Spring has sprung! This season of fresh starts is the perfect time to give your home a good, thorough cleaning. Why spring? It doesn’t just feel good to leave winter behind and start the new season with a clean slate. Spring cleaning clears out dirt, dust, and allergens that have been building up in your home and keeps invading pollen in check. Despite our best intentions, many of us are missing the mark on making the most of our annual deep clean. Believe it or not, when it comes to spring cleaning basics, you’re doing it wrong!
How can you clean up your spring cleaning act? Check yourself against our list of spring cleaning basics to see how you stack up.
1. Clean the Air
If you’re deep cleaning to ease your allergies, good job! Eliminating dust, pollen, mold, and pet dander definitely makes a difference. But if you’re using harsh chemicals, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Many chemical cleaners actually worsen indoor air quality, increasing your risk of asthma attacks and chronic respiratory illness. Stick to natural cleaners to keep your home—and your air—clean.
2. Get Every Inch
Don’t cheat on spring cleaning basics! Are you skimping when it comes to cleaning surfaces? Move every book, vase, lamp, and knick-knack to clean under and behind them. Then give each item a thorough wipe down. If you don’t, dust and grime will lurk in the shadows and in all those little nooks and crannies. And that leaves you with the knowledge that you haven’t achieved the deep clean your home deserves.
3. Refresh All of Your Bedding
A key part of spring cleaning basics is refreshing your bedding. And that means ALL of your bedding, from the sheets and blankets to your bedspread or duvet, decorative pillows and covers, bed skirt or mattress cover, and mattress pad. Kill pesky dust mites with just 10 minutes in a hot dryer or by washing in water that’s at least 266ºF, for pieces that can tolerate the heat. Give your mattress a deep clean, too, with a vacuum, damp cloth wipe down, and steam clean. You’ll sleep better at night—literally!—knowing your entire bed is fresh and clean.
4. Start at the Top
Where do you start when you clean? It’s not just a key part of spring cleaning basics, it’s a key part of cleaning, period. When you clean, start at the top and work your way down. Ceiling level before eye level, furniture before floors. As you clean, you’ll eventually pick up cast-off dust and dirt that’s fallen. If you don’t start at the top, that extra dust that falls off your ceiling fan will ruin all your hard work down below.
5. Wipe Windows and Walls
Don’t forget windows as well as walls, which are often overlooked. Dirt, dust, and grime stick to walls. Blinds and curtains need to be refreshed. Clean curtains as you would your bedding, and give blinds a top-to-bottom vacuum or wipe down. Finally, tackle your windows. Clean those sills, inside and out, and all the places where dirt collects, like around the lock. And don’t clean your windows in direct sun, which can lead to streaks. Find the shine on your windows so you can enjoy your view of all the beauty spring has to offer.
Spring Cleaning Basics Are on Our Mind at Carnation
Treat your home a thorough deep cleaning by the pros this spring. At Carnation Home Cleaning, we use only eco-friendly cleaning products that are safe for people, pets, and our environment. Family owned since 1991, we’re 100% committed to helping you keep your home clean and germ-free. Contact us today for a free estimate.
