Do what you can while you’re trapped inside.
As fun as it is to dig through six feet of snow to get at my car, I often find that winter makes me feel more than a little blah. It isn’t just the fact that my skin forgot what moisture is; it’s that I’m stuck indoors all the time, looking at the same furniture, the same carpeting, the same walls, and the same sense that I could do more. By the time spring rolls around and it’s deemed socially acceptable to start spring cleaning, I am more than ready. This year, I’ve already decided to pack boxes full of outdated clothes, shoes I’ve decided to retire, unwanted tablecloths, and anything else I haven’t used within the past year.
Because Spring Cleaning isn’t just about waiting for the weather to change—it’s about being proactive in changing the state of your home. While you’ll want to wait on outdoor-only activities like rug-batting, you can accomplish quite a bit just by staying inside and being as neurotic as possible. To facilitate the process, I’ve broken it down workable stages. Note that this list assumes you and, if applicable, the other members of your household attend to have an all-day cleaning session. If this isn’t the case, by all means space out the following activities
Prepare Cleaning Solutions
We all operate at different levels of eco-friendliness when we clean. Some use Dr. Bronner products exclusively, others prefer to throw bleach around as if the entire house were made of white linen. Regardless of which method you prefer, you should have a few buckets and squirt bottles handy with cleaning solutions. Be sure to label anything containing bleach or ammonia, because, as I’m sure you know, they can create any manner of dangerous, in some cases combustible, compounds.
Clean Vacuum Filter
When was the last time you checked your vacuum filter? Never? I found out the hard way that a clogged filter can severely reduce suction power. As soon as I cleaned it out, I was amazed at how much more dirt it could pull out of my carpeting—not least because I didn’t like the idea of having filthy carpets and not knowing about it.
Wash Towels
You probably wash the contents of your linen closet when necessary, but we tend to be a bit less diligent when it comes to dish towels. To remedy this, wash all towels, in separate loads if necessary. Add baking soda to remove any unpleasant odors. Dry on high.
Remove Everything from the shelves and cabinets
Before you get down to the nitty-gritty cleaning process, you’ll want to remove everything from your closets, cabinets, and shelves. Obviously, you can do this one room at a time, or assign each house member to a different room. In addition to dusting these spaces, you should remove dirt and dust particles from all objects. Books are big-time offenders in this department, as are linen closets and electronics. Clean the objects, then get to work on the storage areas.
Create Charity, Recycling, and Trash Boxes
If you haven’t worn an item of clothing in the past year, get rid of it. Same goes for old houseware, meaning that all the dining chair covers and cushions you never use are fair game. I find that I am better able to let go of such items if I watch an episode of Hoarders while cleaning, but everyone approaches such matters differently.
Work from the Top Down
I find that the best strategy for cleaning is to work from the top down. This allows dust to drift down naturally and accumulate on the floor. Personally, I like to run the vacuum attachments over each shelf to remove dust before breaking out the polish. This helps to make dust rags last longer. In some cases, you’ll need to do a bit of scrubbing, so be sure to wear gloves. Be sure to wipe all polish off before replacing porous items, like clothing or cloth napkins. Tables in particular should be kept immaculate, so run the cloth over them a few times. Wipe down all shelving, furniture (don’t forget drawers), and counters.
Wash Linens and Napkins
Needless to say, table cloths are hardly immune to spills. Make sure you read their labels before washing a batch of table linen. Even if they were cheap, you don’t want to damage the fibers with hot water or harsh detergents. Most are fairly durable, but you never know when it comes to linen. Hopefully, you won’t need to resort to dry cleaning or equally expensive services, but it is always safer to check first.
Starch Tablecloths
Yes, I know—who uses starch anymore? But it can prevent wrinkles and isn’t tremendously difficult. All you need is a tablecloth, a spray can of starch, and an iron. Again, check your linen label to determine which heat setting to use on the iron. Don’t go overkill on the starch, as this can result in a slight film or uncomfortably stiff table linen.
Iron Cloth Napkins
You may starch fabric napkins if you wish, but most find the feeling of starched cloth to be incredibly uncomfortable. If you do decide to starch them, stick to a light spritz only. If not, simply iron and lay flat. Wait until they are cool before folding.
Wipe Window Interiors
You can do all external cleaning when the weather is warm enough to do so. For now, dust and polish any wood or metal surfaces and clean the inner side of the window panes.
Remove paintings, photos, and other hangings from walls and doors
Clean them as you would any other object.
Wipe down walls and doors
I find that light switches and door knobs tend to be the dirtiest areas. I usually just dab at them with a sponge and a mild soap solution because I don’t want to wear down the paint. It’s time consuming and I recommend wearing gloves.
Collect machine-washable rugs and mats
If you’ve finished with the table cloths, throw in all machine-washable heavy fabrics, like your shower mat or kitchen mat. If there are no rubber elements, you can generally dry these items on high, but be sure to check their labels beforehand.
Clean the bathroom
This is self-explanatory. I like to spray products and let them sit for five minutes before going at it.
Remove all objects and furniture from smooth flooring
The better to sweep it with. Be sure to get help when you lift heavier items like tables. You should have chairs covered, but tables can be light or heavy depending on their structure.
Clean all smooth flooring
For me, this involves an elaborate ritual of sweeping, Swiffering, Wet Swiffering, and then Swiffering again. This is probably terrible for the environment, but I can’t stop.
Remove all objects and furniture from carpeting
They should be dust-free by now, so don’t worry about dirtying your freshly-cleaned floors.
Clean carpeting
Vacuum and shampoo if desired. If you have rented a carpet shampooer, be sure to wait for a bit before stepping on or replacing furniture on carpeting—especially if your furniture has iron legs. It is next to impossible to get rust stains out of carpeting.
Rearrange furniture if desired
This is entirely up to you. Just be sure to lift from the knees and ask for help if necessary. If you want to, you can replace linen items—sheets and other bedding, as well as table linen if you so wish
Put back items in aesthetically pleasing fashion
How you do so is up to you, but have fun with it. You may find that you prefer laying out the freshly-starched tablecloth to folding it up and putting it away. Do whatever seems right. I often clean the most before guests come over, so I like to put a little extra effort into decorating when I clean.
Drop off charity, recycling, and trash
You can put this off for a day or so, but I usually want it out of my sight as soon as possible.
Go shopping!
Cleaning is tedious, exhausting work that leaves you with fewer possessions and greater peace of mind. Surely you deserve a reward for all your hard effort. Since walking around a mall probably isn’t the reward you had in mind, I strongly recommend online retail therapy. It lets you browse through nifty items like glass plate chargers and art collections with no need to commit and no pushy sales representatives. You need to replace all the old, cheap-looking table linen and outdated attire you just got rid of, after all. I recommend looking for items that are light and bright in preparation for the spring. They’ll perk up your mood and make you appreciate just how good the spring feels, even after hours and hours of cleaning.
Summary
Spring is on its way, and while this guide works as a general purpose cleaning guide, it is particularly useful in the lead up to the months of flowers and showers. In all likelihood, you won’t want to do any external cleaning in cold weather, so your best bet is to make your surroundings as clean, airy, and bright as possible.
Need more inspiration to clean and redecorate. Look at the links below to find online stores that will help you redecorate on any budget, as well as cleaning tips and tricks.
Look for cloth table linens: Replace outdated linens with something completely original
Clean Green: Eco-friendly cleaning solutions
Manage Your Time: As an alternative, spread cleaning out over a month
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