As that warm weather (in most places) rolls around this year, cleaning and managing your home for upcoming family gatherings and guests can be a little hectic when first kicking off the season.
Summer cleaning doesn’t have to be an undesirable task, in fact, you should take pride in your home, so check out the following 7 pieces of advice and tips for maximizing your summer cleaning efforts!
1. Get the little ones involved! Don’t be afraid to assign (age appropriate) cleaning tasks to your little ones or spouse – so that you can collaborate on cleaning your home post-winter together as a team. The more the merrier, and this will also help cut back on total time required to clean your home and prepare for the hot, summer season to come.
2. Dust down places high and low, and consider changing air filters on any types of devices, air-conditioner equipment, and ventilation shafts throughout your home that likely built up bacteria or debris from the previous season.
3. Before storing all of those pillows, comforters, and sheets from the previous season make sure you wash them thoroughly, and hang dry them outside to maximize removal of harmful bacterial, dirt built up, and any possible critters that might have accumulated on them over time unknown to you and your family.
4. Take your family shopping to the local department store and pick out fun, family-styled mats to put on the interior and exterior of each of your doorways. Thanks to hotter climate, bacteria, bugs, and dirt really become common throughout this season, so make this an integral part of your summer cleaning efforts!
5. Wipe down, dry, and clean all of your windows interior and exteriors throughout your home. Make sure you use a microfiber or gentle cloth to prevent smudging, and get off all that icky’ bacteria and dirt build-up from previous seasons.
6. Vacuum and ‘suck up’ any and all dirt left behind on your rugs, mats, floors, and wipe down behind your beds and other hard-to-reach places because you can bet dust and dirt is likely to have built up over time. Don’t forget to dust the corners and ceilings if possible! If not, borrow a tall neighbor, spouse, or friend to get the job done right! Just be careful if you’re going to do it yourself, use a steady (preferably) ladder, or chair but try to make sure someone is spotting you for safety-sake.
7. Lastly, clean up and close up your fireplace if you have one, sweep the chimney with the necessary treating log or agent, and put away all related materials, wood, and tools to clear the path and make your home more “roomy”.
Summer cleaning doesn’t have to be a headache, and with the right game plan (and hopefully team players) it can be done the right way. If possible, try to go through this routine every month or two to maximize a clean, happy home environment.
Image credit: amveldman