Spring is here in Dallas after a long winter. Finally! This is the perfect opportunity to take a step back, realize what needs some serious cleaning and organizing in your home, and get the job done!
If you haven’t hired a cleaning service before, they usually include a deep cleaning service which is a must every couple of months, or right before an event or holiday is coming soon and you want to impress your guests with a spotless home.
And if you want to tackle this on your own, don’t worry! With our spring cleaning guide, you will be able to handle great results. It will take some time and energy though! We’ve split this guide into two parts so it’s easier to read and go through it without burning or giving up first.
Now, here’s how you can do it:
First Step: Before Spring Cleaning, Assess the Situation
Whenever you have a spring cleaning coming soon, it’s important to think clearly about what you want to achieve and what is not a priority right now. Some people enjoy organizing their cleaning by room, while other prefer to organize by task.
Think about the last time you cleaned each big part of your home and think how long will it take for each task. Then, multiply that times 1.5x: if you estimated 2 hours, think of 3 hours instead. We always tend to be over-optimistic when calculating the time it requires to clean, and 2 hours go by faster than you think!
It’s easy to get frustrated or overwhelmed when that happens and you start to run behind the schedule. It’s better to calculate extra time.
Creating a schedule is not easy. You can check our 3-Hour Weekly Schedule, but that won’t do it for a spring cleaning. You may use it as a template and start adding areas or cleaning tasks.
Spring cleaning means that you will have to reach areas that you probably haven’t even seen in a while. Make sure you have all the essential tools and equipment to reach everywhere and remove all the grease, dirt, and dust.
Step Two: Grab all Your Spring Cleaning Supplies
We’re almost ready to get started! Now it’s time to choose all your tools, gadgets, and cleaning products. There are many great products for you to choose from, but if you don’t have any, we can talk about the most basic, natural ones you can find in your pantry.
You can check the entire guide for supplies for Spring Cleaning from Emily’s Maids if you want a more detailed guide.
Vinegar
As far as cleaning goes, vinegar (or acetic acid) is one of the most versatile cleaning agents in your home. It is one of our favorite cleaning products and you can use it on pretty much any surface. Everything from removing pet stains from your carpet to cleaning your oven, with white vinegar you can take care of pretty much every area of your home.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another popular product, and for all the good reasons. In fact, it is one of the very few cleaning agents that can be safely mixed with bleach.
Soap
There are hundreds of options on the market. You should choose those with a smaller impact on the environment and on your own health: check if they are free of phosphates, ammonia, and/or artificial colors, as well as cruelty-free.
Microfiber Towels And Sponges
Microfiber towels and cloths work better than those made of cotton. They can absorb dirt and moisture better, which is why they’ve become popular over the years.
Your tools: A Steam Cleaner, a Mop, and a Vacuum Cleaner
It’s important to have good, reliable devices to help you get through this. A steam cleaner is a device that sprays steam, just hot water. But you will notice the difference when you start using it, as it can get through grease and dirt in an instant, especially for nook and crannies. If you haven’t got yourself one yet, look for a multi-purpose steam cleaner that works as a long-handled and handheld device.
Don’t worry about the price! You can get a standard, handheld steam cleaner for less than $30, or a steam mop with a detachable handheld unit for less than $70.
Of course, you will need a mop as well (unless you have carpet floors) and a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you replace the dirty water as you go, otherwise you’ll just be spreading the dirty water and going back to square one.
Special Products for Special Surfaces
You will need a specialized product if you have natural stone countertops (marble, granite, or quartz) and for glass-ceramic cooktops.
Last But Not Least: Take All the Safety Measures for Spring Cleaning
Since you’re spring cleaning, you’re going to be in contact with lint, dirt, and chemicals for a long time. Always wear safety gloves, goggles, and a mask.
Remember to open windows to let air flow, especially in small spaces like your bathroom.
It’s Time for Some Cleaning! Let’s Start with Your Kitchen
It’s a good idea to start with your kitchen for several reasons. Even if it’s not the biggest room of your home, it will probably take the longest to clean. You need to let your cleaning agents act for a while, and your kitchen is one of those areas with a lot to clean and organize.
Now that you’re in your kitchen, it’s not easy to decide which appliance or area to clean first. In most cases, it should be the oven, because the cleaning agents need some time to act on the surface.
Check our 5 Easy Tips for Cleaning Your Oven if you want to hear all the details!
Take Care of Your Pantry
If you have the time, remove everything from your pantry and leave your counters empty. Make some soapy water with 2 cups of warm water and ½ teaspoon of concentrated dish soap. Apply using a spray bottle inside your cabinets and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. You can use a 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup warm water mix too.
While you’re at it, organize and declutter your dishware and cookware. Think of your everyday needs and organize your items in a way that you have the most used items closer to you, and then go from there and place the less-used items in the upper and lower cabinets away from your reach.
Deep Cleaning Your Fridge
The same goes for your fridge: grab all your food and take it out, remove all the fridge shelves and drawers, and apply your cleaning mix. If it has liquid stains (e.g., tomato sauce, meat juice) you can use your steam cleaner to get rid of them.
Clean all your shelves and drawers using soapy water and a sponge while you let your cleaning mix act on the inside of your fridge and then wipe it out with a microfiber cloth.
If your fridge is particularly in serious cleaning issues, or if you have a secondary fridge that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, you can check our Refrigerator Renew article.
By now, you should have a few appliances and your stove waiting for your cleaning touch. For your microwave, you can try our tip on the article from Insider to get it looking -and smelling- like new.
Stovetops and Countertops
In the meantime, wipe any big crumbs or food residues with a dishcloth. Now, grab a bowl of hot soapy water and a clean sponge and start scrubbing! Use a spray bottle with clean water to rinse and wipe out the dirty soapy water with a microfiber cloth. You might need to repeat the process and swipe the cloth for a clean one a few times.
For glass-ceramic stovetops, you should use a specialized product. Remove any debris first, using a glass scraper and very carefully scraping the surface. If you want to play safe you can use a sponge, but it will take longer and you will need to let sit the cleaning product for a few minutes before starting to scrub.
Last but not least, remember to clean your countertops! This is saved for last because you’ve probably used them to place your food and ingredients on top while reorganizing your pantry and your fridge.
The type of cleaning will depend on the material. Vinegar is an excellent option for laminate countertops, but not so much for natural stone (granite, marble, quartz) because of its acidity, which may cause staining.
Now your kitchen should be squeaky clean! Next up, your bathrooms.
Spring Cleaning Step Three: Your Bathroom
Just like your kitchen, your bathroom might need some time to absorb all the cleaning properties from your products and tools. This is why you might want to start here (or in the kitchen) while doing other tasks in the meantime.
The big question is: where can you start? Well, if all your fixtures look more or less the same (i.e., none of them is dirtier than the others in a significant way) then you should start with your shower. It has the biggest surface of the usual fixtures (sink, toilet).
A really good strategy for your shower is to add some hot, soapy water with a spray bottle, and then sprinkle baking soda on your shower pan. After 15 minutes, scrub using a clean broom, and then use the steam cleaner to soften up every residue of soap scum or dirt on your tiles.
With your sink and toilet, you might want to use baking soda, let sit for 15 minutes and then spray white vinegar on the surface. Clean using either a toilet brush (toilet) or a sponge or an old toothbrush (sink).
For your mirrors, you can spray rubbing alcohol and wipe with a microfiber cloth, using an “S” pattern. You might have to scrub a bit harder right after spraying if you have toothpaste or soap residues.
You can check our guide on how to clean your bathroom if you need a more detailed approach.
Conclusion (Before Part II)
We still have so many areas that we need to take care of! Your living area, your bedroom, your office, and all floors!
Spring cleaning is an exciting activity, with a high chance of making you feel accomplished and happy. But that’s not the case for everyone: you need lots of free time, as well as mental and physical energy. If you’ve realized that it’s too much work, feel free to visit our booking page if you’d prefer a professional cleaning service.
Keep reading our blog and wait next week for part II of this spring cleaning guide!