5 Spring Cleaning Tasks You Can Do in a Day
Hello, Spring! A new season has arrived. Spring cleaning is in full swing, and I thought I would include these five spring cleaning tips as our task for Week 12. The winter to spring transition in South Florida has been just plain awful. Every other person I know had or knew someone that has had a bad case of flu, bronchitis, and even pneumonia. Not good! I was sick three weeks out of the last 5; luckily, they were not consecutive weeks.
My son and my husband were no exception, and the last two weeks in my household all you could hear was lots of coughing. So, last Sunday all I did was dust, wash, scrub and disinfect every possible surface in my home.
Here are 5 spring cleaning tasks you can do in a day to renew and refresh your home, and -hopefully- you will get rid of pesky viruses and bacteria that could be lingering around.
1.Dust and Clean All Table Lamps
Table lamps are one of those housewares that we usually forget to dust and deep clean. The light bulb and the lampshade accumulate as much dust as everything else.
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- Unplug the lamp off the electrical outlet.
- Unscrew the finial and separate the lampshade from the lamp base
- Wipe clean the dust off the light bulb and lamp base
- Wipe clean the inside and outside of the lamp shade
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2. Scrub and Disinfect All Trash Cans
This is a task that should be done on a regular basis. Although the garbage bag protects the trash can from spills, dust and dirt, it is necessary to deep clean it to get rid of viruses, bacteria and odors.
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- Empty out the garbage can and spray it with your disinfectant of your choice
- Let the product sit on the trash can for 1 minute or so.
- Recommended:put on latex gloves to protect your hands and arms (from bacteria and hot water)
- Scrub and rinse under hot water
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3. Deep Clean and Deodorize Your Mattresses
Use this day to change out the sheets in your household and take the opportunity to deep clean mattresses.
Here’s what you have to do:
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- Generously sprinkle baking soda directly over the surface of the mattresses
- Rub baking soda over the mattress
- Let mixture sit for an hour and do its magic
- After an hour, vacuum the baking soda using the end of a vacuum hose and an upholstery attachment
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Baking soda absorbs odors and moisture. Say goodbye to dust mites by vacuuming them up!
4. Wipe Clean and Disinfect Door Handles
Take a tub of disinfecting wipes and go around the house wiping every door handle, and every other surface that is in constant contact with hands.
Another few places and things you can wipe clean and disinfect in a day:
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- Light switches
- Keys
- Telephones
- Tablets / iPads / iPhones
- Alarm keypads
- Remote controls
- Video game controls
- Kitchen cabinet handles and drawer pulls
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5. Vacuum Air Duct Return Grills and Change Out The Filters
Look up and find your AC’s return grills. The return grills are the ones that pull the air back into the unit in order for it to recirculate. If you do not clean them often, you will notice there is a layer of dust build-up in them.
Here is what you can do:
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- Pull out a chair or a step stool high enough to reach the grill.
- Use a handheld vacuum or attach the brush attachment to the end of the vacuum’s hose
- Vacuum up all the dust moving the vacuum brush in one direction (left to right or vice-versa)
- If necessary, wipe the grill clean with a microfiber cloth.
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You can quickly do all these five tasks in a day. They definitely will make a significant impact on the cleanliness of your home.
Happy speedy spring cleaning!