Spring Cleaning for Homes & Camp Openings

After the cooler temperatures of winter are over, you may want to refresh your home to be ready for the warmer temperatures of spring. Spring cleaning is a time honored way to shake out the cobwebs, both physically and mentally, to prepare your home for a more active season of outdoor fun and summer entertaining.

Kitchen Cabinets

The chances are you spent the cool months of winter indoors, reading, enjoying hobbies and cooking hearty meals for the family. Your kitchen cabinets may show the results of these meals, with a buildup of cooking grease and dirt. Wood cabinets need special care to remove dirt and grease from the graining and to prevent swelling and damage from moisture. A high-quality cabinet cleaner in a cream form can do a good job of removing dirt while protecting the wood surface.

Windows

Keeping windows closed during the cooler months can allow dirt, grime and grease to settle on the surface, leaving a cloudy, sticky mess. You can remove this film with a commercial window cleaner, or you can do it like your great granny used to do it, with a vinegar solution and newspaper used as a cleaning cloth. Then, you can enjoy the beautiful outdoors through your sparkling, clear windowpanes.

Flooring

Carpets and flooring can become full of dust and dirt carried in on shoes and clothing. Give your carpeting a thorough shampooing for the spring, so that it will be ready to welcome your guests for summer entertaining. Wood floors should be swept and given a light coat of a wood product recommended by the manufacturer. Ceramic tile is easy to keep clean, but the grout lines may collect dirt and stains. Oxygen bleach will help to clean and whiten grout lines. Vinyl tile should get a good cleaning with household cleaner and water.

Appliances

Stainless steel appliance surfaces can be a particular challenge because every surface is a little different. Some types may streak more than others, they often require trying a number of different products to find the cleaner that produces the best results. The manufacturer will usually recommend a particular product. Some of these cleaners can be pricey, so use sparingly and buff well after cleaning to achieve the best result.

Bathroom Tile

Giving your bathroom tile walls and floors a good scrubbing can instantly make your indoor environment feel more pleasant. A number of commercial cleaners are on the market to help make removing soap scum and mildew easier. Scrubbing grout lines with an oxygen bleach solution will both whiten them and disinfect the surface. Give the room a thorough airing to remove cleaner odors and freshen the room.

Draperies

Lighter fabric curtains should be removed and laundered. Heavy drapes should be taken down and sent to the cleaners to get rid of dirt and indoor pollutants that can deteriorate the fabric.

Furniture

Give upholstered furniture a thorough vacuuming and shampoo the material, if needed. Many home carpet shampoo machines offer an upholstery attachment that can do a good job if you’re inclined to do it yourself. If this sounds like too much hassle, call a carpet and upholstery cleaning company to take care of the task for you.

Closets

Spring is a good time to go through closets and remove clothing that no longer fits or looks out of style. Bag up your discards and take them to a donation center to help them raise money for their good work.