Spring Cleaning Checklist

Yes, it’s that time again.

Spring has arrived and you’re looking around your home wondering how this dusty, thick layer of ick has gathered in just a few short winter months.

Regardless of how it got there, we’ll help you get rid of it with this spring cleaning tips guide and checklist room by room.

Kitchen Cleaning Tips

Let’s start in the heart of the home—the kitchen. And we’re going to hit the places first that you don’t clean on a daily basis.

Empty all contents of your refrigerator and freezer and place in cooler. Power off your fridge and prop the doors open to get the chill off the inside (ceramic parts and glass shelves in your fridge could crack if they’re too cold when you try to clean them with hot water.) In a quart of hot water, mix 2 tablespoons baking soda with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Remove drawers and shelves where possible and scrub with cleaning solution. Wipe all other surfaces inside fridge and freezer and allow to dry.

Next, onto the oven. Remove the inside racks and scrub them with soapy water and steel wool pads. The rest of the oven can be cleaned by warming it slightly (to around 200°.) Once heated to 200, shut off oven and scrub with soapy water while wearing long rubber protective gloves. There are several commercial cleaners that can assist in this process, but watch the fumes. Make sure you clean your oven on a day that you can open the windows and allow a breeze through your kitchen.

For the microwave, heat a bowl of water with lemon juice to boiling, which will help loosen any stuck-on food particle gunk. Next, clean or scrub with hot sudsy water.

Give your cabinets a fresh face. Sometimes the doors of your cabinets can gather a film due to grease and dust. The best method for removing this gunk is good old fashioned soap and water—warm water and dishwashing liquid, to be specific. Wipe with a clean cloth and allow to dry with windows open. This technique can be used inside drawers and on shelves as well.

Finally, wash windows and window treatments and sweep and mop floors.

Bathroom Cleaning Tips

With a broom covered in a clean cloth (and a spritz of all-purpose cleaner) sweep the walls of your bathroom to remove dust and cob webs. Bathroom walls can obviously sustain moisture (as they hold up to your daily steamy shower), so don’t be afraid to wipe your walls free of grime and product residue. Spray a moist, clean cloth with an all-purpose cleaner and get to work.

Spray your favorite commercial cleaner or a solution of baking soda and vinegar on your shower and tub and allow to work its magic for 20 minutes while you go on to another task. Then, while donning your long rubber gloves, scrub away all of the soap residue and rinse with hot water. Repeat if necessary.

Scrub toilets, clean mirrors and toss rugs into washing machine. Floors should be cleaned with a hot bucket of water and all-purpose cleaner. Allow floor to dry thoroughly before replacing rugs.

Living Room & Bedrooms Cleaning Tips

Most of the other rooms in your home can be addressed in a similar fashion. Wipe walls free of dust and cob webs. With a moist, cloth lightly sprayed with all-purpose cleaner, wipe down ceiling fan blades. You can also use a long-handled microfiber duster for fan blades, which also works great for tops of cabinets, entertainment centers and bookcases. Vacuum carpets or clean your hardwoods or laminates and wipe down baseboards. Now would be an excellent time to shampoo your carpets. If you feel you have your work cut out for you tackling the rest of the house, get a bid from a professional service. Dust all surfaces. Clean windows and wipe down window sills. Wash throw blankets, curtains or other fabrics that can be tossed in the washing machine. Open all the windows of your home and allow it to breathe. “Agh…”

Use these spring cleaning tips as a general template for working your way through your home and tackling key areas of spring cleaning. We’lll get our hands dirty with some nitty gritty projects in later posts.

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard services the greater metro area (Illinois, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, St. Louis County, and many more). Woodard is proud to serve as the preferred provider for cleaning & restoration services. Our cleaning services include carpet, hard surface, furniture, and rug cleaning for both residential and commercial properties. We also provide water, fire, board-up, storm and smoke restoration services for residential and commercial clients. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at (314) 227-3932.

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Updated 3/29/2015