Spring Cleaning Checklist for Homeowners
Spring is almost here, and with it comes the inspiration to start fresh. Give your home a deep clean once the weather changes and you’ll feel healthy and revitalized. Here’s a list of everything you should tackle during this year’s spring cleaning.
The Attic
How often do you go into the attic? Every spring, take a day to see what you have up there (this also applies to the basement, especially if you don’t have an attic). You might have an enormous amount of Christmas decorations or wrapping paper that can be sorted or discarded. Go through everything in your attic and decide what to keep and what to discard. Get rid of your old electronics and the clothes you know you’ll never wear. Return the church supplies you’ve been storing to your church or give things like an extra crucifix or KJV Bible to a fellow believer. Just knowing that you have fewer items sitting around in the attic will give you peace of mind.
Windows and Walls
You probably never clean your windows and walls, which means this is a great task to tackle every spring. You can hire professionals to handle the window cleaning (hire someone for gutter cleaning, too, while you’re at it). Your windows can collect dust and other contaminants and make the air in your home less clean. Let a window cleaning service tackle what needs to be done, so your home will be ready for spring. Wipe down your walls with warm water. You’ll be amazed at what comes off of them. Cleaning the windows and walls is an especially important job if you have allergies that become worse in the spring. Improve the air quality in your home and help yourself feel healthier.
Light Fixtures
Check out your light fixtures every spring. Make sure all your lightbulbs are working and replace any that have died. Clean the fixtures and dust the ceiling fan blades to ensure they’re operating smoothly (you’ll want them come summer). This step shouldn’t take you long and you can tag team with someone else in the family. While you clean the fixtures, send someone out to buy new lightbulbs and then replace the old ones. This task won’t take you long at all, but it will improve the amount of light in your home and prevent you from being showered in dust when you turn on the ceiling fans.
Carpets
You most likely vacuum your carpets frequently, but how often do you have them shampooed? You’ll want to do this at least every spring, especially if you have young children and/or pets. Carpets collect dirt, food particles, bacteria, and pet dander. If you let your young children play on the carpet, make sure it’s frequently cleaned. You can rent or buy a carpet shampooer, or you can hire a professional company come in and tackle the job. If your home has a good amount of carpeting, it might be worth it to have the professionals take care of it for you.
Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors
At least once a year, test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. If they’re battery-operated, you may have to change out the batteries. You definitely do not want to skip this step since these devices could make a huge difference in your family’s safety. Each home needs to have at least one smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector per floor (including in finished attics and basements), so depending on the size of your home, you may have as many as eight devices to check. Make this a priority during your spring cleaning.
If you accomplish these few things every spring, your home will feel brighter, cleaner, and happier.