Spring Cleaning. The time of the year where you go through every nook and cranny, declutter, and work to let the spring air in. It might seem like it’s too early to get started with your spring clean, but with how busy our lives are and how much stress can get in the way of productivity, it’s actually smarter to start now in the New Year and to tackle jobs little by little as you go. Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be a mad rush; in fact, just getting into the habit of doing one job per day can do wonders for the health and longevity of your home.
Use this ultimate guide, and by the time the weather starts to warm, your home will be ready to welcome the new season:
Deep Clean and Repair Your Systems
You should aim to complete these steps ideally twice a year, once in fall before the winter chill sets in, and again in the spring. Why? Because the last thing anyone wants is to realize that their heater isn’t working properly before it gets frosty. Or to have their air conditioning fail on a sweltering day.
Do these cleaning and maintenance steps in spring, and then repeat them in autumn. Of all the spring clean tips and tricks in this guide, these are the most important:
Your Heating and Air Conditioning
It’s a good idea to sign up for a maintenance program from a business like Kaiser Air Conditioning. This way, you don’t just clean around your HVAC unit; you can deep clean the entire system and make any adjustments simultaneously. If there is an issue, the experts are right there to fix it while it’s still an easy fix.
You’ll also want your ducts cleaned out every so often, as dust can accumulate in your system. What this means is that when your system is on, it will actually blow dust and debris into your home. This is awful for those with asthma or allergies.
Your Water Heater
Your water heater should also be deep cleaned, potentially flushed, and generally just inspected on a regular basis (and again, ideally by a professional). You can do this yourself, depending on the water heater system you have and how confident you are, but if you are ever in doubt, the pro is the way to go.
Your Pipes
Have a snake on hand, and any moment it seems like your water isn’t draining properly, work to get that blockage out. While yes, you can use drain unclogging gels, these are very harsh chemicals, and it is better for the environment to first work to remove the blockage manually if you can. If you take this tip early on, it should be easy.
Your Appliances
Finally, work to clean your appliances. Toasters, fridge and freezer, your washing and drying machines, and so on. There should be instructions on how to safely deep clean these to remove build-up and wipe down any mold from the unit. This will work to prolong their lives and keep you and your family much healthier.
Deep Clean Your Rooms, Top to Bottom
Now that the systems are cleaned, repaired, and optimized, it’s time to get to those classic spring clean activities.
Carpets and Rugs
If you have carpets, it is a good idea to bring in professional carpet cleaners at least once a year. So much grease, sweat, dirt, and bacteria can catch in the fibers of your carpet and cannot be removed by vacuuming alone. By bringing in a steam cleaner, you can get down to the fibers.
Furnishings
Steam cleaning is also useful for furnishings like your couch or mattress. Just like the carpets and rugs, these can collect dust, sweat and are a breeding ground for bacteria.
Walls and Surfaces
Wipe down all walls and surfaces to free them from dust. Don’t worry too much, however, as these are typically regularly cleaning activities.
Declutter
Last but not least, no spring clean is complete without a good declutter. The best part is that you can do this while deep cleaning your home. Go through every drawer to make sure what you own is either useful and often used, a treasure of sentimental value, or adding to your life in some way. If you simply like looking at it, then it can stay. If you haven’t taken it out or even thought about it for years, perhaps it is time to get rid of it.
Before throwing it out, always try to sell or recycle!
