{ Spring Cleaning 2017 }

Good morning everyone :)

Come on in and sit with me a little, let's talk Spring Cleaning, the how to's, the why's, and if it's indeed necessary or not.

Do you spring clean every year?  Do you do a deep cleaning of each room, or do you just make do with the usual cleaning you are used to doing in each room?

I will say that I don't always stick to a very rigid plan.  Some years I am more inclined to really go all out, others I get by with just minimum effort, I think it depends on what I'm doing or what is going on around me.

If you want to see previous Spring Cleaning posts, you can check out Spring Cleaning Entryway,  Spring Cleaning Office and Bathrooms, Spring Cleaning Kitchen and Dining Area.

I'm going to try very hard this year to give every room a good and thorough cleaning, this house is certainly needing it.  It's huge, it has a lot of crooks and crannies and I haven't been able to give it a good deep clean since we moved in almost 2 years ago.

But you may be wondering, why.  Why spring clean, isn't what I do on a daily basis, or even weekly, enough to keep my house clean?  Well yes, of course cleaning up on a daily basis is a good thing, but we don't exactly throw curtains in the wash every day or even every week, we don't wash the walls or the corners of the ceiling, or reorganize and throw out clutter.

Here are some reasons why spring cleaning is actually a positive and good thing to do, just in case you're looking for an incentive to roll up your sleeves and get to work on that detailed cleaning list.


1. SPRING CLEANING INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY

When you take the time to organize, get rid of unwanted items, and pack everything neatly and tidy, you can find what you're looking for much quicker without spending a lot of time searching for a certain item. 

2. SPRING CLEANING IS HEALTHY

In our family we suffer from allergies, or rather, my son and I suffer from allergies and we can be quite miserable especially when Spring comes around.  A good clean can remove the allergens from the house, therefore making us feel better and healthier. 

3. SPRING CLEANING MAKES YOU HAPPY

I don't know about you, but I quite enjoy cleaning my house.  It does indeed make me happy, I feel so much better when my house looks and smells clean and it definitely makes me less anxious.  I tend to feel quite overwhelmed when I see an untidy house. 

4. SPRING CLEANING REDUCES STRESS

This goes with what I just said above, because when things are neat and tidy and in their place, my anxiety levels greatly decrease.  It's amazing what a chaotic house can do to your soul, it definitely increases my stress levels. 

Here's my list of what I intend to do in each room, I'll try my best to keep to the list, but I may miss a thing here or there if I feel that it doesn't need to be done quite yet.  The list is from Imperfect Homemaking and I'm adapting it to my needs.


FOYER

1. Dust lighting fixtures.
2. Wash walls and trim
3. Wash doors, knobs and switch plates.
4. Empty out coat closet.  Wash walls and floor, if needed.  Sort items as you return them to the closet.  Store out of season items, donate unneeded items. 
5. Clean or replace entry mat.
6. Sweep and scrub floors.  

BEDROOMS

1. Open windows
2. Dust furniture.
3. Remove everything from closets. Vacuum closet floor. Put everything back neatly.  Donate items you no longer need.  Try not to store things on closet floor.
4. Move Bed.  Sort and put away anything that was under bed.  Sweep or vacuum under bed. 
5. Put bed back.  Freshen mattress by sprinkling with baking soda, letting sit briefly, and the vacuuming it up.
6. Launder bedding and curtains.  Wash pillows and duvet in hot water.  Air out mattress pad, if you have one.
7. Dust lights. 
8. Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.
9. Wash switch plates.  Wash walls and trim as needed.
10. Wash mirrors or dust art.
11. Wash doors and doorknobs.
12. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.
13. Sweep and wash floor or vacuum.

BATHROOMS

1. Open windows
2. Empty all cabinets and vanity.  Wash inside, replace items neatly.  Discard expired medications and cosmetics.
3. Wash outside of cabinets and vanities
4. Clean tub.
5. Clean toilet, inside and out. 
6. Clean sink and drain.
7. Shine faucets.
8. Clean mirror and frame .
9. Dust light fixtures. 
10. Wash windows and window sills. Take out and wash window screens.
11. Wash switch plates.  wash walls and trim.  Wash doors and door knobs.
12. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.
13.  Sweep and wash floors.  
14. Reseal grout lines if necessary.

KITCHEN

1. Open windows.
2. Remove and clean window coverings.  
3. For each cabinet or drawer: Remove items, wipe out drawer, place items back neatly.  Donate unneeded items.
4. Wash and sanitize cutting boards
5. Sharpen knives
6. Wash cabinet doors and knobs
7. Clean and organize pantry.  Check food expiry dates.
8. Clean oven.
9. Clean stove top. 
10. Clean and organize fridge and freezer.  Defrost freezer, if necessary.  Check food expiry dates.
11. Clean under fridge and stove.
12. Vacuum refrigerator coils.
13. Clean microwave.
14. Clean crumbs out of toaster.
15. Clean and descale kettle.
16. Wipe down any other counter appliances
17. wash counters and back splash.
18. Wash and shine sink.  Shine faucet. Clean drain.
19. Clean Dishwasher.
20. Dust light fixtures.
21. Wash windows and window sills.  Remove window screens and wash.
22. Wash switch plates.  
23. Wash walls and trim as needed.
24. Wash doors and door knobs.
25. Wash floor registers and other vent covers
26. Sweep and wash floor.  
27. Reseal grout lines, if necessary.

DINING ROOM

1. Open windows.
2. Wash curtains.
3. Wipe down table and chairs.
4. Wipe down or dust other furnishing.
5. Polish table, if necessary
6. Create a pretty spring vignette on table!
7. Launder table linens.
8. Shine silverware.
9. Dust art.
10. Wash windows and window sills.  Take out and wash window screens.
11. Wash switch plates
12. Wash walls and trim.
13. Wash doors and door knobs
14. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.
15. Clean floors.

LIVING ROOM/ FAMILY ROOM/ PLAYROOM

1. Open windows.
2. Vacuum sofas.
3. Spot clean sofas, if applicable.
4. Launder throw pillows and blankets.
5. Dust shelves, furniture and decor.
6. Clean lamps and lampshades.
7. Wash windows and window sills.
8. Take out and wash window screens.
9. Clean television screen.
10. Carefully dust electronics.
11. Tidy electronics wires.  Tuck nicely out of sight.  Label them, if practical.
12. Sort through music and DVD collections. 
13. Sort books and magazines. 
14. Wash switch plates.
15. Wash walls and trim as needed.
16. Wash doors and knobs.
17. Wash vent covers.
18. Clean floors.

LAUNDRY ROOM

1. Wash cabinet doors.
2. Wash inside cabinets.
3. Wash laundry sink.  Shine faucet.  Clean drains.
4. Wash outside of washer and dryer.
5. Wash inside of washing machine.
6. Wash lint trap with soap and water to remove filmy build-up from laundry soaps and dryer sheets. Let air dry thoroughly before putting back in place.
7. Wash switch plates.
8. Wash walls and trim.
9. Wash doors and door knobs.
10. Wash floor registers and other vent covers.
11. sweep and wash floors. 
12. Reseal grout lines, if applicable. 

OUTSIDE

1. Sweep porches and walkway.
2. Wash thresholds.
3. Wash exterior doors.  Give front door a fresh coat of paint, if necessary.
4. Clean or replace welcome mat.
5. Wash siding.

So that is the plan, I will for sure take you along as I go, starting with today where I'm tackling the Foyer. 

I would love to hear from you, do you spring clean, do you stick to a certain list, what are your thoughts on this old tradition?