Yes, I know. It’s only February. But honestly, I prefer to get ‘Spring Cleaning’ done during the winter. Why? Because I would rather enjoy the spring. Get out of the house, and do something fun! I don’t want to waste the nice weather being inside cleaning. At the very least, I’d rather use the nice weather to get things done in the yard!
So, what should be on your Spring-Cleaning Check List? Honestly? I have no idea — I just wing it. But here are the ‘big’ chores I like to do this time of year.
Doors and switch plates: I go through the house and clean all the doors, trim, light switch plates, and doorknobs to remove fingerprints, smudges, and germs.
Baseboards: No one in my house is thrilled when it’s time to clean baseboards, but this is always on my spring list. A little Fabulosa and hot water, and they clean up fast!
Walls: I’m not going to lie to y’all; I’m not really out here washing walls. But I clean up any smudges, run the duster over them, and make sure there aren’t any cobwebs hiding out on me!
Windows: I clean all the windows/sills inside, wipe down the mini-blinds, and wash all the curtains. Pro-tip, curtains tend to end up less wrinkled if you re-hang them while they are still damp. It lets the wrinkles fall out and makes your house smell like clean laundry!
The Stove: I’ll admit, I hate this one, which is why it only gets done once a year. Pull that stove out and get to work. This is the time to get all those crumbs that fall between the stove and counter and somehow end up behind and under the stove. I also clean the inside of the oven, which also sucks, but it must be done!
The Fridge: I’m happy to report that I have already taken care of this task! Last weekend I took everything out of the fridge, washed all the drawers and shelves, wiped down the door shelves, threw away anything expired, and put everything back in such a nice way that even TikTok would be proud. It should stay that way for approximately three more days. I normally do this big clean-out like once a quarter or so.
Ceiling Fans: I don’t actually have any ceiling fans, but if you do, give ‘em a dusting.
Closet Clean-Out: The last big thing on my Spring Cleaning List is cleaning out the closets. Last week, Bernadette gave some great tips on how to do this; you can check that out at webbweekly.com if you missed it. But basically, it is this: either donate, toss, or sell (depending on condition) anything that doesn’t fit, you no longer like, or has worn out its welcome in your closet. If I can’t remember the last time I wore it, it will probably go.
Filters: This is a great time to clean the things you use to clean. New bags/filter in the vacuum, rinse the grime off your broom, throw that mop head in the washer, wash out your trash can and litter boxes, clean the hair and whatnot out of your vacuum rollers, etc. You should also check on the air filter in your furnace/HVAC system to see if that needs to be changed.
Bonus stuff: Some of my favorite, go-to cleaning products — Scrub Daddy sponges, Dawn Power Wash, Soft Scrub, Microban (for disinfecting), Fabulosa, Windex, and Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Bleach. I can clean pretty much everything in my house with just these!
I’m not a crazy person, so please don’t think I’m dedicating a significant amount of time to all these things. The other nice thing about starting your spring cleaning in February is that you can do one or two tasks at a time over the next few weeks, and by the time spring — well, springs — you’ll be ready to start a new season with a nice clean home!
