2019 Spring Cleaning Tips
1. Open Your Windows!
After several months of a stuffy house without fresh air circulating, it's time to let that fresh air circulate all over your home. Winter months may have continually deposited dirt, allergens, dust and other contaminants into the air and air ducts. A professional air duct cleaning by Dream Steam might be in order and will help keep your home cleaner, and free of unhealthy allergens and dust. You can contact us to measure your indoor air quality and get your air ducts cleaned out.
2. Organization is the Key
Clean out your cleaning supplies. Get rid of old supplies that have no cleaning power if they have been sitting for a while. Make sure your supplies include: a bucket, rags, cleaning sprays, wood treatments, rubber gloves, scrub brushes, and toilet cleaners. Store them all in one place. Here is a clever tip: Put a rag at the bottom of the bucket to absorb any spills from chemicals.
3. Make a Checklist
As a plan of action, create a checklist of a room by room tasks you need to accomplish so that you do not miss anything. Plan to clean or vacuum floors last so that you can pick up dust and dirt after cleaning surfaces.
4. Cleaning Bathrooms
We recommend cleaning the bathrooms first since its the task that usually takes the longest. Get it out of the way first. Start with the fixtures, counters, sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtub next, clean floors last. Treat stained tile and grout with grout sprays, if mildew or other problems have affected your tiles, we advise calling Dream Steam to professionally restore your bathroom tile and grout to new or almost new condition. They can also clean your floors and make them clean as new.
Once the bathrooms are clean, the rest of the spring cleaning should go fast.
5. Don’t Forget Your Walls
Because dust and dirt fall and land on furniture, blinds, carpets, and drapes, we forget about our walls. Walls get affected by dust as well and should be wiped down when doing deep cleaning, so add them to your list.
Depending on what type of paint you have on your walls, different cleaning methods should be used. Dust your walls first with a damp cloth. Warm clean water is the most effective, rinsing your cloth often as to not smear a dirty rag across your walls, defeating the purpose of cleaning your walls. Place cloths on your floor to protect your floors or carpets from drips. If you come across a stubborn stain, add a couple of clear dish soap to your water and tackle the smudge and rinse with clean water to avoid leaving soap residue which can damage your wall paint, and also attracts more dust. Start at the top of the wall and move down. Use steady step ladders and be careful. Once walls have been wiped down with a damp cloth, wipe them down with a clean dry cloth to remove any excess water.
6. Dusting 101
After a long winter, dust is hiding everywhere. We recommend microfiber cleaning cloths and a duster. You might need to add a little water to your cloth for some areas. Turn your furniture upside down and vacuum under it, as dust, dirt and pet hairs accumulate and hide down there. Again, we recommend a professional air duct cleaning so that your dusting is not in vain. Having dirty air ducts will continue to bring dust, dirt, and allergens into your home and making your cleaning efforts futile. Dream Steam can get your air ducts clean and allow you to house feel clean and the air feels fresh. Contact us today.
7. Pet Hair and Odors
While vacuuming can suck up most pet hair, some of it can linger. For tougher areas, use a lint roller or a dampened (clean) sponge, and rub it on the surface of your furniture to pull up the hair. If your furniture has stains and looks dirty, get it professionally cleaned by Dream Steam and save yourself from the hassle. Over the winter, the furniture collects ingrained dirt, stains, and pet odors. Our certified cleaning professionals can leave your furniture looking bright, clean, and spotless – and free from pet odors.
8. Cleaning Out the Fridge
It is now time to attack the kitchen. Start with the refrigerator. Remove all food and have a trash receptacle nearby to throw away any unwanted or expired items. Remove the drawers and shelves and place them in the sink to soak in hot, soapy water. Your cleaning mixture should be simply warm (or hot) water and a little dish soap. Wash all surfaces thoroughly.
For tougher substances stuck to the surface, soak them so they soften, and scrub off with a plastic scrubber – not cleanser, as it will scratch the surface. Once the interior is clean, rinse all surfaces with a clean cloth and warm water, and dry with another clean cloth. Let the interior air out with the door open while you clean the drawers and shelves. Replace them, return the food, turn the unit back on, and put in an open box of baking soda at the back. Now clean the outside of the fridge with warm water and dish soap. Never use an abrasive cloth on stainless steel. Rinse with clean water and a new cloth, and then dry.
9. Fixtures and Appliances
There are many types of stoves, so the cleaning process varies. It is important that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, depending upon the type of stove top in your home. Study up and follow those directions. For standard stoves, take off all removable pieces and put them to soak in warm, soapy water. Move to the stovetop and soak it down to soften any stuck food, and then get to scrubbing with a non-abrasive scrubber. Once clean, rinse with a clean cloth and warm water. Move to the pieces and remove all stuck-on substances with a tough scrubber. Let them dry, and then replace on the stove.
10. Vacuuming Plan
Use your vacuum attachment to clean the corners and edges first. Then move to the floors: carpets and area rugs. Vacuum carpeted areas twice. Stains and embedded dirt? Contact the professionals at Dream Steam for a deep clean.
11. Closets - Out with the Old
Time to donate your older, unused clothing. Remove all hanging or folded garments and fully wipe down those areas. Vacuum thoroughly, replace the clothing you need and put winter sweaters, coats and other garments you won’t be using for months into plastic containers if that works for you. Adding cedar rounds to your hangers can bring a pleasant scent and keep moths at bay.
12. Floors
Time to fully clean your floors. Every surface requires specific cleaning procedures. Always use the floor cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer, or you may be left with streaks and residue. The same goes for tile floors.
13. Dream Steam Can Help
Dream Steam can make spring cleaning a snap. We do all the heavy lifting, and can deep clean your furniture, tile, and grout, hardwood floors, carpets, mattress cleaning, and even purify your HVAC system correctly. Pet odors or stains? No problem. Why not take the day off and let us do our magic? Your home will look sparkling, and the air will be sweet and fresh. Contact us today for a quote.