We are well into spring in the desert, even though by the calendar we have not quite hit official Spring yet. That means it’s time to tackle spring cleaning. Since so many of us are practicing social distancing and spending more time at home. it’s a perfect time to tackle some of those projects that have been on the back-burner during the preceding holiday season.
Cleaning our homes is more important than ever in the wake of the spreading COVID-19 virus, since the virus can live on surfaces for a period of time. I’m sure most of you have been disinfecting countertops and door handles and faucets, but deep cleaning your whole home may help (it certainly can’t hurt!), and it’s a task needs to be done anyway. So let’s get going!
Make repairs
We often let little repairs pile up, while waiting for the perfect time. Life gets busy, we know. But now there are no excuses! With all the activities and events being canceled, your weekends can be dedicated to knocking out that honey-do list. Whether it’s a drywall repair, replacing a broken fixture, or ensuring that your garden irrigation is working properly, you’ll be glad you used this time at home to get your home in top working order.
Why wait for summer to start home fixing projects when you can get them done during spring cleaning? Small repair projects like a simple furniture repaint or replacing a fixture will take just a few hours. Doing this will also give you a better start at your other spring cleaning agendas by giving you a boost of self-accomplishment.
Refresh your paint
While you are moving furniture to clean around and under, it might be a good time to freshen up the paint in your most used rooms. This can leave you with a clean canvas for rearranging artwork and decor as you are cleaning your home. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for your mental outlook. Clean, fresh, and inviting…and ready for another year!
Try new furniture arrangements
Another way to freshen up a room is to rearrange the furniture. Get rid of furniture you don’t need, or pull furniture out of storage and find a new and fresh purpose for it. It’s also a good time to change up rugs, table decorations, throw pillows – anything that can make the room look fresh and new without spending a lot of money.
Now for the actual cleaning!
Of course, this wouldn’t be a blog about “spring cleaning” if we didn’t actually talk about cleaning! This is everyone’s least favorite topic, 
but, it must be done. It’s easier to break up the chores. Maybe make a “social distancing cleaning schedule” where you tackle one task or one room per day over a period of a couple weeks. By the time we are able to emerge back into the normalcy, your homes should be sparkling clean! (yeah right!).
- Vacuuming floors is a given, but also vacuum your couches and under furniture. Steam clean carpets.
- Freshen beds by vacuuming or steam cleaning (make sure this won’t void your warranty).
- Clean all appliances, inside, outside, and under. Your refrigerator can collect lots of pet hair dust underneath, which can impact air circulation and operational efficiency.
- Clean out kitchen cabinets and drawers, and wipe down, inside and out. Run any silverware trays or organizers through the dishwasher (or hand wash, if not dishwasher safe). Give away or discard any utensils or gadgets that never get used to cut down on clutter.
- Clean out your pantry. Discard any expired food, or donate food you won’t be using that is not expired. Clean the shelves and floor, and reorganize the items as you put them back.
- Mop all hard floors, clean baseboards and trim, and use touch-up paint to repair any chipped paint on trim and baseboards.
- Disinfect all sinks and bathtubs and scrub thoroughly. If you have lime buid-up on faucets or shower heads, soak them in CLR or other product that removes lime.
- Change HVAC filters.
- Have your A/C serviced to prepare for summer, if you haven’t already.
- Put winter clothing in storage, and give away any clothes that no longer fit or that you no longer wear. This should free up space in your closet and allow you to organize your things more easily.
- Empty out the linen closet, discard worn-out linens and reorganize.
- Go through bathroom drawers, cabinets, and medicine cabinets. Safely discard expired medicines per guidelines. Clean and reorganize the drawers and cabinets before putting items back in.
- Get rid of clutter. You may have to separate things you want to get rid of, and store it in the garage until you can donate it or sell it at a later date.
This is by no means a comprehensive list. Depending on your home or your specific situation, you may need to tackle other tasks as well. You’ll be glad you took the time to care for your home. Susan Pellegrini and Karen DeGeorge are ready to put their care and expertise to work for you. Buying or selling, our first-class service comes with a wealth of experience and eye for detail, ready to focus on you. Visit our website to learn more and contact us or give us a call at (480)- 315-1575, we’re here for you.
