SIMPLIFY SPRING CLEANING PART ONE

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Investing some time in spring cleaning will help your dream home withstand another year of wear and tear.  While some experts recommend cleaning room by room, you’ll save time by tackling one task in all rooms and then moving on to the next task.

Here is part one of spring cleaning your new construction home.

1. Clean ceiling fixtures and mouldings first.  This is the perfect opportunity to put all of those interesting attachments for your vacuum cleaner to work.  Use the soft nozzle attachment to remove dust from ceiling fans, chandeliers, wall sconces, crown mouldings, baseboards and air-conditioner vents.  Then use a damp cloth to remove any remaining dust, especially on the light bulbs.  If your dream home has tall ceilings or skylights, consider purchasing a stepladder and tools that help extend your reach.

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2. Wash windows, walls and curtains. You may be able to skip this step depending on how long you’ve lived in your dream home.  If you’ve had your window treatments for a while, take down those that can be easily removed and have them dry cleaned unless their instructions state that they can be machine washed.  Once they are removed, wash the interior windows and windowsills.  Walls become adorned with splashes, fingerprints and debris over time.  It’s best to use a sponge and hand dishwashing detergent on the walls.  To reach higher spots, use a sponge mop.  Use two buckets to wash the walls—one for the detergent solution and the other with plain water for wringing out sponges.  When you’re done, dry the walls and windows with a clean, soft cloth.
3. Shampoo carpets and upholstery. Snowy Southeast Michigan winters wreak havoc on your dream home’s carpet so if you’ve lived in your home at least a year, it’s best to have your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned.  To protect the carpeting and your furniture, place pieces of wax paper underneath furniture legs after shampooing.  If you opt to save money by renting a carpet cleaner, make sure to start in an unobtrusive spot in case the treatment causes the fabric to fade or the dyes to run.  Note—clean carpets on a warm, sunny day so you can open windows which will help them dry much faster.
4. Finish with the floors.  If you have hard woods, it’s best to move all rugs and put furniture aside to clean the entire floor.  Apply a wood cleaner and either a paste polish or liquid to clean.  If the hard woods have a lot of foot traffic, it must be waxed according to the National Wood Flooring Association.  Note—Never wax a surface-finished floor nor use vinyl or tile floor care products on hard wood floors.  For other types of flooring, apply a sealer according to its label’s directions.  While no-wax floors don’t require a polishing treatment, an occasional refresh with a shining floor cleaner will add a protective buffer that may extend the floor’s life.

Article by: Jennifer Elkow