Spring is in the air and so is pollen and dust. While we are all practicing responsible social distancing and staying home, why not take the time to do a deep cleaning?

Here are some ideas and tips from professional cleaners and organizers to help you get the job done.

1. Designate an area to collect items to be donated. A closet, a corner of the garage, or a spare room. This way you can collect everything in one place until you are able to take it to a donation center.
2. Pick a method for decluttering: Follow the Marie Kondo’s advice and clean out the entire house by category, in this order: clothing, books, papers, miscellaneous items, then sentimental items. Another approach is to tackle the task by area, one cabinet, closet, or room at a time.
3. When cleaning, start from the top with ceiling fans, crown molding, door and window frames, and cabinet tops, and work your way down, finishing with the floors.
4. Remember to clean these easily over-looked spots: the top of, underneath, and inside of the fridge, inside the microwave and oven, behind the washer and dryer, the dryer vent outlet, air vents, windows and screens, window blinds, computer keyboards and gaming controls, toys, the shower curtain and drain, the garbage disposal and splash guard, patio furniture, the grill, outdoor trash and recycling containers, and outdoor door mats.
5. Set up an annual or semiannual appointment for carpet, rug and upholstery professional cleaning.
6. Keep an ongoing list of needed repairs to tackle yourself or have a handyman come in periodically to check things off the list.
7. Spruce up landscaping with fresh mulch and plants. Have tree limbs trimmed away from your roof.
8. Have your home’s exterior pressure cleaned, including the roof, driveway and patios.
9. Launder your bedspreads, blankets and mattress pads. Don’t forget about your pet’s beds also.
10. Don’t waste money on a lot of cleaning products. Baking soda and vinegar can accomplish a lot for much less than brand cleaning products cost.
11. Spring cleaning is a good time to do a safety check on your home and hold a family fire or emergency drill. Check the pressure on fire extinguishers, test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, make sure doors and windows lock and open properly, and check for unsafe wiring, improperly stored flammable materials, and child safety hazards.

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