Our Spring Cleaning Guide

It’s that time of year where we can finally open up the windows and clean away the winter grime. If you don’t know where to start, here is our spring cleaning guide to help you stay focused so you can get your home ready to embrace the warmer weather.

Start with One Room at a Time

The easiest and most effective way to give your home a deep spring cleaning is by focusing on one room at a time. Usually, the areas that have been neglected the most during the winter are the best places to start, like the garage or basement. Any areas that get cleaned regularly can be left for last since they won’t require as much work.

Declutter First

A lot of clutter can typically accumulate over the course of a few years, and even over the winter months. Before digging into a deep clean, it’s best to start by eliminating excess clutter in your home. If you’re starting in the garage or basement, keep separate containers for items that you want to keep, donate or sell and discard. This way, everything will remain relatively tidy as you sort through your belongings. Try to be as strict with yourself as possible during this process. The general rule of thumb is to get rid of anything you haven’t used or touched in the last two years.

Get Ready to Clean

Once the excess junk, furniture and other items are organized and out of the way, you can begin to focus on the deep clean. Getting the whole family involved is a great way to disperse the work, teach the kids some valuable life skills, and make the process much easier and faster overall. Choose age-appropriate tasks for everyone, and offer a small reward as an incentive if they need some motivation.

Start Top to Bottom

Always tackle any cleaning projects from top to bottom. This way, you won’t be doubling your efforts cleaning up dirt and dust that gets carried down to lower surfaces. And leave the floors until the very end to clean.

Focus On the Most Neglected Areas

Once again, start with areas that have built up the most dirt and grime over the winter, like the windows, entranceway, yard and other exterior surfaces. Starting with the worst or dirtiest areas will make it easier as you go. And when you’re tired and ready to throw in the towel, it won’t feel too overbearing when you only have surface layer cleaning to do which can be tackled at a later time if it’s too much to handle all in one go.

Don’t Go Overboard with Cleaning Products

You don’t need to clutter up your kitchen cabinet with a myriad of new cleaning supplies. Stick to the basics, like an all-purpose cleaner, a string mop and microfibre cloths which you can use just about anywhere you need to. 

Be Realistic with Timeframes

Spring cleaning can be a big and exhausting process, but it’s one that always feels good once it’s done. But make sure to be realistic with your expectations and timeframe. It’s unlikely that you will get all of your cleaning done in one day. It could take an entire weekend. To keep on track and avoid getting discouraged, set up a loose schedule for a few hours each day so you can really focus on one area at a time and do a thorough job.  Looking to move this spring? Our team at Brent McElheran & Associates can assist you will all of your luxury real estate needs in Ottawa. Contact us today to learn more.