Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Spring Cleaning 101 | Family Economics
By Tanna Clark
Spring is just around the corner and so is warmer weather. Put on your favorite tunes and get your cleaning gear, it’s time to start spring cleaning!
Create a cleaning kit that you can easily carry around with you. Use a bucket or container with a handle that is easy to carry and keep all your supplies together. Grab towels, cleaning products, a toothbrush for those hard-to-reach places, sponges or whatever your favorite supplies may be. We all have a few of our favorites. Keep a small notebook on hand for taking notes. As you spring clean you will come across places in your home that might need a few minor repairs or touch ups. You will want to jot those down.
Do a quick declutter. Before you start cleaning make a run through the house with a laundry basket. Pick up anything that is out of place and put it in the basket. Distribute those items in the rooms in which they belong as you work your way through the house. This will leave you with clear surfaces for easy cleaning.
Tackle bathrooms at the same time. Get the dreaded tasks over with. My least favorite places to clean are the bathrooms so I get them all out of the way first. Go to each bathroom and spray down all the surfaces with your favorite bathroom cleaner By the time you go back to the first bathroom it will be wipe-down ready. I usually start in the shower and work my way out of the bathroom from top to bottom.
Move from room to room. Now, there are many ways to spring clean and you will find your own groove once you get started. I personally like to tackle one room at a time. I like to get one room completely finished before I move to the next so I don’t leave a task unfinished or get sidetracked.
Work from top to bottom and inside to out. When doing the big spring clean I work from top to bottom in each room saving the vacuuming for last. I start by checking for spider webs along the ceiling and then working my way down the wall. I clear off each shelf as I dust. You may prefer to clear all shelves ahead of time. However, if I have to stop for any reason I prefer not to have everything out. Continue dusting the room from top to bottom and don’t forget those ceiling fans!
Don’t make spring-cleaning a chore you loathe. Have fun and dance a little. Think of it as a workout; after all you are burning calories while cleaning!