardware to accumulate mineral deposits. That white crust that wants to live on everything is highly unattractive, and, unfortunately, really persistent. If you’ve had no luck with commercial bathroom cleaners, you’re not alone.
However, there is an easy DIY solution–if you haven’t heard this tip yet, we’re about to change your life (or at least the way you clean your bathroom). Mix one part white vinegar and one part blue Dawn dish soap together (it has to be blue Dawn–don’t ask us why, we’re homebuilders, not chemists). Spray it everywhere you have mildew or soap scum issues in your bathroom and let it sit for a while. Then wipe down the surface with the textured side of a sponge. You won’t even have to give it much elbow grease. It will come right off.
Organize
Just like the pantry, bathroom closets can benefit from some good organizing tools, and a purge of things that are no longer needed. Clear plastic bins work well for things like medicines, and back-up stock of hygiene items like toothpaste and deodorant. It keeps them together while allowing you to see the contents. Glass jars are useful and attractive for things like cotton balls and swabs.
Design
Do you have enough places to hang things? Racks for towels and hooks for robes? If you have a shower curtain, when is the last time you washed it or changed it out? Do you have plants in your bathroom? Maybe you should. Minor design changes can make bathrooms places of comfort and luxury.
The Living Room
Clean
Most of us have either rugs or carpet to cozy up spaces like living rooms where the communal relaxing and visiting takes place in most homes. While they do warm up the room and feel good on our bare feet when the weather is chilly, rugs and carpets are due for some TLC when the weather warms up.
If you have a carpet, there are plenty of services out there that will shampoo them for you. Many of them offer “green” and “residue-free” options that will get your carpets a deep, environmentally-friendly clean. If you enjoy a DIY lifestyle, you can make your own green solution using the recipe found here https://www.thespruce.com/homemade-carpet-cleaner-recipes-1388729 and use it in a carpet cleaning machine.
If, instead of wall to wall carpeting, you have a rug (or rugs), you have to first determine how the rug is made in order to clean it. If it’s a handmade rug, you’ll want to give this one over to a professional. But if it’s a machine-made rug, you have some options. You can clean it with the same carpet cleaning method described above, which is easiest. If you want a deeper clean, though, you might want to wait for a warm sunny day and take the rugs outside to be cleaned. Be sure there’s no rain in the immediate forecast, either, since the rug will need time to dry. First wet your rugs down with a hose. Using a rag and very warm water with dish soap, clean the rug end to end in circular motions. Rinse it with the hose using a nozzle that will give your water some pressure and get rid of all the soap. Then, let it dry completely in the sun before bringing it inside. The combination of sun, soap, and water will kill mold and neutralize any odors that are lurking in your rug. This method is painless, fast, and requires no special equipment.
Organize
Is there a home for all the objects in your living room? Sometimes living rooms become catch-all spaces, and end up having objects and furniture in them that really don’t belong there. Consider whether everything in the room is contributing to relaxation and community. Inspect your storage spaces–if you have bookshelves, are books lying on their sides, on the heads of the properly shelved books? If so, it might be time for more shelving. Do you have a place for blankets and toys that might regularly find their way into the living room to be put when they’re not in use? Baskets, trunks, and furniture with storage components like benches or ottomans are great for organizing the space while keeping it soft and geared toward relaxation.
Design
Now is the time to break out the summer colors. Put away the dark winter shades, and replace linens and accent pieces with lighter blues, greens, grays, or yellows. Throw pillows, curtains, and tablecloths can all be changed out relatively easily with the shift in season–and it will make your room feel brand new.
The Garage/Outdoor Areas
Clean
Even if your patio furniture was covered and properly stored all winter, you will still want to take it out at this point and hose it down with water. Clean any outdoor sports equipment that’s been languishing in the garage all winter. This goes for lawn mowers and gardening tools as well. If you utilize a lawn service, now is the time to call before they are booked for the season.
If you own a pool, and choose to do the reopening yourself, there is a very helpful step-by-step cleaning process that can be found here https://www.lesliespool.com/blog/how-to-open-your-pool-in-the-spring/ .
Organize
There are two essential components to having an organized garage or storage barn: hooks and shelving. Hooks are great for hanging garden tools, hoses, extension cords, and anything that can be coiled. Shelving is a must. Many people get as far as storing things such as camping equipment in bins, but problems arise from just stacking those bins in a corner–namely the problem of getting to whatever’s on the bottom. By installing shelving you make the most of your space and assure that you can reach anything you need.
Still, there are always areas and shelves that are slightly less accessible than others. Spring is the time to rotate items in storage. For example, if you have skis, sleds, snowblowers, or other winter-related gear, you can put them in the less accessible places while pulling lawn mowers, garden tools and summer sports gear.
Design
Assess the outdoor areas. Is this a place you’ll want to spend your time this summer? Is it safe and attractively landscaped? Check for damages that might have occurred during the winter months to pavers, downspouts, and driveways so that you can clean or replace anything that needs it. If you find that your outdoor design is lacking, check out our recent blog on creating a backyard you’ll love.
We hope these tips help you get the season off to a good start! And if you find you really want a fresh start this spring, we’re here to help you get into the perfect home, one designed with features that will make future spring cleaning a breeze! https://www.builtbyhamilton.com/how-to-build-with-custom-home-builders-that-care/