You know that feeling you get when you come home from work to a clean kitchen with no dirty dishes from the night before? Feels good, right? Now imagine having that feeling but about your whole house. But spring cleaning is necessary for more than just that good feeling; it’s important for general upkeep and prevention of further wear, tear, and damage of things in your home. Spring cleaning might seem like an overwhelming task, so here are 16 things you can start your deep cleaning with.
Doormats
The purpose of a doormat is to trap dirt, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it needs to be cleaned. For outdoor doormats, spray them down outside with the garden hose and let them dry in the sun. For indoor doormats, just use the vacuum to give them a good clean.
Windows
Wait to clean your windows on an overcast day to prevent the sun from drying the cleaner too quickly and leaving streaks behind. For the glass, use a glass cleaner paired with a microfiber cloth to prevent streaks. Then wipe down the window sills and the inside of the window with a damp cloth (dipped in diluted cleaner or soap) to clean away any grime built up from rain, dirt, and bugs.
Curtains and Blinds
Curtains have a few cleaning options:
-Use a vacuum to go over them and remove dust.
-If they can safely go through the washing machine, throw them in for a warm wash.
-If they’re dryer safe, throw them in the dryer with a damp towel on the air fluff (no heat) cycle for 15 minutes. The damp towel will attract the dust and pull it away from the dry curtains.Blinds are much easier: simply dust with a duster or microfiber cloth.
Kitchen Sink
While you should regularly clean your kitchen sink, something often overlooked is the garbage disposal. Run a few pieces of thinly sliced the lemon peels through the disposal followed by cold water.
Granite Counter Tops
To clean granite countertops, use a gentle cleaner for an over all wipe down. Don’t use bleach or vinegar on granite, even on stains. Frequent use of acid based solutions could dull and weaken the sealant.
To remove stains from granite, make a paste with baking soda and water. Spread a layer of the paste over the stain and gently scrub with a soft cloth. It might take a couple attempts for a tough stain. You might need to let the paste sit for a day or two until it dries completely, and then wipe it away.
No matter how well you maintain your granite counter top, it will need resealing every 2-4 years. But don’t try to DIY it. It’s best to leave this job to the professionals to ensure your countertop is kept in top condition.
Microwave
We’ve all let the microwave go a little bit longer without a cleaning than it probably needs. And even if you use a cover to prevent splattering, it still somehow manages to end up with a layer of grime.
To clean: Place half a lemon in a microwave safe bowl with a cup of water and a couple tables spoons of vinegar. Microwave for about two and a half minutes or until the microwave is steamy. Carefully remove the bowl, and wipe down the inside of the microwave. The warmed/boiling water creates steam, leaving a layer of moisture throughout the microwave, softening any gunk clinging to it.
Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets can get dirtier than you think. Between dust and oil splatters during cooking, you’ll find a layer of grime on most of your cabinets. Give them a good wipe down with some soapy water. (Keep in mind the kind of cabinets you have, and be sure to use a gentle cleaner that works best for that type.)
Grocery Bags
Grime builds up over time as you bring them to the grocery store, fill them up with food, and then repeat again the following week. For cloth bags, turn them inside out and throw them in the washing machine. Check the tags for which ones can go in the dryer, and hang dry the ones that cannot.
For not washer safe bags, wipe them down with a disinfectant and leave out to dry.
Cutting Boards
While cutting boards are washed regularly, they can still build up smells over the course of time. Remember that lemon you cut in half to clean the microwave? Rub the other half of the lemon across your cutting boards to give them a refresh and remove food stains and smells. For extra cleaning power, sprinkle the cutting board with salt or baking soda first.
Fridge
You don’t realize how dirty your fridge is until you give it a good look. Remove drawers and other removable parts and wash with hot soapy water. Wipe down the rest of the fridge with a disinfectant, removing any bacteria and built up food gunk.
To keep your fridge smelling fresh you can use a–you guessed it–half a lemon! Place the lemon half in a little bowl that holds it upright and sprinkle with baking soda. Place the bowl in your fridge, and enjoy the fresh smell for a few days.
Oven
If your oven has a self cleaning method, set it and let it run. If it doesn’t, there are a few tricks you can try to remove stubborn burnt food. Place a hot,wet cloth on top of any stains or hard to remove messes and leave it for a while to soften. You can also try sprinkling with baking soda for some extra grit when trying to scrub away the bits. Wipe down afterwards with a disinfectant (1:1 of vinegar and water works perfectly).
Ceiling Fans
Out of sight, out of mind. If you look up at your ceiling fans, I’m sure you’ll be impressed by the amount of dust they’ve gathered. Dust using an extendable duster or a secure step ladder and a regular duster or cloth. Just make sure you vacuum underneath afterwards to pick up the dust you just dropped down.
Vacuum
Yes, even the vacuum–the device with the purpose of cleaning–needs cleaning. Take apart the vacuum and wash the detachable parts, especially the filter.
To clean the head of the vacuum, pull out any bits you can by hand. Use scissors or seam ripper to cut and remove any caught threads.
Closet
This may be a spring cleaning project to tackle on it’s own separate day. Sort through your clothes (and, let’s be honest, whatever else is lurking in your closet). Figure out what is too stained to re-wear, what needs repairs, and what is too small or too large to wear any more. Sort into piles, then, take care of those piles as needed over the next few days.
Junk Drawer
Everyone has one: a junk drawer, box, or closet. Whatever it is, go through it. Put things back where they belong. Throw out plastic bits you’ve been hanging on to for years that you’re pretty sure goes to something but you’ve never remembered what.
The items that go back in the drawer because they live there–pens, rubber bands, scissors–use small bowls and dishes to organize them. Try to keep your drawer organized whenever you use it so you don’t have to spend time on an annual purge.
Old Furniture
The twenty year old couch in the basement. The nightstand with the broken leg. The old but still usable kitchen table and chairs that have been sitting in the garage for a few months. Make a list of what needs to go and how: to donation, to be fixed, to be thrown out completely. And follow up on relocating all these things in the next few days before you forget and are back to square one next year.
Once you’ve gone through all of this, you’ll have bags, boxes, and furniture that need to be taken to charities or hauled away for recycling. Rather than spending hours or days driving around dropping everything off, call your local junk removal company, Moving U & Junk U, to take care of this for you in one fell swoop. You’ve done a lot of hard work spring cleaning; let us handle the rest.
3 Steps For Quick & Easy Spring Cleaning Junk & Donation Pick Up:
Get Your Price
Our all inclusive pricing is volume based. Tell us what you need removed, and we’ll give you an estimate. Because our junk removal is volume based, we may not be able to give you the final price until we see everything in person. Bags of clothing can vary in size as well as couches and dining tables. We’ll always give you the range we believe it will fall into before coming out so you can be sure our price will work for your budget.
Schedule Your Spring Cleaning Pick Up
We know you probably want the clutter from your spring cleaning spree removed as soon as possible, so we’ll always try to accommodate with same or next day service. But even if you’re planning removal for a month from now, give us a call, text, or email. We’ll schedule your spring cleaning removal so you don’t have to worry about it.
Say Goodbye To Your Clutter
Our friendly Junk Removal crew will give you a call half an hour before your arrival window to let you know what time you should expect them. They’re also trained movers, so they can safely remove whatever it is you need removed from your home. Wherever it is–basement, attic, the shed outside–we’ll remove it from there. You won’t have to lift a finger (except maybe to show us where the junk is located.)
If you have additional items you want to get rid of that you forgot to mention, like old paint cans, television, or mattress, you can let us know when we arrive. We’ll give you an updated final price before getting started with your removal.
To get your free estimate, give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com.
