As the seasons change, so does our notion of a clean house. Springtime has traditionally been seen as a sort of seasonal New Year. The cleaning products come out from your closet and the fresh scent of spring fills your home from basement to attic.
Cleaning can be fun and hard work at the same time. By taking advantage of the following spring cleaning tips, you can make the job easier and more efficient for your whole family.
- Clean Your Windows, But Not on A Sunny Day
After the weather warms, spring cleaners often rush to clean the dirt and grime that has built up on their windows over the winter. After all, it may have been a long time since you've last seen the green of your lawn and garden. However, you should avoid cleaning windows on a sunny day because they will dry too quickly and produce unattractive streaks. Overcast days, while less spring-like, are your best bet.
- When Using A Cleaning Compound, Have Patience
Removing dirt and grease from your woodwork, walls and floors is hard work for you and your cleaning product. So don't make the work any harder by scrubbing a surface before the compound has had a chance to work. "Not giving the compound time to loosen the grease or dirt is a common mistake of spring cleaners," says home-care expert Gerry Luepke.
- Keep a Multi-Purpose Cleaning Product on Hand.
Speaking of cleaning agents, it's always crucial to have a multi-purpose cleaner on-hand for the varied cleaning tasks that inevitably arrive each spring.
"Multi-purpose cleaners are wonderful because they save you the trouble of buying specialty products for every household task," notes Luepke, who gives household advice daily via a toll-free consumer information hotline. "With a quick trip to your local hardware or grocery store, you can purchase a cleaning product such as Professional Strength Soilax."
Professional painters have used Soilax for years to clean walls before they paint because it requires no rinsing. It's also imperative for the walls to be clean in order to insure proper paint adhesion.
Soilax is also a good cleaner for removing dirt, scum and mildew from vinyl siding, deck and patio furniture and much more.
Luepke suggests the following recipe:
- 1/3 cup powdered laundry detergent
- 2/3 cup Soilax
- 3 quarts water
- NOTE: When Mildew is a problem, add 1 quart 5% chlorine bleach
- Combat Unwanted Kitchen Odors with Ease
Two areas in your kitchen that are likely to house unwanted scents are the refrigerator and the garbage disposal. Keeping an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator is an invaluable-and inexpensive-way to keep it smelling as fresh as the rest of your newly cleaned home. To fight the stench of a garbage disposal simply place an orange or lemon peel down the drain. The pleasant smell of fruit will linger.
- Add Sachets to Your Drawers and Closets
Have you ever opened a trunk or closet that has been locked away all winter? Odds are you were greeted by a scent that made you want to give up cleaning. Placing sachets in your drawers and linen closets will keep them smelling sweet throughout the long winter.
If you have problems with musty odors, try placing cedar chips into the sachets. It's an inexpensive trick that works wonders, particularly if you live in a heavily wooded area. Cedar chips work best for sweater drawers and other storage areas that compliment the smell of cedar. Lingerie drawers beware!
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