Our house is destroyed during spring cleaning. The closets are emptied, under the beds are cleared, and all the "junk" drawers are removed and dumped. When it's complete, our house must weigh less, smell better and feel ready to open up to the warm weather and sunny days ahead.
As the scrubbing bubble-head of the house, I have two main jobs. One - do the first round of cleaning and stuff removal (think closets, junk drawers and under beds) and two - find and list jobs for the kids and my husband. It's important to choose jobs for them that they can do well, so that you won't need to do them over again.
As the scrubbing bubble-head of the house, I have two main
jobs. One - do the first round of cleaning and stuff removal
(think closets, junk drawers and under beds) and two - find and
list jobs for the kids and my husband. It's important to choose
jobs for them that they can do well, so that you won't need to
do them over again.
Cleaning jobs for kids
Great choices for kids include jobs that involve moving things
(getting all the cushions of the couches, rugs outside, picking
up all the outside toys), sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, and
even polishing things. The man of the house gets the heavy work
and anything having to do with spiders. He'll move the
furniture, flip the mattresses and help remove and replace the
light fixtures. So gather your cleaning supplies, including
toothbrushes, rags and vacuum attachments and start
scrubbing!
Becki Harrold, 25-year housecleaning veteran who cleans with Miracle Workers Inc., in Central Point and Grants Pass, says it's best to clean "from top to bottom." This way everything that you've cleaned off the ceiling and walls falls to the floor and can be removed as the last step in your Spring Cleaning Blitz.
To clean white, and only white, walls and ceilings, she suggests a mixture of bleach and water - a half-cup of bleach to a bucket of water.
Here are some other tips to make cleaning a breeze:
Give them a bath
Use your bathtub to clean blinds, curtains of all
types, fixtures, screens and washable rugs. This is also great
for houseplants.
Window-wise
Dust the area around the window before starting. Don't clean a
window in the direct sun. Get a nice squeegee - it'll make your
job faster, easier and it'll last. Use a solution of vinegar
(one-half cup for bucket of water) and water to clean windows,
glasses, refrigerator shelves and even marble. If you don't
have a squeegee, use crumpled newspaper to dry the windows.
Tough to clean spots usually come off with some rubbing
alcohol. Toothpaste can help fill in small scratches.
Hair spray
A little spray can get the ink stains out of most clothing
items. It's also handy to kill flies and spiders. Scuff stuff
If you've got scuff marks or crayon drawings on your walls, not
wood, semi-gloss or glossy painted surfaces - a little TSP
(tri-sodium phosphate) in a bucket of water will get them
clean. You can find it at your local hardware store.
Stain stoppers
Blood stains can be removed by applying cornstarch or hydrogen
peroxide.
Marble stains can be rubbed out with salt or fresh lemon juice. Don't scrub too hard. Then rinse the surface with soap and water.
Ring around the collars of shirts can be cleaned with a little shampoo (designed to eliminate body oils) and some elbow grease.
When you've finished cleaning, why not reward yourself with a barbecue dinner outside? And if that grill's dirty, heat it up and clean it with some crumpled aluminum foil held with tongs.
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