Your Spring Cleaning Checklist

As the weather warms and you find yourself soaking up the sun don't forget to swing open those doors (and cupboards!) and get a good deep cleaning in. 

After a long winter of being cooped up inside and spending your afternoons cuddled up on the couch it's no wonder it's called spring cleaning. It's finally warm and things that have been left untouched need to be gutted out :) I know they do in my house! 

Here is my checklist, these are things I would do in addition to a normal weekly cleaning. 

My advice:

• Break it up and don't tackle too many things on the list at once--ESPECIALLY if you have kids. I made you a very limited and doable list with 10 or less chores per room! If you are feeling the need for more simply google spring cleaning and you will be blow away ---- seriously. But if this list still frightens you don't be discouraged, pick a few things and do those to start. Or decide to do simple ONE thing on this whole page per day this spring. 
• Include your kids if you have them!! I can still remember my sister and I borrowing my moms "cleaning bandannas" and wrapping them up around our hair (Think the "We can do it" sign) as we grabbed dusters and brooms to "help" my mom out. Make it fun with loud Disney music and make sure there are goodies along the way.
• Meal plan for that "day" or grab a take-out so you aren't worried about starting dinner in the midst of reorganizing your cupboards when the counter is littered with food. 
• OPEN the windows!!!! It definitely makes it feel so much more springy! And I don't know about you but I feel so much more in the mood for cleaning when the breeze is blowing and the sun is shining. 
• Crank the tunes! Whatever music gets you motivated get it blasting. 
• Get movin. For me, I have to start first thing in the morning and move move move! 
• Take a break -- or don't. Okay, so some people need to take a break and put their feet up to get up the energy to start again. For ME, as soon as I take a break (usually around mid-afternoon for naps) that is IT, I am done. No matter how much I try to muster up the momentum I had I am so tired and done for that day. So know yourself! 

Make sure your house is ready to go for deep cleaning! Trust me I know this is hard, if you ever actually have your whole house clean usually it took the whole day (week) to do so and the last thing you want to do is start deep cleaning. So all I say is at least straighten up! It's hard to completely gut out your bedroom when the counter in the kitchen is covered in breakfast mess and dishes. Clean up and then dig in.

I am making these lists in addition to a regular house cleaning. So there are not the obvious weekly tasks that we do when cleaning the house. (PLEASE NOTE, cleaning your microwave, if not already a weekly task, needs to be! I never get why people don't clean their microwaves. Pop a cup of water in there for a few minutes to loosen things up before you clean, trick from my mama). 

Bedrooms:

1. Open windows
2. Change sheets, mattress cover and bed skirt. 
3. Flip mattress
4. Dust all blinds (good kid job!)
5. Wash windows and panels 
6. Take off curtains and wash
7. Clean out under the bed, in closets and under dressers
8. Reorganize clothes and get rid of ones you aren't wearing! 

Bathroom:

1. Scrub behind toilet and sink (if you can) and any area you normally just do a quick wipe down
2. Take everything out of your shower and scrub everywhere -- I am talking toothbrush here people!
3. Go through medicine cabinets and throw out old lotions, medicine (flush) and expired products
4. Wipe out cupboards and cabinets
5. Wash and wipe fronts of sink drawers
6. Wash walls/baseboards
7. Clean shower curtain and liner

Kitchen

1. OPEN WINDOWS -- this is especially important when using strong smelling products. If using natural products no worries........but I'd still open up :) 
2. Apply oven cleaner and follower instructions
3. Take stove top apart and scrub each part (This I do weekly so if you do as well then consider doing a step further like this)
4. Take off stove top knobs to soak and scrub
5. Clean out pantry and cupboards - discard expired food and repacked spilled bean, rice, etc
6. Empty and clean refrigerator and freezer -- this is best done right before a shopping trip when it is the most empty. Make sure to clean before you leave so that you aren't waiting with cold food items when you get home. 
7. Pull away from the wall slightly the stove and refrigerator if you can and clean behind. Be sure to check the cords for any damage. 
8. Run your coffee maker and dishwasher on empty with some vinegar
9. Clean EVERYTHING off your counter tops and scrub underneath
10. Organize drawers and wipe down inside and fronts of cabinets

Living/Family Room:

1. Take all cushions off couch and vacuum -- just vacuum everywhere! 
2. Clean out under couch and entertainment center
3. Move entertainment center away from wall and clean cords, back of tv, etc
4. Clean wains coating  -- I use a toothbrush and rag
5. If you have rugs, move them and clean underneath
6. Wipe down legs of end tables, coffee table, etc
7. Clean light fixtures
8. Wipe down curtain rods
9. Disinfect remote, tv buttons and other electronics that get handled frequently 
10. Buff and clean leather furniture 

Laundry Room:

1. Wipe down washer and dryer
2. Take out dryer vent and clean 
3. DE-CLUTTER this room :) That can take me a whole day as it is my dump zone
4. Wash floors behind appliances under laundry room sink
5. Organize food products with oldest in front and other items on shelves

Kids Rooms (follow Bedroom checklist with these few modifications)

1. Toy simplify! Donate or put in storage toys that have had no play in over a week
2. Wipe down bed frames that may have gunk or stains
3. Wipe down closet doors
4. Organize clothes and shoes pack away or donate too small of ones
5. Take toys and books off shelves and wipes down

Whole House:

1. Dust and wipe fans
2. Scrub/wipe baseboards (this was my job when I was 5!!)
3. After regular mopping take a knife and spray bottle of cleaner around and scrape any gunk off your floors. Jelly and lots of other unpleasant things get stuck in every nook and cranny at my house and this is the only want to get them up!
4. Wash windows inside and out
5. Take off screens and scrub with water and soapy scrub brush then hose off to rinse
6. Spot clean your carpets
7. Wash walls, door handles, light switches and anything else you don't normally clean
8. Vacuum ceiling air vents
9. Vacuum cobwebs from all corners and ceilings  
10. Dust light bulbs, smoke detectors and high shelves that normally get neglected

Happy Cleaning!