Clean Your Carpets
Most experts and carpet manufacturers say that in order to keep your carpet in top condition, you should vacuum it once a week per member of your household. However, vacuuming alone cannot get the job done. You also need to shampoo your carpets at least once every twelve to eighteen months. That is why carpet shampooing is a good chore to add to your list of spring cleaning projects. In order to complete this task, you will either need to purchase or rent a carpet shampoo machine.
If you are only going to shampoo your carpets once a year, then I would recommend renting an upright carpet shampooer for that job and buying a small handheld carpet cleaning machine to handle spills and stains in the interim. There is no sense in storing a large piece of equipment year round especially since it will take several years to get your investment back. By then there will probably be better carpet shampoo machines available.
To clean your carpets, the first step is to clear away any furniture or other items such as long drapes that might obstruct your way to the carpet. Next, you should vacuum the carpet well to get rid of any surface dirt and debris. The object of carpet shampooing is to loosen and remove dirt and grime that has worked its way deep into the carpet fibers and cannot be removed by a vacuum. The next step will be to prepare your cleaning solution. You can buy brand name carpet shampoos that you dilute with hot water and combine with antifoam agents or you can make your own homemade carpet shampoo. My favorite homemade carpet cleaner is a one to one mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar is one of the magic substances that you can use to clean almost anything.
After you shampoo your carpet, it is very important to rinse the carpet thoroughly. The best way to do this is to run the carpet shampoo machine with just cold water in it. The cold water will attract any soap residue that is still left in the carpet and then the carpet cleaning machine will extract it with heavy suction. When you run over your carpets and the solution in the discharge container is completely clear of soap and suds then your carpets are rinsed. Finally, you need to allow approximately twenty-four hours for your carpets to dry. You should avoid walking on them while they are wet.
Add a comment February 24, 2010
Tags: carpet cleaning, carpet cleaning machine, carpet shampoo, carpet shampoo machine, carpet shampooer
Clean Your Refrigerator and Kitchen Cabinets
Even if you are careful to clean up any spills as you go throughout the year, your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets are bound to have some stains and dust settled in them over time. Spring cleaning is a great time to empty out all of your kitchen storage areas and give them a thorough cleaning. Then, you can reorganize and declutter when you put everything back.
When cleaning out the refrigerator, you should empty it completely to make sure you are not missing any stray pieces of spoiled food. If the refrigerator is completely empty, you can take out all the drawers and shelves and clean them in the sink. Then you will be able to reach into all the corners of your refrigerator without any obstructions blocking your path. Check the expiration dates of all the food and get rid of anything that is passed its date. Sometimes things like condiments and salad dressing find a way to stay past their prime. Then, when you put your food back into the refrigerator you can reorganize it so that the items you use more frequently are easier to reach and the larger items are in the back, etc.
Before you start the project of cleaning out your kitchen cabinets, you should think about whether or not you want to do any major reorganizing. For example, if you are going to switch the cabinets that hold you drinking glasses and your plates, you should empty both cabinets completely before putting anything back in. If things are going to stay in the same general location then you can clean one cabinet at a time so that your counter tops are not too cluttered with the contents of your cabinets.
Wipe all the surfaces in your cabinets down. Do not forget the sides and the underside of top shelves. This is also a good time to get on top of your cabinets. That one area collects more dust than you can imagine. Once everything is wiped clean, you might want to think about laying down some contact paper in your drawers and cabinets to protect them from stains and wear. IF you find that the paint is chipped in some places, now might be a good time to do some touch up work. While everything is out of the cabinets, you will not be using them and you will be less likely to smudge your paintwork.
As you clean out cabinets, you are going to find things that do not belong where you found them. Keep these items separated so you can put them in the right storage space when you come to it or relocate it into a cabinet or drawer that has already been cleaned. Do not just put everything back where you found it. Take advantage of this opportunity to keep your kitchen organized and more efficient.
Add a comment February 24, 2010
Tags: cabinets, contact paper, Kitchen, Organization, refirgerator
Clean Your Windows and Walls
Most people do not include a thorough window and wall washing in their weekly chores. First of all, the weather needs to be appropriate to go outside and clean your windows and washing the walls is a long process that requires moving furniture and using drop cloths. That is why these projects are perfect for spring cleaning. The weather is nice enough that you can get outside to clean your windows, but not so hot that the task will be unpleasant.
When washing windows in the spring, I would recommend that you take off all of your screens and give them a thorough rinsing with a hose. This project does not need to be down very often, but once a year is good. If you want, you can use a ladder and climb up to clean all of your windows by hand, but there is an alternative. Some glass cleaner companies have products now that you attach to the end of a hose and you can spray the cleaner onto second story windows from the ground. The formulas are supposed to dry with no streaks and leave your windows sparkling. Of course, the inside of your widows can be cleaned with glass cleaner easily. You will be amazed at how much more light you have in your home once your windows are clean on both the inside and the outside.
Cleaning walls is a large project as well. First of all, you want to remove any furniture from against the walls so that you have room to work. In addition, you should lay down drop cloths over furniture and carpet so that dripping cleaning chemicals do not adversely affect your furniture or carpet. The best wall cleaner to use is ammonia. You can buy clear ammonia from any janitorial supply store. Use one to two cups of ammonia per gallon of water. It is better to use cool water rather than hot water to avoid too many fumes. When cleaning with ammonia it is important that the room you are cleaning in be well ventilated.
A good cleaning tool to use for the upper part of the walls is a flat sponge mop. Run the mop saturated with the ammonia solution over your walls. Ring out the mop so that it is as dry as possible. Put a clean cloth over the sponge and run the mop over the same area again to dry it. Once you do the top part of the walls, take the sponge off of the mop handle and do the bottom half by hand. You always want to work from the top down to avoid having to go back and re-clean areas because of dripping. Do not skip the baseboards or chair rails as you go for the same reason.
Add a comment February 24, 2010
Tags: ammonia, baseboards, mop sponge, walls, windows
Store Winter Clothing and Declutter Your Closets
One of the main things that people like to do when it comes time to do some spring cleaning is purge. Spring is a light and carefree time so people like to get rid of the heavy and unnecessary clothing and accoutrements of winter. The first step is to set aside all of your winter clothing, coats, and accessories that you will not be using until next winter. Next, separate out any items that you did not wear or use during the last winter. If you could not find a reason to use them last winter, what makes you think you will use them next winter? You can then donate theses articles to a local Salvation Army or Good Will. With the clothing and accessories that remain, make sure that you thoroughly clean everything before you proceed. Skin particles, hair, and stain residues are extremely attractive to certain bugs that could damage your clothing during storage. It is always best to start with clean winter clothes.
Carefully fold all of your winter clothing and store it in airtight plastic containers with the heaviest items on the bottom. Plastic is better than cardboard because the cardboard containers are porous and offer many places for bugs to enter. In addition, cardboard will not protect against any possible water damage. You want the heavier clothes on the bottom because you want to avoid wrinkling and crushing as much as possible. Folding is usually better than hanging because prolonged hanging can stretch out sweaters and other articles of clothing into unnatural shapes. However, suits and coats are something that you should hang if you can.
In that case, hang them on cedar hangers to help keep away unwanted pests and cover them with garment bags. Trash bags or other plastic bags should be avoided. In the plastic containers with your other clothing, use cedar chips or scented sachets like lavender or rosemary to keep away pests and add a pleasant smell to your clothes. Mothballs might do a better job at keeping away pests, but some of the chemicals in mothballs can damage your clothing and they will not smell great when you unpack them next winter.
Once all of your winter clothes are packed, you should store them in a cool, dark, and dry place. These conditions will help keep away pests and preserve your clothes the best. Try to avoid areas where there will be extreme heat or possible dampness because those conditions will encourage mold and mildew formation.
Add a comment February 24, 2010
Tags: cedar hangers, clothing, Organization, storing for winter, winter clothes
Wash Bedding and Upholstery
Bed pillows, furniture cushions, stuffed animals, bedspreads, dust riffles, and throw pillows are all places where allergens can hide. You may keep a very clean house, but if these items are not washed as well, you could still be exposing your family to unwanted allergens and dust. All of these things can be cleaned. If you ever read the labels on your bed pillows, comforters, and stuffed animals that you are warned not to remove, there are instructions on how to launder them. All of these things can be cleaned in a washing machine. You just need to follow the directions. In some cases, you might be better off with a front loading washing machine so that the centerpiece that is in a top loading washing machine is not present and your pillows and bed linens run into less obstacles. If you need to, I would take these items to a laundry mat so you can take advantage of the large capacity machines. You can also run these items through the dryer. Again, just follow the instructions carefully. You will probably need to dry them for a few hours at lower heat. Take them out occasionally to shake them out and make sure they are not overheating.
The cushions on your couches and armchairs are a little bit more of an issue. Some furniture cushions have removable covers that can be taken off and laundered. In these instances, you are left with a foam cushion. If the foam cushions are small enough, you can put them in the washing machine as well. If not, then you can clean them in your bathtub. Use warm soapy water to clean them and then rinse thoroughly until there is absolutely no soapsuds coming out when you ring them. You can lay the foam cushions out to dry on a sunny day or use a rack in the dryer if they will fit. Make sure that the foam is completely dry before you put the covers back on. If the covers are no removable, then you can clean your furniture cushions with a carpet steam cleaner. You can rent one of these machines from your local grocery store. Cleaning upholstery is similar to cleaning your carpets.
Add a comment February 24, 2010
Tags: bedding, cleaning upholstery, pillows, spring clenaing, washing machine
Hello world!
Thank you for visiting Spring Cleaning Ideas, my new blog with tips, suggestions, and ideas about good spring cleaning projects and how to get them done. Please comment or add your thoughts to any of my posts. If you have a good spring cleaning idea you would like me to write about, send me a note!
1 comment February 24, 2010
