3 Spring Cleaning Checklists
The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Advice.
“Spring has Sprung; the Grass has Riz…" Or nearly… But Spring Cleaning Fever is definitely in the Air.
The snow is melting, hopefully. Tiny green shoots will soon appear on your lawn, and the trees are about to bud. But, before venturing outside to enjoy the sunshine, you may get the urge to tackle the inside. After the staleness of winter, it is time to wipe away the cobwebs and give your home a fresh new lease of life. Your living quarters, in which you have been hunkered down during the long, cold months, need a spring cleaning!
Fortunately, it’s not as daunting as you think. We have three different spring cleaning checklists (with links to numerous cleaning hacks), that makes this task easier. In no time and at all, you’ll congratulate yourself on rejuvenating your home and enjoying all the psychological benefits of cleaning and organizing your living space.
We’ll get to the spring cleaning checklists in just one moment. So first, let’s explore why we get the drive to clean and clear clutter in the spring.
Why we get Spring Fever?
Of course, it is not a real fever but rather a phenomenon. There are several reasons for the urge to spring clean, and part of it is rooted in tradition.
In the “good old days,” where homes were lit with oil or kerosene lamps and heated with coal or wood, soot and grime would build up over the winter. The long, cold dark days meant lamps were on longer, and the stove ran full-time to keep the house warm. Windows were closed to keep the heat inside.
By the end of winter, everything was covered in a film, even the walls. That is not to say people didn’t clean their homes during the winter. Of course, they did! But no matter how they cleaned, that soot kept building up, so when spring came, and it was light outside for longer, the windows could be opened, and it was time to air things out.
From a cultural and spiritual aspect, spring is seen as a time of renewal. Cleaning is done for both symbolic reasons and to express gratitude and welcome in the new season.
There may even be a biological force to spring fever. The dark days of winter make us a little sluggish. Sunnier days and fresh spring air give us the energy to get up and tidy up.
Benefits of Spring Cleaning.
The benefits of spring cleaning are vast! Spring cleaning is:
- Excellent exercise
- Reduces the chance of pest infestations such as mice and ants
- It gets the dust mites out, reduces pollen and other allergy triggers
- It invites a calmer, more focused atmosphere which is good for your mental health
- You can find the things you need in an organized space, saving time and hassle.
- You’ll cook more, which is healthier and saves money – it’s hard to cook in a cluttered, messy kitchen
When to Start Spring Cleaning?
Don’t worry; if you don’t use one of our spring cleaning checklists on the day of the March Equinox, you haven’t missed a ‘golden window of opportunity.’ Many people tend to do Spring Cleaning in the early days of Spring, but in some areas, such as Alberta, Springtime can be a little cold, and you might not feel so inclined until the weather warms up a lot more.
Deep cleaning is appropriate at any time of the year. The advantage of doing it as soon as practical in Spring is that you are then all set up to enjoy the long summer days. Time your Spring cleaning so when you do get to spend time outside with friends and family or the children are home from school, everything is refreshed and ready for those gatherings.
Airing out is still a big part of spring cleaning, so you also want to wait until you can keep the windows open. This is especially important if you are using oven cleaners and chemical cleaners. Always use these in a well-ventilated space. Oven cleaner can be especially harsh; see our tips on cleaning your oven naturally.
And finally, remember, this does not have to be a one-day thing. Depending on how much help you have for spring cleaning and your energy levels, you can break up the tasks over several days.
Get Ready for Spring Cleaning.
Start with a plan. This is a big job. It may be best to break it up into tasks. Figure out how much time you need and when to fit things into your busy schedule. In other words, make time. Our spring cleaning checklists will help you formulate a cleaning strategy for success so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Some ways to organize the cleaning are:
- Room-by-Room – work your way around the home.
- Task-by-Task – If you find focusing on one task hard, set a time limit. For example, spend 30 minutes dusting.
- Or clean over several days.
Gather Supplies and Equipment.
Next, ensure you have all your supplies. Make your own natural cleaners or buy commercial ones. You will need the following:
- Paper towel
- Glass cleaner
- All-purpose cleaner
- Furniture polish (for wood furniture)
- Microfiber cloths
- Broom or sweeping pads
- Mop or mopping pads
- A duster with an extendable handle for high places (tops of bookcases, etc.)
- Vacuum
There is no reason why you need to clean in silence! Once you have all your materials together and have decided whether you will clean room by room, day by day or task by task, make a playlist! It doesn’t have to be just music, either. You can enjoy some great podcasts and audiobooks while cleaning.
All ready? You may need one more thing: to psych yourself up for the job. The Mom A Lot blog has some motivational tips that can help, as does Daily Mom. Don’t be fooled by the names – cleaning is not just a mom’s job; it’s for everyone in the family, including the younger generation.
Three Spring Cleaning Checklists.
The Declutter Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Hire a roll-off bin or book a large item pickup service if necessary.
- Make space for the following boxes: keep stuff, items to donate, a throw-away box and electronic recycling.
- Going room to room, clear out anything that needs to go
- Broken/unused furniture
- Garbage
- Old clothing
- Surplus dishes and small appliances
- Books you no longer need
- Art you no longer want
Don’t let these items hang around. Instead, toss them, donate them the same day, and drive to your eco-station to get rid of your e-waste.
Room-by-Room Spring Cleaning Checklist
- The Front Door and Porch
- Railings
- The Entrance Way
- Doormats
- Laundry Room
- Kitchen
- Living Room
- Dining Room
- Office
- Kids Rooms
- Bathrooms
- Bedrooms
- Outside
- Garage
- Windows
- Pressure Wash Drive.
- Clean Decks and Patio Furniture
- Wash down the City Garbage Bins
Task-by-Task Spring Cleaning Checksheet
- Ceiling
- Lights and Fans
- Walls
- Light switches and Pictures
- Dusting
- Hard-to-reach places that tend to get overlooked.
- Books and Bookshelves
- Ornaments
- Wipe
- Doors and Walls
- Baseboards
- Stained or Mucky Upholstery
- Vacuum
- Floors
- Carpets and Rugs
- Upholstery
- Wash
- Windows
- Window Tracks and Screens
- Window Ledges and Sills
- Baseboards
- Polish
- Metal – Doorknobs
- Glass – Windows and Mirrors
- Wood – Tables and Floors
- Floors
- Clean Tile and Grout Lines and fix them if needed
- Mop
- Wax – if necessary
Spring Cleaning Extras.
Here are some final touches:
- Test the fire alarm and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries if needed.
- Check the furnace filter and replace it if needed.
- Check your fire extinguisher. Buy one if you don’t have one.
- Put reminders in your smartphone for when batteries and filters need to be replaced and when alarm units and extinguishers expire.
Call the Spring Cleaning Experts.
If you live in Alberta in Airdrie, Calgary, Chestermere, or Okotoks, calling in the professionals is the safest and best choice for some chores. Call us at Dang Good Carpet and Furnace Cleaning, as we do the following services:
Spring cleaning is a healthy tradition that benefits the mind, body, and soul. It can be done economically and can even be fun. So use our spring cleaning checklists to stay focused and organized, and call us for deep specialty cleaning of carpets, tiles, mattresses, upholstery and windows.
Feel free to Share our Dang Good Blog Post
#Housework #Cleaning #SpringCleaning #CleaningHacks #CarpetCleaning TileCleaning #UpholsteryCleaning #FurnaceCleaning #Window Cleaning #PressureWashing #GutterCleaning
