10 Spring Cleaning Tips with Blain’s Farm and Fleet
By Kristin Mickelson, Blain’s Farm and Fleet
It’s spring cleaning time, but no need to be overwhelmed. Just follow our 10 Spring Cleaning Tips and take one task at a time. Remember, a good spring cleaning helps keep your home more organized, cleaner and more manageable throughout the year which gives you more time to relax and enjoy your family.
- Start at the top and work your way down. Wipe down all walls and ceilings. Simply remove any cobwebs with an Unger Cob Web Duster or your vacuum attachment, moisten a cleaning cloth with warm water mixed with a little vinegar and wipe. Unger Microfiber Cloth 6 Packs are great for cleaning multiple rooms.
- Clean your window treatments. This is one of the most commonly missed areas and a task that is regularly low on the housekeeping list are window treatments. The curtains look decorative and pretty all year round and we don’t realize how much dust, dirt, pet hair and cobwebs they actually collect. Blinds can be cleaned with an all-purpose cleaning cloth and a cleaning spray for either plastic or wood, depending on the material. All pins and hooks should be removed from draperies and cleaned by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Dust ceiling fans, cabinet tops and display shelves. On a daily basis, the majority of people really only clean what’s at eye level. But sometimes we will need to drag out that step-stool and get those hard to reach places. Don’t forget to dust and clean the kitchen cabinet tops, tops of tall armoires’, china cabinets, book shelves and of course ceiling fans. Products such as the Unger Microfiber Ceiling Fan Duster will help make cleaning ceiling fans a cinch!
- Now for the kitchen. Because everyone tends to gather around the kitchen, the cleanliness can cause a major headache every day. Start with some easier tasks that can be taken care of on their own, such as setting your oven to self-clean. While the oven cleans itself for the next couple hours, you have plenty of time to clear out the pantry, cabinets and fridge of any old food, crumbs or little spills. Reorganize by placing the most commonly used items in the front for easy reach. Lastly, wipe down the counters, appliances and finish with the floors.
- Tackle your tub and clean the bathroom. You probably do this on a regular basis but now’s the time to go above and beyond the weekly wipe down. For a good cleaning, you’re going to want to remove the toilet seat so you can clean around the bolts and clean the whole bowl with Clorox Bleach Foamer Bathroom Cleaner. Start in the tub with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Duo and get the tough to clean stains and build up. You can also bleach and wax the tub if needed to get a deep clean. For shower glass, use Windex Original Glass Cleaner, this will help prevent soap scum build-up and leave your shower doors streak-free! Be sure to check the grout or caulking around the sinks and tubs to prevent against any leaks. To maximize space in your medicine cabinet, properly discard of any only medication, make up, skin care, hair or body care products.
- If you’re wondering about when and where you bought half the stuff in your closet, then it’s time to clean it out. As a good rule of thumb, get rid of anything that does not fit or that you haven’t worn in a year. Rather than just throwing it away, donate it. For items you just can’t seem to let go of, try a Rubbermaid Roughneck Storage Box to help free up space in your closet and put it away.
- A safe home is a happy home. Do a walkthrough of your house and make sure all the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working with the “self-test” and that they have good batteries. If it’s time to replace either the smoke or carbon monoxide detector, Blain’s Farm and Fleet sells a two-in-one combo device such as the Kidde DC Intelligent Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detector. Make sure you have a Kidde Fire Extinguisher on each floor of your house and garage. Also, don’t forget to have back up batteries for clocks and flashlights as well.
- Wax and polish your wood floors and furniture. Who wants the warm woods that accent their home appearing dry, dull and brittle? Nobody! Old English Lemon Furniture Spray is just great for bringing your wood back to life. The moisture from the polish keeps wood looking rich and glossy. Wax keeps the wood sealed and protected from dirt and scratches. Together, you can keep those floors looking like new.
- Whether you want to call a professional or do it yourself, you’ll need to clean those carpets. Cleaning your carpet removes unwanted signs of foot traffic such as stains, spills and dirt. Professional companies can be a bit expensive but do a good, quick deep clean. If you want to do it yourself, a good steam carper cleaner such as the Bissell DeepClean Essential Carpet Cleaner and Bissell 2X Ultra Deep Clean & Protect Concentrate with Scotchgard will be a great duo to tackle this task. If you plan to do this yourself, purchasing your own carpet cleaner will save you a lot of money in the long run and will give you the option to clean your carpets on a more regular basis.
- Now that the inside of your home is spotless, let’s move outside. For a complete spring cleaning job, deep clean the exterior of your home with a pressure washer. Don’t be intimidated, pressure washers like the Briggs & Stratton 2200 PSI Gas Pressure Washer which is designed to be consumer friendly. This will help clean your siding, fence or driveway to help enhance curb appeal. A deep pressure washing is sure to make you feel completely satisfied and proud of a Spring Cleaning job well done!
Stop into any Blain’s Farm & Fleet for all your Spring Cleaning needs, inside and out!
