Ahh, the beauty of spring, with green grass, flowers blooming and people in brighter moods. It is also the perfect time to start cleaning! Yes, the rebirth of nature brings with it the rebirth of your home. Bring your home to life by spring cleaning with a fool-proof plan to clean the whole house efficiently and quickly so you have lots of time to go and enjoy the fresh spring air.

Before You Begin

Wear comfortable, grubby clothes because cleaning is hard, messy work. Choose clothes you won’t mind getting dirty or staining.

Take stock of your supplies to make sure you have everything you need for the day because a trip to the store can cramp your routine.

Get together a cleaning caddy of supplies you can bring into every room. A few rags, furniture polish, glass and counter cleaner, paper towels and trash bags will get the job going. If you choose a two-story home from a variety of colonial house plans, keep a fully stocked caddy on each floor. Also, store specialty cleaners in the room they will be used in rather than weighing your carrier down. An example is keeping toilet cleaner under the bathroom sink.

Open the windows to let fresh spring air in for inspiration while protecting yourself from inhaling dangerous fumes and dust.

Get Down and Dirty

Turn on a bit of lively music to motivate you to keep the job going. Cleaning is good exercise so make the most of it and dance around to burn even more calories.

Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from drying chemicals and harsh hot water. Start cleaning from the top down by working on the top floor of the house first, then from the ceiling to the floor. Dust falls down so you add effort to your job by starting at the bottom.

Another cleaning tip is to think dry, then wet. Start by dusting and sweeping then move on to mopping and using all-purpose cleaner to ensure there is less dirt floating around to cling to wet surfaces.

When you are cleaning a room, work in one direction so you don’t miss anything or go back over something you already did.

Ruthlessly throw away stuff you don’t use. As you clean up each area, get rid of clutter. Think of how easy dusting would be without knick-knacks on all your tables and shelves. Sell these items at a garage sale or donate them to a thrift store.

The Wrap Up

After you finish cleaning and need to put everything back in order, keep a couple of things in mind. The only necessary appliances that should be on your kitchen counter are the ones you use daily. Stash all other in cabinets. If you are still choosing a colonial house floor plan or other style home, consider kitchen storage spaces to accommodate these items. In living areas, arrange the knick-knacks and photos you keep on different tables, shelves or put them in another room for a fresh look.

To keep your house fresh and clean all year, tidy up on a regular basis. Spring cleaning will be a breeze if you keep your house on a maintenance schedule throughout the year. These simple tips and determination are all you need to tackle a tough job in no time so you can enjoy the sparkle of spring both inside and out.

Cleaning Tips For Each Room Of Your House

Living Room: Vacuum and dust all corners and crevices. Vacuum furniture, pictures and lampshades. Vacuum and wash curtains. Dust wood furniture and dust mop the floor. Vacuum your carpet and take plants outside for a washing with water spray.

Bedrooms: Clean curtains and take blinds outside for a bath with mild ammonia solution then rinse with the garden hose. Strip bed linens and the dust ruffle and then vacuum the mattress and box spring. Flip and rotate your mattress. Polish wood furniture and dust knick-knacks. Vacuum everything, wipe down light fixtures and lamps and clean mirrors.

Kitchen: Spray the oven with cleaner the night before so it is simple to sponge off the grime and grease. Clean the microwave. Vacuum stove vents, refrigerator coils, counters and floor. Defrost the freezer and clean the refrigerator and freezer with a solution of three tablespoons of baking soda and one quart of warm water. Clean the outside of the refrigerator with glass cleaner. Use all-purpose cleaner to clean appliances, the stovetop and counter. Wash the trash can out and spray with disinfectant before you put in a new bag. On linoleum floors, spray foaming tile cleaner, wait 5 minutes then sponge mop until they are sparkling.

Bathrooms: Spray the tub and shower with a strong cleanser. Pour cleaner into the toilet bowl and spray the outside of the bowl with the same cleaner. Let all this sit while you continue by cleaning the mirror, light fixtures and chrome with a glass cleaner. Vacuum everything and empty and clean the wastebasket. Clean the sink and wipe off the cleanser applied in the tub and shower. Clean outside the toilet bowl and flush inside. Scrub the floor with a strong cleanser.

After choosing from a multitude of colonial house plans, or maybe another style home of your dreams, these easy tips will help you keep it looking new and beautiful for years to come.