Time flies and you may not notice it, but it’s springtime again in San Diego! Spring may be associated with bright-colored plants, greener grass, and warm temperature, but there’s more to it than that. Spring also signals one thing that is common and important for many: spring cleaning.
It is important that before spring comes, your home is “spring-clean”, meaning you have cleaned everything, including the places and things that you don’t usually cover. Springtime may be known as a happy season but it’s not always the case for those who suffer allergies. Spring cleaning should not be taken lightly, but it shouldn’t be seen as a boring chore either. In this article, we’ll cover six spring cleaning tips for San Diego homeowners.
For those who suffer from allergies and easily get a runny nose or bouts of coughing replacing filters is vital. If you’re one of these people or if someone from your family is, then you should follow this tip to improve your indoor air quality. As a homeowner, you can do everyone in your household a favor by cleaning or replacing your filters. Replacing filters in your AC should be done regularly, especially when spring is coming.
If you’re using an HVAC filter which is made to filter out dust and debris in your airflow, then you’re off to a good start. However, the advantages of HVAC filters can only be maximized if they’re cleaned regularly, preferably once every month. If you are not doing it regularly, then you should start doing it now. You will notice an immediate improvement in your air quality once you take out the dust and debris that has accumulated since the last cleaning.
Aside from cleaning your filters, you should also consider replacing them as we enter the spring season. Replace your standard HVAC filters with more robust versions that have a higher MERV rating. This will result in you and your family members breathing in healthier and cleaner air. One of the benefits of replacing your regular filter with this more efficient option is its ability to catch smaller particles that are not visible to the human eye.
Replacing your filters can help you save money on costly repairs of your AC caused by the large lumps of dust and dirt accumulated by using regular filters, so changing them for more efficient filters is highly recommended. In case you can’t replace your filters right away, we suggest cleaning them thoroughly before spring comes.
Not all dust and dirt can be found on the floor. People often forget that windows and screens can accumulate dust and dirt just like the floors. During spring cleaning, windows should be cleaned inside and out. You can start with simple methods such as wiping them with a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. If you want better results, you can use a steam cleaner with a squeegee attached to it. When you’re wiping, make sure to start from the top and go towards the bottom, up and down.
Keep an eye on window corners, window sills and panes and ensure they’re clean and dust-free. The outside of windows and screens should be washed with water, followed up with a dry cloth. Make sure no dirt or grime remains to blur or block your view of the outdoors.
If your San Diego windows have blinds attached, dust them with a duster and follow it up with wiping off the remaining dirt or dust. If you decorated your windows with curtains, don’t forget to clean them too. It is best to change curtains and replace them with new sets every once in awhile. If you can’t do that at the moment, you can wash or at least vacuum your curtains and other fabrics. This also applies to large and heavy curtains.
Decluttering is often times left for later or completely ignored. People are usually oblivious to the importance of decluttering since they believe it’s an activity reserved exclusively for “overly organized” types of people. As a homeowner, you should make decluttering a part of your daily routine. Decluttering has its advantages, especially when it comes to spring cleaning. It is believed that decluttering makes you more efficient as it helps you stay organized. The practice of decluttering is said to have psychological influences like signaling your brain that there’s unfinished work when there’s something left to be fixed or sorted.
More than that, decluttering helps you with cleaning up areas that may have been accumulating dust and dirt for long periods. Once you declutter your space, you can check which areas need cleaning or dusting. For example, some of us are familiar with “the chair” on which people place their clothes whether they’re freshly washed or unwashed. Imagine decluttering that messy chair. By segregating and organizing whatever you find on it, you will get rid of the dirty clothes and wash them. Whatever remains can be piled neatly in your dresser. Along with sorting your clothes, you just cleaned up a place that accumulated dust and neutralized possible sources of allergens.
As the homeowner, you’re familiar with areas and things in your house that require a good decluttering. It can be your desk, the drawers, your home office, or your kids’ toy stash room. These are places where you and your family members spend most of your time, so you should make sure that they’re organized and decluttered for peace of mind. Tidying up and organizing these spaces lets you find your things easily, which ultimately saves time and reduces stress.
Here are some quick decluttering tips for specific areas of your home:
• throw out expired and outdated food and medicines
• get rid of plastic bags and try not using them at all, switch to reusable bags if possible
• anything that hasn’t been used in the past three months should be discarded or relocated to storage
• donate your CDs and DVDs to free up space, clean up and reorganize your bookshelves
• add more space by making use of hooks on doors and cabinet end panels
• exercise tidying up with your kids, clean up their toys and provide them with toy storage in their room
• if you haven’t used your clothes for a year or so, donate them
• organize your make-up and jewelry kits
• arrange and organize your closet and dressers – make sure you can find what you need right away and make decluttering a habit.
There’s no reason to stop just because you’re done with spring cleaning. Build it up as one of your habits and your life in San Diego will be more organized and less stressful.
Spring is fast approaching and spring cleaning is no easy job. There are a lot of spaces to cover, a lot of things to deep-clean, with limited time to do it. Making a thorough cleaning schedule is the best way to ensure you cover everything that needs to be done efficiently. Identify which areas need extensive cleaning, which areas take up most of your cleaning time, and where / when to start. Your cleaning schedule will be your cheat sheet and a guide for spring cleaning that covers the date, time, area, specific tasks for every area, people involved, and materials needed.
The date and time will help you figure out when it’s ideal to start a particular cleaning task. Picking the right time is important for several reasons: You can schedule your spring cleaning at a time when nobody is around so you can exclusively focus on that task or space. You can also do it when your family members are around so you can get extra hands to help out. If you are planning to hire third-party cleaners, you can book them ahead of time so their work doesn’t clash with anyone’s activities.
The area specifies which places around your home are to be cleaned at a specific date and time. It’s important to note this so that you can reserve that area and let other members of the household know in advance so they don’t get in the way of your schedule. The specific tasks per area are supposed to remind you of the things you have to do, such as moving the furniture to clean underneath and behind it, etc. Get others involved by delegating the tasks to other members of your family who decide to help out. If you’re cleaning on your own, then there is no need for you to include this in your schedule of course.
Finally, the list of materials needed can be a good add-on to your schedule. It will remind you to purchase requirements ahead of time and prepare them for easy cleaning when the time comes. Aside from creating a cleaning schedule, you can also create a spring cleaning checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything. The schedule and checklist will help you be more efficient and thorough even if you are busy. Know where to start and create a deadline so you can stick to your schedule, especially if you have limited amounts of time for cleaning activities.
One thing you might be forgetting is dedicating some time to cleaning your ceiling fans and blinds. Dust usually takes the upper or top side of the ceiling fans and starts flying around the house once you turn them on. This can cause allergies and dry cough attacks. To prevent this, always take the time to clean your ceiling fans and blinds regularly.
Here’s how to efficiently clean your ceiling fan:
If your ceiling fan has lights, remove the bulbs and dust them off. While you’re there, dust off the shades with a dampened cloth. Don’t forget to clean the details of the fan. You might need a smaller cloth or cotton-tipped swabs dipped into alcohol or water to do this effectively (make sure power to the device is off before applying any liquids to electronics to avoid shock/fire). Run along the curves and tiny crevices of the fan until they’re clean.
• place a sheet or a towel underneath the fan to catch the falling dust
• dust the blades of the fan by holding and wiping them from the top center to the outer edges
• do the same thing for the underside of the blades
• dust the housing of the fan or the center machine
You may be thinking you covered every area of your house, but have you thought about cleaning your doors and baseboards? Don’t feel bad if you forgot about them, for a lot of people, these aren’t a focus. Still, your doors need cleaning too, particularly the doorknobs, locks, and crevices. In this case, a simple wiping can go a long way. Here’s how to clean your doors efficiently:
If your doors are made of wood, make sure the soap or detergent you’re using doesn’t damage the wooden texture or stain. You don’t want to warp or discolor your doors. Don’t forget about your baseboards too. They can get dirty and collect dust when left untouched for some time, especially if you sweep or vacuum your floors regularly without cleaning your baseboards. Just like taking care of your doors, you can thoroughly clean your baseboards with a dry cloth followed by a wet one.
• start by dusting off your doors with a dry cloth
• if there’s remaining dirt, try with a wet cloth
• for doors that are exposed to the elements and dust (entrance, garage), dip the cloth in some soapy water for the best results
• start with the doorknobs, the locks (if present), and then the crevices of the door
• make sure that you also reach the corners of the door
That’s it! Following these six simple tips will turn your spring cleaning into a breeze. There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing that every inch of your San Diego home is as clean as it can be! Do you have more tips to share? Which of these have you tried? How did they work for you? Let us know below!
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