Spring Cleaning Tips to Refresh Your Home for the New Season

The ghosts of winter are shrinking in our rearview mirror and Spring is finally upon us. Soon the chills of last season will become the blooming bliss of sunny days and cozy nights beneath clear skies. For many of us, it also means the start of ‘spring cleaning’--a complex and undesirable task if you don’t know where to start.

As always, we’ve got you covered.

For the clutter-bugs, potent procrastinators, and busy-bees, check out this list of spring cleaning tips to help you refresh your home for the new season.

In the Kitchen 

Arguably, the most difficult among the rooms to clean, a sparkling kitchen is a great way to kick-off the new season. Sure, we all know to sweep and mop the floors, scrape and scrub the counters, and lecture the kids for making mud-tracks but what about the little things that are often overlooked? Like:

1. The Microwave - Finally rid yourself of those hardened cheese chips, sauce splatters, and miscellaneous build-up with a simple solution of chopped lemon, lime, or orange, several spoons of vinegar, and one cup of water. Gather the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and bring to a boil (about 2 minutes). Once the microwave is nice and steamy, dive in with a bristled sponge or cleaning brush and watch your maligned kitchen appliance be reborn.
2. The Refrigerator - Go a step beyond simply wiping down your refrigerator shelves with a disinfectant wipe or the nearest rag. Instead, empty your fridge and freezer completely and let it dethaw (this may take some planning). This will allow the frozen grime, gristle, and ice build-up to warm for easy removal. While you’re waiting, remove the shelves and drawers for independent cleaning.
3. Cutting Boards - Tired of looking at that cutting board stain, you’ve long accepted as “part of it, now”? Think again. Simply take a lemon, cut it in half, and use it to scrub your cutting board in circular motions. For super-tough stains, add a little salt or baking soda. This nifty trick can also help to rid the cutting board of ambient smells.
4. Oven - Just because your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning function, doesn’t mean you’re stuck with baked in grime. Take a hot, wet cloth and place it on top of the stubborn gunk to soften it up. Remove the towel after a minute or two, sprinkle some baking soda onto the grime, and get to work with a cleaning brush or heavy duty pad. Rinse and repeat until your oven shines.
5. Pots & Pans - Soften up caked-in or burned-on residue in your pots and pans by adding a little water and dish liquid. Let the cookware and solution simmer on the stove and use a scrub-brush or heavy duty pad to remove the stuck on bits.
6. Kitchen Sink / Disposal - Got some weird odors sizzling from your kitchen sink and up your nose? After clearing the muck from your sink disposal, drop in a few lemon rinds (by this point, you’ll have plenty) into your sink, run some cold water, and turn it on for a few seconds. This will help to get rid of those unseamly smells from the past.

 

Don’t forget to wipe down those cabinets, countertops, dish-drying racks, and organize your junk drawers too! (It’s okay, we all have one.)

In the Living Room

Ah, the cremé de la cremé of the home, and the bane of every mothers’ existence. Though the living room is where pretty much everything in your home collides, the cleaning process can be fairly straightforward. Outside of the obvious wet-vacuuming, wiping, picking up, and dusting, what else are we missing?

1. Furniture - Don’t settle for lazy work-arounds, patting downs, and primping ups. Pull your furniture away from its natural place and make sure to vacuum or sweep up the spots no one ever sees. Clean any spills or unknown stains with your favorite carpet or wood safe cleaning product and move the furniture back into place. Additionally, if you have a sofa, loveseat, or recliner, it’s time to use that nozzle-extender to finally get into those seams and When it’s all done, drape a lovely waffle weave blanket over its arm to celebrate the achievement.
2. Ceiling Fixtures, Lampshades & Switches - That’s right. The unsung heroes of your living room need some attention of their own. Use a dust extender, stool, or ladder (or just someone really tall) to wipe down the blades of any ceiling fan (make sure that it’s turned off!). While they’re at work, take a disinfectant wipe or microfiber towel and wipe down those lampshades and often-used light switches.
3. Curtains - If you thought that your washer and dryer were just for clothes and linen, you’re highly mistaken. If you have fabric material curtains, take them down and give them a whirl on the gentle setting. To keep them from wrinkling, “air-dry” or place them in the dryer–tumble, no heat. For the plastic sheaths, simply wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe on a flat surface.
4. Bookshelves - A home is only as good as its library and a library only as good as its shelves. Clear off the books, pictures, and plants to give your shelves-of-knowledge a well-deserved wipe down of their own. While it’s empty, pull the bookshelf away from its place and knock out any dust and grime–easily noted by the ‘crime scene’-outline you’ll see on the floor where it usually stands. If you really want to go the extra mile, rearrange the books in whatever order makes most sense to you.
5. Electronics - For computers, laptops, keyboards, cable boxes, smart speakers, streaming dongles, clocks, video-game consoles, and all other electronics, invest in a compressed air duster to clear away the build-up, gunk, and stains. If you find a particularly difficult smudge, gently wipe the spot with a disinfectant wipe (careful to avoid any ports, plugs, and vents). Don’t forget to pick up those loose cords, chargers, and switch out those old batteries
6. Toys - For those of us with young children (those messy little bullies that run around), it’s time to finally pay attention to the Legos, dolls, and other toys that attack our feet when we least expect it. If you don’t already have one, try out a “toy-chest” (an easily stored bin that works well for you). Toss the toys inside and give the plastic invaders a place of their own. For added fun, get the kids involved (so they can know your struggle!).

 

If you’re looking to elevate your living room for the new season, and protect your favorite furniture from future mishaps, check out the reversible floral patchwork furniture protectors from our Langdon Luxe and Maribel Collections. We’ve got some incredible slipcovers too!

In the Bathroom

It’s time for the worst of the dirty-work. No one looks forward to cleaning the bathroom, but alas, it must be done. Aside from the obvious sweeping and mopping, scrubbing down the…let’s just call it “washroom seat,” and wiping down the mirrors–what else can we do?

1. Bath & Shower - The easiest way to remove the gunk, grime, and bacteria from your bath or shower is to select a high-quality, heavy-duty shower cleaner spray and let it do it’s magic. After the instructed time (See: Instruction Label), grab a cleaning rag, a bucket of hot water, and wipe the greasy layers away. For your shower curtains and mats, give them a whirl in the washer and let air-dry. For plastic shields, wipe them down with a disinfectant on a flat surface.
2. Drains - After ensuring that your drains are de-clogged, with your favorite drain cleaner or (for more severe cases) plumbing work, mix a solution of ½ cup baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt, and hot water. Pour the mixture down the drain. Follow this with 1 cup of hot vinegar and let stand for fifteen minutes. The mixture will foam and bubble, but that’s just the solution doing it’s thing. After which, run the hot water tap for about 30 seconds. This method is best for baths, showers, and bathroom sinks–especially if they’re seldom used.
3. Hygiene Cabinet - From makeup appliances to tooth care products, razors, shavers, and medicines, the hygiene cabinet is a lot like the junk drawer of the bathroom. Remove all of the items from the cabinet (and drawers) to give them a good wipe down. Consider small cups or drawer organizers to keep everything neat and where you can find them easily (...in addition to saving yourself the headache next year).

 

Want to take your Spring bathroom cleaning to the next level, try out the floral Jacquard bath towel set from our Roselyn Collection or the 100% cotton Jacquard bath towels from our Cassie Collection.

In the Bedroom

If you’ve made it this far, we applaud you. We’re almost at the finish line. When it’s all said and done, your hard work will feel for naught, if you don’t also love where you’re laying your head that night. After taking care of the floors and curtains, what else is there to do?

1. Bedding - Pull off that old winter-bedding and toss it in the laundry pile. Though most people only wash their bedding a few times a year, Spring is the perfect season to upgrade to cozy and breathable bedding that you’ll love. Check out the 3-piece floral quilt set from our Emma Collection, the modern floral quilt set from our Raelynn Collection, or any of our other affordable, high-quality quilt and duvet sets to let the Spring sun shine on the new you.
2. Mattress - While you’re deciding on which bedding will define your Spring season, it’s time to check out the mattresses. Are the springs still solid and comfortable? Are there any stains or oily build-ups you haven’t noticed until now. Now is the perfect time to take care of these little nuisances too. If your mattress is uncomfortable, consider investing in a hotel-quality mattress topper while hunting for a replacement. Otherwise, utilize that vacuum nozzle to suck up any crumbs, hair, or other stray particles. Once this is done, clean up any remaining stains and splotches with a fabric cleaner of your choice. Consider purchasing a waterproof mattress protector, if only to make the cleaning process a little easier for you next time around.
3. Closets - Go through your clothes and shoes from last season to see if there’s anything that may be due for retirement. Remove what’s stained, worn out, or in need of repair and be judicious about the clothes and shoes you want to save. Similarly, make a pass through your Spring and Summer wardrobe to discern what’s worth keeping and what will be taking a nice long vacation at the nearest donation center or trash heap.

Windows

When cleaning your windows, it’s best to wait for an overcast day and start on the shadiest side of the home. Direct sunlight can lead to annoying streaks that you’ll be arguing with all day. Also be sure that any curtains, blinds, drapes, shades, and window panes are clean and dusted off–to avoid residual gunk on your newly shined windows.

Outdoors

For those of us with front-porches, patios, and backyards, be sure not to neglect your doormats, patio furniture, and plant life.

We did it! Now our homes are spic-and-span for Spring. We hope you’ve enjoyed this (long)-list of Spring cleaning tips to refresh your home for the new season. Which tips will you try for your home?

 

Tag us in your before and after Spring-cleaning pics or tell us all about it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest– where you can also find the latest Great Bay Home tips, news, and exclusive deals. Don’t forget to check us out on Amazon too!

 

As always…