Essentially EmmaMarie

I’ve talked about How To Refresh Your Home’s Decor For Spring of 2022 and I’ve talked about Spring and Easter Vignette Ideas, but what about the infamous spring cleaning that we’ve heard about our grandmothers doing? Is it really necessary to tear our houses apart and give them an in-depth scrubbing from top to bottom every spring? 

In short, no. Or at least not as necessary as it was in days gone by. Back in the day when everyone heated with coal, and you could see a cloud of smog hanging over cities, houses needed to be scrubbed to keep the dirt and grime from overtaking the house, but in this day and age, such aggressive cleaning tactics are not needed every spring. However, spring is a great time to look around and tackle at least a few of the in-depth cleaning items that get overlooked (and are often unnecessary) on a weekly or monthly basis. 

Walls

Do your walls need scrubbed down every year? If you keep up with wiping off dirty handprints and drips as they appear on the walls then your walls most likely do not need an in-depth scrubbing every spring, except in a few key areas, namely the bathroom. Because of all the condensation that collects in the bathroom and runs down the walls, you will notice that your walls get drip marks on them over time. These drips look are on the yellowish side of the color spectrum and just look gross. But don’t worry—you’re not alone! Most homes have this unless the bathroom is very large or extremely well vented. Take a dampened towel with just a drop of dish soap (not enough for you to even see suds) and wipe it over the walls; this will erase most of these marks, especially if you do this semi-annually or annually. 

Pro tip: Lightly wet a mop and in essence mop your walls. This usually is enough pressure to do the trick and is so much faster and easier! 

Baseboards: 

Speaking of walls, what is at the bottom of the walls that usually misses out on receiving the proper amount of attention? Your baseboards, of course! Take a look at your baseboards. You may need to just take a Swiffer along the top of them, but if your baseboards have marks then you’ll have to get down and wipe them—there’s really no great way to clean them without getting down on your hands and knees. Unfortunately. 

Cabinets: 

Your kitchen cabinets get dirty, even if they don’t look dirty. Using a lightly wet cloth with just a tiny amount of cleanser on it, wipe all of your cabinets down. Pay special attention to the area around the handles, in front of your sink, by your coffee maker (if you have one), and above your stove and microwave. 

Sink:

Speaking of sink, your drain probably needs a good deodorizing! You can buy different options from the store or you can pour about a quarter cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a half cup of vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes and then run hot water for a couple minutes to rinse.

Pro Tip: To make your drain smell good, add a little bit of lemon or lime rind to your garbage disposal and then run your disposal.

Coffee Maker: 

Most water, even city water, has minerals that can and will build up in your coffee maker over time. Most brands have their own brand of descaler that can be run through your coffee maker to remove this build up. If you want another at-home solution, use a 50/50 water and vinegar solution as your descaler (check your coffee maker manual to make sure this is an approved option—in most cases it is). If your coffee maker has a clean function, run it on a clean cycle; if not, do a regular brew cycle, followed in both cases by two brew cycles of just water. This will prolong the life of your coffee maker! 

Washing Machine: 

Washing machines need cleaning too! Again, most manufacturers and other companies have specialty cleansers you can buy, or you can revert to our old standby—vinegar and baking soda. I like to spray down the inside of my machine with a 50/50 vinegar and water mix, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then come back and wipe down the inside and around the plastic seal. Next, add vinegar (2 cups to a front loading washer, 4 cups for a drum washer) and run a cycle on the hottest and highest setting, followed by running an additional empty load cycle with ½ cup of baking soda, again on the highest and hottest setting, followed by a rinse cycle of just pure water. Check with the manufacturer or your washing machines manual to make sure this is an approved option—in just about every case it is.

Upholstery

If you have pets or little kids, your upholstery needs cleaned! You’ll be shocked at how much additional hair and debris you will extract from your carpets! Vacuum first, then clean with a home-grade carpet cleaner. This applies also to chairs and couches. If your couch has removable cushion covers, these can be washed in the machine but be sure to check to see if they can be dried in a machine or if they need to be air dried. Regardless, when they are about 80/90% dry, put them back on your cushion. This is not something to do when you have guests coming over in the evening! 

Air Vents

Air vents collect dust on the outside and the inside. Clean the outside with a Swiffer or a soft brush vacuum attachment. If there is a gray residue left, wipe with a damp cloth. If you have vents that sit in the floor, it is worth taking the cover off and vacuuming the inside and the outside of the vent—whatever is down there is filtering into your air. I realized it was time to clean the floor vent in my dining room after the third person commented on the dozen or so hair bands that my cat had dropped down it! 

Air Filters: 

Air filters get dirty and when they do they don’t work well, they  could even allow dirt to be filtering into your air! Most manufacturers recommend changing your air filters every 90 days, so if it’s been 6 months or a year you are most definitely due! 

I hope this helps to shed some light on some often overlooked cleaning tasks! My goal isn’t to overwhelm or make you feel shame if you have never cleaned any of these; rather, I am hoping to shed some light on ways you can get your home looking and in the case with a lot of these, also smelling better, so that when you come home you can truly relax in your beautiful and clean home. 

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

How To Refresh Your Home’s Decor For Spring of 2022

Spring and Easter Vignette Ideas