Spring Cleaning List

When I was in my late teens/early twenties I would clean houses for money. I was going to school and didn't have a lot of time on my hands so cleaning a few houses a week was perfect.

I know it sounds weird but I also love to clean!

(Of course there are days where I look at the disaster that is my son's room and I just close the door to ignore it.)

As I have said before, I am in the nesting phase of my pregnancy so all I want to do is clean and organize everything! But I am so easily distracted with another mess that I leave the one I am already working on behind. I knew I needed a list. A list by room and task with little boxes for check marks so I wouldn't miss anything.

I also want to make sure I have all the supplies I need to complete my list.

So to help out my fellow deep cleaners...here is a list of tasks and supplies:

LIST OF SUPPLIES

• Pair of Cleaning Gloves
• Supplies Tote: Keep everything you need with you in your tub/tote!
• Vacuum
• Broom with Dust Pan
• Mop with bucket
• Toothbrush: For those hard to reach spots.
• Roll of paper towels
• Two trash bags:
• One small bag to hold your used dirty cloths 
• One large bag for trash you pick up around the home
• 5-10 Absorbant cleaning cloths
• Fabric Softener Tissue: Baseboards. This will prevent dust from settling in the future.

CLEANING PRODUCTS

• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: This is my go-to scrubbie!
• Bathtubs
• Chrome
• Dirty glass
• Walls
• Or Anything!
• Wood Polisher/cleaner:
• Pledge Furniture Spray to remove dust
• Pledge Furniture Polish with Oil to preserve wood
• Dawn Power Clean Dishwashing Liquid, Murphy or Pine-Sol Lavender: Floor cleaner.
• Dawn for stained concrete floors
• Murphy for finished wood floors
• PineSol for bathroom floors/tile
• Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover: This is a must-have but it is extremely potent! Use with caution and with open windows!
• Clorox Wipes: These are especially handy during flu season!
• Door knobs and handles
• Light switches
• Remote controls for the TV.
• Clorox Cleanup: For those hard to clean stains. Perfect for tile and grout!
• Lysol Kitchen Cleaner
• Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Comet
• Swiffer Handheld Dusters:
• Blinds
• Light fixtures
• Fan blades
• Glass Cleaner: I prefer Windex or foam glass cleaner but this recipe was also a gem:
• 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 c. warm water 

 

LIST OF TASKS 

Living areas:

High dusting including ceiling fans
• Use broom to remove cobwebs from corners of ceiling
• Launder any curtains or drapes
• Dust all areas, furniture, fixtures, pictures, mirrors and artwork
• Wipe down door frames and switch-plates
• Wipe down baseboards
• Wash pillows (3 times a year in hot water. Dry thoroughly.
• Clean windowsills and blinds
• To clean blinds: run a warm bath with Dawn Liquid Soap. Let the blinds soak for an hour, swish, rinse and hang to dry
• Floors vacuumed and/or mopped
• Use vacuum attachment for dust on electronics
• Overall appearance of the room left neat and tidy

Bedrooms:

• High dusting including ceiling fans
• Use broom to remove cobwebs from corners of ceiling
• Dust all areas, furniture, fixtures, pictures, mirrors and artwork
• Wipe down door frames and switch-plates
• Empty trash
• Wipe down baseboards
• Remove bedding and wash-or make the bed
• Wash pillows
• Flip your mattress
• To clean your mattress, sprinkle with baking soda. This will absorb any dirt or moisture. Vacuum up after baking soda has set for one hour. For stains and deep cleaning, use a steam cleaner.
• Clean windowsills and blinds 
• Floors vacuumed and/or mopped
• Use vacuum attachment for dust on electronics
• Organize drawers. Donate clothes that are no longer worn
• Overall appearance of the room left neat and tidy

Bathrooms:

• Launder any curtains or drapes
• Spray down tub and/or shower
• Use Mr Clean Eraser for soap scum
• Rinse and polish with Windex
• Spray down sink and counters. Wipe clean and polish
• Toilets scrubbed inside and out including base & behind
• Wipe down mirrors
• Windowsills and Blinds
• Empty trash and wash before replacing liner
• Clean baseboards
• Vacuum/sweep and mop floor
• Dust any artwork, pictures, fixtures or wood

Kitchen:

• Launder any curtains or drapes
• Spray backsplash and countertops down with 409. Take a cloth (dipped in warm water) and wipe down until dry.
• Wipe down the outside of the refrigerator/freezer.
• Clean out fridge.
• Throw away old or expired food.
• Wipe down shelves with soapy-warm water.
• Replace food items in an organized fashion
• Vacuum coils on back of fridge
• Sweep and mop under fridge
•  Soak all oven knobs, burners, burner covers and spill catchers in hot water with dish soap.
• Clean the oven and stove, then rinse the soaking items and replace them.
• Pull out the stove and sweep and mop the floor
• Clean all small appliances like toasters, blenders and coffeemakers
• Run ice cubes and a wedge of lemon in the disposal
• Pour hot water down the sink drain to clear out any drain sludge.
• Clean sink with Comet
• Rinse and polish with Windex
• Wipe down cabinet fronts and knobs
• Trash emptied
• Clean inside of microwave
• Wipe down outside of dishwasher
• Wipe down windowsills
• Wipe down baseboards
• Sweep and mop floors
• Dust and wood or glass

 

TIPS

Open those Windows: Our homes are said to contain more toxins than outdoor air-including the city air! Get the air circulating and release those toxins! This will especially help in the bathroom when cleaning with those Bleach-filled cleaners.

Clean those Curtains: Before cleaning, remove all curtains and get them started in the washing machine. Half-way through cleaning, switch them over to the dryer. By the time you are finished, your curtains will be ready to go back up!

Extra-shiny, streak-free mirrors: Do a final wipe with (black and white) newspaper.

Work from top to bottom: Dirt will fall to the floor from above, so do the high-up cleaning first to avoid having to repeat an area.

Minimize dust and Make it easy: Dip decor like candlesticks and bookends into warm soapy water and lay them out to dry on a towel. Simple dusting!

Get into a Groove: I like to listen to music while I clean.

Carry a Lint Roller: These help to remove fuzz or pet hair. These work perfectly for lamp shades :)

Cigarette Burns in Carpet: Cut the blackened fibers from the hole. Squeeze liquid glue into the hole and fill with fibers trimmed from carpet remnants.

Replace Air Filters: Change your filter every 30-60 days to make sure you are breathing the cleanest air possible.  Poor air quality can aggravate allergies and asthma, particularly children’s allergies. If you own a pet, your filter should be changed more frequently than non-pet owners.

GO NATURAL

If you are concerned with chemicals and toxins and prefer a more environment/family/pet friendly approach to cleaning, give these a try;





Baking Soda: A natural deodorizer and cleanser, sprinkle it on drains, bathtubs and kitchen counters, or mix it with water to form a scrubbing paste. You can also sprinkle it on carpets and upholstery, wait 15 minutes or so, then vacuum it off for natural deodorizing.

 

Baking soda even works as an oven cleaner (sprinkle the bottom of your oven with a little water, then generous amounts of baking soda, and let it sit overnight before wiping clean).

 

Vinegars: Use white vinegar to clean windows, mirrors and counters, or mix it with castile soap and water as an excellent floor or bathroom cleaner. You can also mix apple cider vinegar with baking soda for a simple drain cleaner. Vinegar also cuts grease, and setting out a bowl of it in your kitchen will help absorb food odors.

 

Lemon Juice: You can use this like you would vinegar, although lemon juice works especially well for removing hard water deposits and tarnish on silver.

Course Salt: A great option when you need a cleaner with scrubbing power. Try mixing salt and vinegar for a simple and effective all-purpose surface cleaner.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Use it to disinfect cutting boards or toothbrushes, or to remove stubborn stains (works especially well for blood stains) and whiten laundry.

 

Vodka: Vodka is a disinfectant that you can also use to freshen upholstery (spritz it lightly onto fabrics).

Essential Oils: You can mix natural antiseptic cleaners using water and a few drops of essential oils, such as grapefruit seed extract, clove or tea tree. Tea tree oil is especially effective against mold and mildew. Filling a spray bottle with water and your favorite scented essential oil (peppermint, lavender, vanilla, etc.) is also a simple recipe for a fabric or air freshener.

HAPPY CLEANING YA'LL!