This month, we’re going to be walking you through the best way to clean and organize each of those problem areas in your home. The 7-part series will include:
Part 5: Surfaces!
Spring time is the perfect time to wipe down all the surfaces in your home. But you may be staring at the ceiling (literally) and thinking, “how in the world am I ever going to get all of these surfaces clean? The walls need wiping, the counters need scrubbing, and even my wooden furniture needs a once-over. Do I need to go buy some of those fancy eraser things?” But if you break it down into an achievable plan like this one and maybe even get your kids to pitch in, it will take less time than you might think, and you can probably do it all with ingredients you already have.
Starting with the ceiling, grab your microfiber mop and your spray bottle mixture of liquid dish soap and warm water, and begin cleaning the ceiling. Start in the upper left hand corner, and work your way to the other end of the room. Don’t forget the cobwebs hiding out in the corners and near the drapery rods!
Next, wipe down the walls using your microfiber mop. Once again, start on the left and work your way across the room. For handprints or dried food spills, spray the area with your dish soap and warm water solution first, then wipe with a damp microfiber cloth.
After cleaning the walls, concentrate on the baseboards. Using the nozzle on your HEPA filter vacuum, clean all the baseboards and corners of the room. Spray and wipe down baseboards with a damp microfiber cloth.
Next, clean the countertops. To clean tile, granite, silestone, and formica countertops, use a mixture of liquid dish soap and warm water. Wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. For wood and stainless steel kitchen countertops, mix ½ cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water. Rub the paste into the wood using a microfiber cloth. Rinse and wipe clean. Clean concrete surfaces with a damp microfiber cloth and a mixture of vinegar and warm water.
When cleaning wood furniture, combine mayonnaise, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Mix ingredients together. Dab some of the mixture onto a dry microfiber cloth and rub into furniture. Polish with another dry microfiber cloth.
Next vacuum the floors. To remove odors in carpets, sprinkle baking soda on carpet before vacuuming. To remove tough carpet stains, blot the spot immediately and cover with baking soda, cornstarch, or borax. When dry, blot the spot with club soda, then vacuum.
When mopping floors, save time and mop without a bucket by using your microfiber mop and a spray bottle filled with water.
And that’s it! I bet you thought cleaning your surfaces would be harder than that 🙂 Depending on how big your house is, it may take a while, but it will go by more quickly if you follow a plan like this one, especially if you get the whole family involved!
That’s it for Part 5 of Marie Stegner’s Guide to Spring Cleaning! Send us pictures of your clean and organized closets, and check back tomorrow for Part 6: Bathrooms!
