With the holidays over and lots of indoor time, now is a good time to complete #cleaning projects that help keep your space dirt- and allergen-free. Make a checklist, House Beautiful says, so you don’t miss any spots as you go room to room. Radiators and vents, windows and window treatments, bedding and upholstery, and rugs and carpets should be on the list since they are the biggest dust-catchers. And don’t forget to clean out the refrigerator, throwing out anything that’s expired or just unused. Do this ahead of your next trip to the grocery store, so you’ll have less to remove and replace. #WinterCleaning
Tag: winter cleaning
Keep Snow, Ice and Mud Outside
It’s the season of snow, ice and mud in most of the country, and that means it’s more difficult to keep the home #clean. To keep the outside out, use two doormats with every exterior door — a bristly one for the outside and a more absorbent one inside. To keep floors completely clean of dirt and salt residues, establish a station just inside the door where family members and guests can take off their shoes and leave them off until they exit again. No matter how strict you make the rule, however, some dirt will find its way in, so put a deep cleaning of carpets and furniture on the agenda for the end of the season. #WinterCleaning
A Shoes-Off Policy Helps Keep the Home Clean
It’s a challenge to keep a home #clean when winter storms hits and people start to track in snow, ice, dirt and salt. To keep your floors pristine, institute a shoes-off policy inside the home an designate a basket to hold them when not in use, Real Simple suggests. Throw rugs, doormats and runners can help keep wetness and dirt confined to specific locations. If all else fails, create a makeshift mudroom by your home’s garage or backdoor entrance and equip it with hooks, bins, shelves and lockers for temporary clothing storage. The idea is to keep the #mess confined to an easily cleaned space.
Target the Fridge During Winter Cleaning
Winter is the perfect time to clean out the refrigerator, especially if you have rarely used specialty foodstuffs that didn’t get used up during the holidays. Before you go shopping for the week, empty the fridge out and wash the drawers, doors and shelves with warm, soapy water, says House Beautiful. Rinse and dry the interior, and sort the many bottles, boxes and jars to #purge the things you don’t use or need — starting with anything that is obviously spoiled or of suspect freshness. Once the interior is clean, put what you’ll be keeping back in an #organized manner.
Clear the Air With a Winter Deep-Clean
Spring cleaning may get most of the publicity, but there is no time like #winter to #deep-clean your house. For one thing, that’s when you spend the most time indoors, and a #clean, #uncluttered home is a happier and #healthier home. Indoor air quality improves when you dust and change furnace filters frequently. Also consider disinfecting garbage cans; cleaning windows, sills and drapes; and vacuuming under the beds. “An organized, clean home promotes an atmosphere of peace and tranquility,” says Bliss Maid. “It lifts the emotional state of most people to simply come home to a clean, #clutter-free space.”