CLUTTER CULPRIT
SPRING CLEANING
Help!
Pretty soon it wil be time to think about spring cleaning. So what do you think? Do we really need to do all that work? In the olden days, it was absolutely necessary each spring to clean off the coating of grease and grime left by the lamps, candles, wood- burning stoves, and fireplaces.
Today we have lovely heating and cooling systems so we don't have the kind of buildup that requires a major cleaning all at one time. Instead, it's perfectly OK to stagger cleaning throughout the year. You can tackle one room each week or one area each month.
However, there are still plenty of us who like the idea of once each year getting the house in near-perfect shape - at least for a few days. Everything is clean and looks wonderful. When you open the windows and let in the fresh air your spirits soar.
If some of you guys don't quite get the spring cleaning thing, ask yourself how you feel after you've cleaned and washed the inside and outside of your car, van, truck, or boat - it looks terrific and you feel great!
If you really want to give your home a major cleaning, you might be wondering if you can fit it into your busy schedule. Can you do something about it? Let's do it! You just need a plan.
The first part of the plan is SCHEDULE IT.
Put spring cleaning on the calendar and treat it like a doctor's appointment - you don't want to but you're just gonna do it.
- Do it all in one weekend.
- Clean the upstairs this weekend and the main floor next weekend.
- Tackle one room each week.
A thorough cleaning will take two to three days. You can choose what will work best for you. For example:
The next part of the plan is ORGANIZE IT.
Follow these four steps to help you get organized.
- Dishwashing soap, laundry detergent
- Multipurpose cleaner, heavy-duty degreasing cleaner
- Glass cleaner, mild oil soap for cleaning wood
- Oven cleaner, nonabrasive sink cleaner
- Toilet bowl cleaner, tub and tile cleaner
- Furniture wax and polish
- Brass and silver polish
- Carpet spot remover, carpet cleaner
- Dust cloths or chemically treated dust clothes
- Long-handled mop
- Broom and dust pan
- Mop and bucket
- Toilet bowl brush
- Sponges, scouring pads, scrub brushes, old toothbrush for cleaning grout
- Paper towels, trash bags
- Vacuum with attachments
- Step stool
- Head scarf
- Rubber gloves
- Goggles (when spraying cleansers that could irritate your eyes)
- Knee pads or a kneeling pad
- Comfortable old clothes
- Upstairs: bedrooms, office or sewing room, hallway, linen closet, bathroom.
- Main floor: foyer, living room, family room, dining room, den or library, bathroom, kitchen.
- Many people consider spring cleaning to be only cleaning. Others, including myself, figure that as long as we're there, we might as well do a little reorganizing. It adds a few extra hours but seems really worth it to me.
- Caution! Don't stop to organize all your business papers, you can look forward to doing that at a future date. Instead, fix up all the household items you use on a daily basis. As needed, organize your clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, games, office supplies, tools, grooming products, and bathroom and kitchen equipment and supplies.
- What about the basement, garage, and attic? You'll be happy to know that these areas usually aren't included in a spring cleaning because they are basically storage areas. The same goes for special areas such as an exercise room or workshop. Tackle these another time. Use all of the same tips, though, to help you get started.
- Have your cleaning caddy and vaccum on the same floor so you don't have to run up and down the stairs.
- Turn on some music or listen to the radio.
- Do a quick clutter pickup. Pull out items that belong in other rooms and leave them piled up in the hall to be put away later.
- Get some projects started then move on to another chore. For example, put items such as curtains, rugs, slip covers, or the shower curtain in the washer, turn on the oven's automatic cleaner, or put a soaking solution in the toilet bowl. Then start washing the windows or cleaning a cupboard.
- Start on one side of the room and clean and organize as much as you can before moving on. Try not to run back and forth. It wastes time and wears you down. You need to conserve your energy!
1ST STEP: SET UP A SUPPLY DEPOT
Keep supplies in a cupboard, cleaning caddy, or plastic bucket. Supplies that you might use include some of the following.
Cleansers
Special Cleaning Products
Sprucing-Up Supplies
Protective Gear
2ND STEP: ADVANCED PLANNING
Work from top to bottom in the house and in each room. Also, clean from dry to wet, which means that the bathroom and kitchen will be our last stops.
Here's the plan
Organizing Options
3RD STEP: FOLLOW A ROUTINE
Concentrate on one room at a time and focus on cleaning only that room. Don't get
distracted and spend twenty minutes leafing through an old photo album you just discovered.
Ready, Set, Go
- Dust along the ceiling and corners, the ceiling lights, and the ceiling fans.
- Clean the walls or spots on the walls,dust or clean mirrors, pictures and frames, and wipe vents, light-switch plates, and doorknobs.
- Don't spray pictures because the liquid can leak in between the frame and ruin the picture. Instead wipe them with a damp cloth.
- Clean the curtains, blinds, windowsills, and ledges. Wash the screen and both sides of the windows.
- Leave some windows open for a while to let in the fresh air.
Start at the Top
- Dust or clean lamps, lamp shades, bowls, vases, artificial flowers, plant leaves, and knickknacks.
- Clean the bathroom and kitchen appliances and fixtures.
- When you're finished cleaning, quickly put away items that you've pulled from each room.
- Take out the trash.
- Last, sweep and wash the floors, and vacuum and wash the carpets.
Household Cleaning
- Pull off sofa cushions and gather up any coins and food. Vacuum the sofa and, if necessary, apply spot cleaner.
- Take books off the shelves and then dust both the shelves and the books before you put them back.
- Dust or wax the piano, chairs, coffee table, and desk.
- Clean the fireplace.
- Dust and clean appliances such as the TV, radio, CD player, telephone, and computer, and entertainment items such as books, CDs, DVDs, and videotapes.
- Dust the storage shelves for entertainment items and office supplies.
- OPTION - Add 1 to 2 Hours: Rearrange furniture and organize office supplies and entertainment items. Check for frayed cords or stray cords that could cause tripping.
4TH STEP: TIPS FOR EACH ROOM
For each area be sure to go through the 3rd Step: Follow a Routine, then use the following tips to help you with specific projects in each room.
Living Room, Family Room, Foyer - 2 to 4 Hours
- Wash curtains, the shower curtain, rug, and covers for the toilet bowl and seat. If necessary, buy a new shower liner.
- Clean the shower walls, tub and fixtures along with the shower door.
- Pull everything out of the medicine cabinet and clean the shelves and the mirror.
- Check for water streaks or spots on the walls and clean the sink and countertop.
- Clean the toilet.
- Put out fresh towels.
- OPTION - Add 1 to 2 Hours: Organize the medicine cabinet, bathroom cabinets and shelves, and the linen closet.
Bathroom - 1 Hour
- Strip the beds and rotate the mattresses - let them air out.
- Wash the mattress pads, blankets, comforters or bedspreads, and rugs. Clean pillows as recommended.
- Clear off closet shelves, dust the shelves, and straighten clothes.
- Make the bed with fresh linen.
- OPTION - Add 1 to 2 Hours: Organize the nightstand, dresser drawers, and clothes. Place off-season clothing in storage.
Bedrooms - 1 to 2 Hours
- Wash the curtains, chair covers, tablecloth, and rug.
- OPTION - Add 1 hour: Organize shelves and display items.
Dining Room - 1 Hour
- Wash the curtains, hot pads and gloves, and any rugs.
- Clean the refrigerator:
- Pull everything out and clean the inside of the refrigerator.
- Wipe the outside of the fridge, including the coils on the back and the water tray at the bottom. Clean the floor under the refrigerator.
- OPTION - Add 30 Minutes: Organize the food and contents.
- Clean the stove:
- Take everything out of the oven. Clean the stove, oven, burner covers, and spill catchers.
- Wash the sides and back of the stove as well as underneath.
- OPTION-Add 15 Minutes: Reorganize the stove drawer.
- Kitchen cabinets:
- Wash and wax the outside of the cabinets and drawers.
- OPTION - Add 1 to 2 Hours: Reorganize the cupboards, drawers, and shelves.
- Countertop and appliances:
- Remove everything and clean the counter.
- Scour the sink.
- Place ice cubes in the disposal to sharpen them and then add baking soda to freshen the unit.
- Clean the dishwasher, microwave, and coffeepot.
- Eliminate microwave odors by boiling lemon juice in the microwave.
- Wash the trash can and wastebaskets.
- OPTION - Add 30 Minutes: Rearrange the appliances on the countertop.
- Don't let problems build up. If you've just noticed a splotch on the kitchen wall or a cobweb in the hallway, fix it now.
- What are the household chores that really need to be done each week? Dishes, laundry, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom,taking out trash, watering indoor plants, and maintaining the yard and garden.
- As you do your cleaning each week, add on an extra half hour and do some mini-spring cleanings throughout the year. One week, clean out a crowded bathroom medicine cabinet. Another week, clean all the pictures on the walls or empty a bookshelf and give it a good dusting.
Kitchen - 2 to 3 Hours
What's the FINAL STEP?
Everything is looking great. Wouldn't it be nice to keep it that way? Now it’s time to SET UP A ROUTINE TO CONTROL CLUTTER AND CHAOS.
DAILY: Take 5 or 10 Minutes
WEEKLY OR MONTHLY: Take an Extra 30 Minutes
CLUTTER WRAP-UP
Spring cleaning is the type of thing that you think you should do but really don't want to do. I like to think of it as getting ready for summer. Get everything in shape and then have a wonderful, relaxing summer in your clean, fresh, beautiful, and organized home.
Stop by again on June 1. Next time let's talk about a few travel tips.
Best wishes,
Joyce