This Spring Cleaning Checklist is sponsored by Filtrete Filters by 3M. All thoughts and opinions included in this post are my own, as always!
It may not look like Spring outside my window today, but the calendar says that it’s officially Spring. After such a long, cold, snowy Winter and far too many days spent cooped up inside the house, we are all looking forward to sunshine, warmer temperatures, and – yes – we’re even looking forward to some Spring Cleaning!
I admit that cleaning is not my favorite past-time, but the benefits of a clean house far outweigh the minor inconveniences of getting my hands dirty. When the house is organized, I work more efficiently. We lose things less often and it’s easier for the kids to do their daily straightening up. When I spend the time to Spring-clean the windows and the filters, the cupboards…and everything else that tends to be over-looked during our weekly cleaning efforts, then we suffer from fewer allergies and feel so much more healthy over-all.
So where to start? As I begin my Spring Cleaning this week, I’ll be following this simple checklist to get my house in tip-top shape for the Spring. I can’t wait!
Healthier Home Spring Cleaning Checklist
Replace air filters – After running the heat constantly for the last few months, I was horrified at how dirty the filters were in my furnace/AC unit. Thank goodness the filters were there to catch all of that filth….and now that I’ve changed to a new, clean filter I’m looking forward to breathing a little easier! I love using Odor Reduction filters during the Winter and Allergen Reduction filters during the Spring and Summer.
Out with the old filter!
Did you know? The Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter is 65 times more effective than other carbon filters at removing odors from the entire home, such as those from cooking, tobacco smoke, pets, mildew and cleaning chemicals.
…and in with the new filter!
Prepare windows – Open the windows and clean inside and out…and in between. The rain and snow and constant closed state of my windows during the Winter means that once Spring rolls around, my windows are a mess. I love opening my windows when the weather starts to warm up (before the oppressive heat of the summer sets in) but I don’t like seeing the yucky build-up from the Winter. Spring clean that gunk away!
Dust ceiling fan blades – I know that we run our ceiling fans regularly during the Spring and Summer to keep the house cooler and the air flowing. I can’t tell you how many times we have turned on a fan after it has sat dormant for a few months only to spray the entire room with big clumps of dust. That’s a particularly bad situation when you’re cooking food and the messy fan is in the kitchen…
Clean furniture – Move furniture away from the walls and vacuum and dust under, on top, and behind. Dust anything sitting on shelves (remember to dust with moist cloths – instead of feather dusters – to ensure that you’re picking up dust and not just spreading it around). Remove cushions and vacuum up debris. {Then treat yourself to some ice cream with all of the change you found!}
Clean the cooktop vent – If you do even half as much cooking as I do, the vent above your stovetop is probably filthy with grease and grime. A clean vent will help keep your kitchen more odor-free and fresh-smelling.
Clear out the pantry shelves – remove everything from the shelves, toss any food that is out-of-date or stale, then sweep and wipe down shelves before putting the food back.
The pantry needs Spring Cleaning, too!
Deep-clean the fridge – Do the same thing with the refrigerator as you just did with the pantry; emptying the shelves, scrubbing them down, and only putting back foods that are fresh.
Freshen up trash cans – Take all your garbage cans outside and hose them down, then scrub and disinfect the inside and outside before drying them off and putting them back in use.
Donation time! – Go through each room and closet and gather clothes that you don’t need to keep for next season or hand down to a younger child, toys that kids don’t play with anymore, or any other “treasures” that are just taking up space. Once a bag is filled, stash it in the trunk of the car and drive it straight to a donation center!
Enjoy your cleaner, fresher house!
What tasks are on your Spring Cleaning Checklist?
Be sure to visit Filtrete to stock up on replacement air filters for the Spring!
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Cleaning fan blades has always been a headache for me. I always forget to clean them!
These are great tips. I really need to get started on doing some Spring cleaning around my house. Thanks for the reminders.
It is now officially spring, and I cannot start spring cleaning here yet as we have over 1 foot of solid ice! These are great tips for spring cleaning.
I am terrible about the trash cans. I feel so good when it’s done, but I loathe doing it.
I’m always forgetting about my ceiling fan blades – great tips!