The first day of Spring is right around the corner. Your home has been closed up all winter long and has probably become a bit dusty, cluttered, and disorganized. If you are planning to put your home on the market soon, you'll need to purge, clean, and de-clutter so that your home is appealing to all those potential buyers! Even if you're not planning a move in the immediate future, having a clean home to start the warm weather months is always a plus. We've provided you a spring cleaning checklist to help you make it through this labor-intensive, but necessary, annual process.
- Clean out the garage and the front porch/patio. Sweep the cobwebs and dirt from the corners and power spray the floors. Get rid of tools you don't use or that are rusted or beyond repair.
- Inspect the roof and gutter. Determine if you need additional evaluation or repairs.
- Examine your home's exterior and touch up if needed. Power wash the outside of the house, including windows.
- Drain all sediment from your hot water heater.
- Perform maintenance on home cooling systems.
- Donate clothing that has not been worn for more than two years.
- Using a telescoping vacuum extension, sweep away all cobwebs and dust near the ceilings.
- Wash the walls throughout the house using 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda to 1 gallon of warm water.
- Wash all inside windows. Vacuum out the tracks.
- Vacuum/wash/dry clean all window coverings.
- Dust and wash light fixtures and chandeliers.
- Wash all knickknacks.
- Vacuum lampshades. Replace lightbulbs.
- Clean out and reorganize your linen closet.
- With a vacuum brush, remove hair stuck to walls and ceiling by hair dryers and hair spray.
- Deep clean shower, toilet, floor and sink.
- Inventory the medicine cabinet and toss all of your expired medicine.
- Defrost freezer (if needed) and wash out refrigerator. Toss out expired foods.
- Remove screen on stove fan and wash.
- Clean oven and soak stove rings and drip pans.
- Go through your kitchen appliances, clean thoroughly and get rid of ones you no longer use regularly.
- Use your vacuum on the front of the coils and motor to remove dust and dirt.
- Vacuum books and bookshelves.
- Launder all quilts, blankets, comforters and bedspreads and turn your mattresses.
- Move all furniture to the center of each room and vacuum thoroughly.
- Rent a carpet cleaner or hire a company to clean your carpets.
- Inventory the contents of each room. Force yourself to get rid of the things you don't need. Purge, purge, purge!
- Have an individual garage sale or check with your neighborhood to see if they are planning a neighborhood garage sale.
- Put the proceeds toward a family vacation, or visit a local amusement park, water park or favorite restaurant to celebrate the beginning of summer. Or you can donate some of your proceeds to your favorite charity.
If you have a home to sell or need to buy one, don't hesitate to contact The Poss Team at 614-431-0414 or email us at thepossteam@mindspring.com for help.