Spring has sprung and light streams through the windows. There’s no style to be had with every bit of winter’s grime now visible, so can cleaning be far behind?
No need to panic, says Stephanie Legros, cleaning lady extraordinaire and the owner of Sort it Out Cleaning in Dartmouth, N.S. You just need to have a plan and tackle the cleaning one room at a time, working from top to bottom in each.
However, if you’re desperate for a little instant gratification, start with the windows, she says.
For small jobs, Legros has created a concoction of vinegar, a little rubbing alcohol, dish soap and water. But for big jobs with lots of windows, she swears by BonAmi. “It cleans like nobody’s business — and fast.”
For the window trim, which is often plastic and tends to turn yellow over the winter, she uses Vim, which doesn’t scratch. While you’re at it, remove the screens and soak them in the tub, then spray them clean with the shower nozzle. Once that’s done, you can open the windows and let the fresh air in.
Tackle the kitchen next. Legros says nothing works like Vim degreaser, especially for built-up grime on cabinets — even if they’re wood — and appliances. Orange tang crystals, run through one cycle, will clean the dishwasher. Clean out the fridge, and pitch all the mouldy bits in the back and conduct an audit of the freezer, tossing what’s been there too long (no need for dates, food gets a pale freezer-burn look when it’s been around too long).
Because front and back doors take a beating over the winter from salty boots and wet, dirty pets, thoroughly clean the door frame, screen door and walls on either side. Don’t forget the rubber backed mat, washing the underside as well.
For principal gathering areas — dining, living, den, and family rooms — Legros recommends moving furniture away from the walls so you can get to the baseboards and wipe them clean of dust. To remove pet odours, Legros recommends sprinkling baking soda on the carpets and then vacuuming it up. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to the baking soda first so the mixture has a fresh smell. A shallow bowl filled with white vinegar and left in the room will remove pet and food smells.
You can also air your carpets by hanging them over the porch rails. If carpets are stained, though, consider renting or buying a small portable steam machine to clean them up. The power washer can also be pressed into service — just spread the rug out on the deck, scrub it with laundry soap and water, then hose it down.
Don’t forget the furnace filters — although these usually should be replaced or washed every three months. (The 3-M Filtretes capture a good amount of dust and dirt.)
With the foundation of your home clean, you can turn your attention on fresh looks. Remove everything that suggests heat — blankets and throws, fireplace logs, dark napkins and placemats. White cotton or linen slipcovers are a sure sign that spring and summer are on the way, especially when paired with spring-hued cushions.
The same goes for the bedroom. Change the darker bed linens and comforters for pastel linen sheets, white matelasse covers, and switch those heavy drapes for light filmy sheers. In the bathroom, add fresh light lemony bath salts, soaps and candles.
INDOORS
Stephanie’s magic cleaning kit includes:
• A lightweight powerful vacuum with reusable bags (like the small Shark which has a reusable bag and sells for about $90).
• All-purpose concentrate for cleaning everything (a 1.5L bottle of Simple Green makes five times that when diluted with water).
• Cream cleansers (like Vim) as degreasers for the kitchen, a cream cleanser with bleach for sinks and tubs, and floor cleaner for wood, tile, and laminate floors.
• Comet for tiles and old tubs and toilets, as well as removing marks on linoleum.
• Windex and BonAmi.
• If you have sensitivities to chemicals, try one of the new biodegradable all-natural cleaning products with essential oil fragrances (such as Mrs. Meyers Clean Day.
OUTDOORS
You’re not done yet. Cleaning windows from the outside is critical — in fact, real estate agents say that nothing makes a home feel like a million bucks like having squeaky clean windows inside and out. If you can’t reach the windows, even with a ladder, use a power washer.
Then with a corn broom, tackle the porch, wash down the porch furniture and finish up with a new coat of rust paint. (It comes in a great array of colours.) The eavestroughs need cleaning to get the leaves out so spring rainwater runs freely. If you can’t manage it, then turn to one of the multitude of neighbourhood handy guys ready to do the job cheaply.
A good strong rake is about all you need to prep the garden, says Chris Bickerstaff of Toronto-based Big Rock Landscaping. Once you get rid of the dead leaves and branches, the soil has a chance to warm up. You can follow this up with a quality black double ground mulch, which not only feeds the soil but makes plants stand out. Work it in with a pitchfork or garden trowel. Alternatively, try Beachstone — it helps drainage and doesn’t attract bugs.
If you have been cultivating a compost pile, you can add that to the garden. If you don’t, check your municipality for compost giveaway days.
Most urban homeowners have bypassed grass altogether opting instead for landscape design and construction, Bickerstaff says. But if you do have a lawn, rake off the dead leaves and aerate it with a metal pronged aerator, then add grass seed. With the spring rain, you’ll end up with a thick luscious lawn.
Fertilizer also helps. But if the municipality — or you — won’t allow chemicals, go organic with something likeMilorganite (made in Milwaukee from sewage treatment waste water). It’s eco-friendly (safe for kids and pets), used by golf courses all over North America and will green your lawn like nothing else.
The following should be on your outdoor cleaning list:
• Clean the eaves to allow rainwater to flow freely out.
• Pressure wash bricks, windows, trim, doors, concrete, vinyl siding, driveway and deck floor.
• For missing roof shingles, call a handyman — roofers rarely do such small jobs.
• Clean the barbecue and check the gas tank.
• Polish the brasses — mailbox, knocker and lamps.
• Clean out windowboxes and urns, replenish the soil and plant with a pretty mix of bulbs and greenery.