Spring Cleaning Tips

Come spring and the birds are in the air, green leaves and flowers on the trees and you certainly want your home to blend with the cheerful welcoming air of the season. Here are a few tips and techniques to help you on your mission - spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning chores

Firstly, set apart time for cleaning your living room, bedrooms, kitchen, dining room and bathrooms so you can get to work methodically. Each area requires a different set of tools and techniques to be cleaned effectively and easily.

Start from the attic or the rooms at the top and then work your way down. Tackle the difficult tasks and the biggest, most cluttered rooms first. Similarly when you dust or wipe bookshelves or cupboards, start at the top and work down.

Hoarding things we don't need is probably something most of us do. The first step to spring cleaning is getting rid of unwanted clutter from each of the rooms. Separate the useful items and the redundant ones, the items to be stored and put away.

If you are emotionally attached to an item or it holds some sentimental value although it is not functionally useful, you can try storing it and if you find you no longer need it you can dispose it.

Separate the clutter into items to be given away to charity such as old clothes and items to be disposed of permanently. You can even have a garage sale to give away items of value and make a few bucks out of it!

Dispose off broken or damaged articles and old or undersized clothes. Clear out your medicine cabinet by disposing of medicines beyond their expiry date.

Remember to clean the areas you've long neglected, like under your television set or your bookshelves which are sure to gather dust. This is an essential spring cleaning process!

Once you've carried out these five initial steps, you will find that you have freed up a lot of space. It will now be easier to get your home clean and organized.

Cleaning materials and techniques

Fresh lemon juice, water and baking soda are effective cleaning agents and can work on the toughest stains especially the ones in your kitchen. Alternatively you can buy cleaning solutions or detergents that leave a nice scent on your kitchen surfaces and floors.

• Buy storage containers and garbage disposal bags. A few containers to help you segregate the things you use on a regular basis and sparingly will help you store them accordingly.
  
  
• Space bags that help you compress your heavy blankets and winter clothes will make more space for other things.
  
  
• Get your vacuum cleaner, dust bags, garden tools and other materials you need for your spring cleaning together before you start to save time.
  
  
• To get your carpet smelling fresh leave a dusting of baking soda on the carpet overnight.
  
  
• Use one cleaning product at a time. Mixing two solutions that don't complement each other may give you a toxic solution.
  
  
• A mixture of Ammonia, baking soda and white vinegar will help you clean the walls and interiors of your home.
  
  
• A mixture of fuller's earth, cleaning liquid and corn starch blended into a paste can help remove grease stains if left on overnight and dusted in the morning.
  
  
• White vinegar can effectively clean glass windows and shower doors.
  
  
• Kerosene can help you discover a gleaming set of tiles!
  
  
• Artificial flowers can be cleaned by putting them in a plastic bag and adding a few spoons of salt. Shake the bag vigorously and you will find that the salt has absorbed all the dust from your flowers.
  
  
• The mold and soap residues in your bathroom can be disintegrated by spraying a mixture of baking soda and water on the residues.
  
  
• Use two capfuls of Listerine to kill the germs in your toilet.
  

Outdoor spring cleaning

Come spring and you might just want to laze on a hammock tied across your garden. You might want to spend some quality time in the great outdoors! Here are some tips to keep the outdoors as clean as the insides of your home.

You can start cleaning your garden by removing the dead plants and weeds. Remove the dead leaves and put them in your compost pit if you have one.

Clean the gutters thoroughly and with the help of a ladder, wash and clean your windows.

Clean out your garage as it is likely that you have stored most of your unwanted stuff there.

Rake and shovel your garden and prepare it for an ideal summer garden.

Old newspapers can be used to clean windows. Window sills can be cleaned with diluted alcohol.

You can use a water hose to wash off the dust and dirt on the walls outside the house.

A mixture of vinegar and water to clean your walls will help them regain the sheen they had earlier.

Leave a spray of oxalic acid solution on your deck for half an hour. This will help remove the surface dirt. Wear gloves and protect your eyes while spraying on the solution.

Avoid using bleach to clean wood surfaces. Stay away from fungicide as well; as these materials tend to eat up the wood, while oxalic acid solution helps maintain the wood's pH value.

Use a scrub brush and a hose to clean plastic chairs.

Remove cobwebs on your furniture with a wet cloth before you apply a cleaning solution to them.

Keep cleaning as and when you come across a dusty surface. Remember the new dust is easier to remove than the older dust. Complete the bigger tasks first before you come down to the miniscule details. Try to use natural products as much as possible. Planning is the key to effective spring cleaning. Prepare a check list and schedule your cleaning activities before you begin. Your home will be ready and spruced up for spring in a matter of days!