Your Spring Cleaning Guide

The melting snow and warmer weather can only mean one thing when it comes to your home – time for spring cleaning! Whether you’re the neat freak of the neighbourhood or you dread cleaning out old closets, here are a few tips to help get you through it so you can get back to enjoying the sun.

• Dust collects everywhere, particularly on your curtains. Clean them with a sticky lint roller, or if they need a bit more TLC, run them through the air fluff cycle on your dryer with a damp towel for about fifteen minutes. While the curtains are in the dryer, grab a microfiber cloth and give all your blinds a quick wipe. After that, grab an old pillowcase and dust off the tops of your fan blades by inserting the blade into the closed fabric. By using the pillowcase, all of the dust will fall into it rather than all over the floor.
• Get ready to throw open those windows and let the spring air inside, but not until they’ve been cleaned. Use a damp cloth to wash out the space between the screen and the windows – dust, dirt and even bug colonies set up camp in these spaces. While you’re focused on the windows, grab a small chunk of carpeting and give the screens a good scrub.
• Now that winter hibernation is over, move your furniture around so you can sweep, vacuum and steam clean the floors underneath them. An annual steam clean can do wonders if anyone suffers from allergies while also keeping your home looking fresh.

Next, we move into the kitchen:

• Fill a spray bottle with 50 per cent rubbing alcohol and 50 per cent water to clean chrome, glass or stainless-steel surfaces. Use a dry cloth to polish and clean the surfaces to remove water spots and fingerprints.
• The fridge always needs some attention. Clean out all expired food and empty out that container from November you’ve been avoiding. To really get the fridge sparkling again, use a mixture of salt and soda water. The combination of the bubbly soda water and the abrasive texture of salt make for a great cleaner.

Now don’t forget about the bathroom:

• Mineral deposits on your shower head can shorten its lifespan. A mixture of vinegar and water can help break through these in no time. Clean the bathroom tiles with a healthy spray of cleaner and let stand while you clean the rest of the bathroom.

Last but not least, the bedroom:

• Air out your comforter and pillows by sprinkling a mix of baking soda and lavender on your mattress, vacuuming it off a few hours later. This will help keep bacteria away while also making your mattress smell fresh and new.

Start with these basics when it comes to spring cleaning, and perhaps you’ll fall in love with taking care of your home all year round.