Allen Benoit
March 21, 2018
Start home grown tomatoes now
March 21, 2018
With the days being longer and the temps getting warmer, I know all I want to do is live outside! But the inside of my home also beckons to me with desire of a clean, fresh start to the new season. Here are a few simple tips to giving your home a quick spring cleaning:
1. Start from the top, down: Begin with ceiling fans and work your way down the walls, to the baseboards. Clean ceiling fans with the vacuum’s soft bristle nozzle attachment. Use a damp sponge mop to start high up on the walls, and to help with the baseboards so you don’t have to bend over as far.
2. Deep clean carpets and upholstery: All that winter snuggling has deposited dirt and germs in your sofas and chairs! Consider using a carpet or upholstery cleaner to really give your furniture a deep cleaning. Move furniture out of the way and be sure to clean every inch of carpets and rugs.
3. Clean out that refrigerator! Take everything out of your refrigerator and clean each shelf with a water and vinegar mixture. The vinegar helps to remove old smells. Organize the contents of your refrigerator as you place items back in so nothing disappears from view. Take your cleaning one step further and clean the refrigerator’s condenser coil. You may have to pull the refrigerator out to get to this part, but it’s worth cleaning at least once a year to prevent the appliance from overheating.
4. Take care of the Sleep Zone: In the bedrooms, rotate mattresses, launder blankets and comforters and clean heavy drapery. Get your pillows professionally cleaned or consider purchasing new ones.
5. Get Sudsy: In a well-ventilated bathroom, spray cleaning solution in showers, tubs and toilets. Let it sit a bit to thoroughly disinfect before rinsing. Replace shower liners, curtains, bath mats and torn towels.
6. See Spring clearly: Wash windows and window screens thoroughly, inside and out. Pick a cloudy day to do this task; the sun can dry the solution too quickly and leave unwanted streaks.
7. Exterior updates: With the warming weather, now is the time to wash your home, clean out the gutters, and pressure wash sidewalks and patios. Apply a fresh coat of paint to doors and shutters, carefully sanding old painted wood before applying a new coat. Increase your curb value by planting spring flowers in your beds and pots near your front door. Replace any old and hard-to-see house numbers on your mailbox. This not only helps the pizza guy, but emergency personnel that might need to see your address quickly.
6. Get organized! While you are cleaning each room, take a moment to review its contents. Sorts items into three containers: keep; garage sale/donate; and trash. Go through closets and be honest with yourself over items that you didn’t wear at all last year. They might be better suited in the donate bin.
7. Stay safe: Daylight Saving Time is when you should be changing out the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Check the date on the fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Update any first aid kits in the home, making sure anything that was used is replaced.
