Top 10 Spring Cleaning Tips

I’m working with Tilex® on a paid basis, but my opinions are my own.

When winter’s here, I want to hibernate. I spend evenings cuddled up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a book (or a great movie on T.V.) Toss ingredients into the crock pot and eat soups and stews for dinner. Wear comfy, fuzzy PJs and even warmer and fuzzier slippers.But once the holidays are over, sometimes it feels like a long, dull wait before spring arrives – especially this year. Deep cleaning my house doesn’t even cross my mind.

Then as the weather starts to warm up, I emerge from my cave (so to speak) and realize that the basic cleaning routine I go through every week is mostly just scratching the surface. Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal; why not make that go for your house as well? Spring cleaning is a time-honored ritual for a reason — the fresh air and greenery outdoors make us want to be clean and fresh indoor spaces, too. It just makes us feel better. But if the mere thought seems overwhelming, here are a few tips to get you started.

Taking Care of Stainless Steel

To keep your stainless steel bright and clean, use a light mist of wax-based aerosol spray once or twice a week. Don’t put on too much — you don’t want to soak the surface and make it greasy. Wipe the mist with a clean, lint-free cloth, and never use oils to keep away fingerprints — lint will stick to the oil. Also, don’t use cleaners with bleach after you’ve put on the waxy layer, or it will dry out and lose some of the luster. And finally, don’t use anything abrasive. You don’t want to scratch or ruin the surface.

Organizing Closets

Organizing your closet is the first step to organizing the rest of your home. Get rid of unused clothes and accessories, and organize the rest by how you get dressed in the morning and by color. Your closet will look appealing, and your everyday routine will be easier. (Save your old items for a yard sale and make some extra money – that post will be coming soon!)

Removing Stains and Odors

To remove stains and odors blot up as much of the smelly mess as you can right away. While you’re blotting the upholstery, put a plastic liner or a garbage bag between the cushion and the fabric so you don’t push the contaminant into the cushion. Then flush with cold water as best you can. Blot and flush again. Cold water doesn’t set stains as much as hot water. You can also use a portable spot cleaner or wet/dry vac. If there’s still a residual odor, use a half-vinegar, half-water solution and rinse again. If that doesn’t work, call in the professionals.

Cleaning Painted Walls

To clean your painted walls start with a simple bucket of water with a clean cloth or sponge. If that doesn’t work, dip the rag or sponge into water mixed with a little dish washing liquid, the milder the better. If the stain persists, apply a few drops of soap directly onto the wet sponge or cloth you’re using. For more stubborn cases, you could apply a little soap right onto the stain. If you need to resort to a stronger product, realize they have strong solvents in them and can soften the paint surface. Make sure that whatever you do to get rid of the stain, you rinse the wall afterward with plain water.

Creating a Different Mood

For easy makeovers, change up bedding, towels, table linens, and decor. It will help create a different mood. Switch things out seasonally, or for a special event, or whenever you want to play with a certain color or pattern.

Cleaning Your Carpet

To keep carpets looking nice, TAKE OFF your shoes when you get home — but leave your socks on because walking around in bare feet leaves natural oils that attract dirt. Try to vacuum every day and use a top-load vacuum, so the dirt falls inward, and HEPA filters. Change the filters often, so you don’t blow pollutants back into the air. For less-trafficked areas, you can get away with cleaning the carpets once or twice a year, and every 18 months for a bedroom. For higher-traffic areas, the most often you’d need to bring in professionals would be three or four times a year, although once you see that your carpet’s dirty, you probably should have it cleaned for health reasons.

Reorganize Bookshelves

Sort books by size and subject. Remove and discard any ripped dust jackets (unless you think they might have value). Line books, some vertically, some horizontally, in a rhythmic pattern. This will relieve the monotony of rows.

Caring for Wood Floors

The keys to keeping your wood floors looking new are to avoid over sanding, use trivets or saucers under plants to avoid water damage, use furniture protectors to avoid scratches, and damp-mop once a week with a mild soap like Murphy Oil Soap.

Polishing Silver

Using a simple toothbrush and Hagerty Silver Foam on your silver because it’s not too abrasive and it’s water-soluble. For really bad black tarnish, Simichrome Polish is great. Never put your silver in the dishwasher and store it in anti-tarnish cloth bags when you’re not using it.

Scrub the Mold & Mildew Away

It’s almost impossible to avoid mildew in your bathroom—with so much heat and moisture, the grout between your tiles and the sealant around your tub is the perfect breeding ground. Fortunately, unless you have an allergy, mildew is more of a pain-in-the-neck reminder to clean than a real health concern. However, if you don’t take care of mildew, it can get behind your walls or spread into other areas of your home, which can turn into a major headache. That’s when Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover comes into play!

When you encounter mold or mildew on bathroom surfaces, which you’ll recognize as patches of black, green, pink or red stains – it’s time to get out Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover.
Remember:

Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover contains Clorox® Bleach, and disinfects as it kills 99.9% of household mold and mildew on hard, nonporous surfaces. There is no scrubbing required – just spray it, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse.
Use Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover on many bathroom surfaces including: glazed ceramic tile, grout, tubs, fiberglass, glass shower doors, vinyl curtains, sinks and no-wax floors. Spray and allow mildew stains to disappear, then rinse well.
Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator and Remover penetrates deep to kill mildew at its roots and removes ugly stains without scrubbing, using powerful foaming action.
Tilex® Mildew Root™ Penetrator and Remover can be used on tile (glazed and unglazed ceramic), tubs, sinks, counters, shower doors, vinyl curtains, glass, plastic, no-wax floors and windowsills.
You can spot mold in your home as black stains in your grout or red stains on your shower curtain. Mold appears as discolored patches and any time you spot mold it’s time to disinfect.
Soap and detergents are not enough to kill mold, even though they may remove mold stains. Mold left behind can regrow – quickly!
Mold can grow in as little as 48 hours in the right conditions. All it needs is a moist, room temperature environment and an organic food source for it to feed on. That’s why mold can be especially prevalent in places like bathrooms and basements.

What are your top Spring cleaning tips??

I’m working with Tilex® on a paid basis, but my opinions are my own.

Krissyar

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View Comments

Isabella Grey says:

May 28, 2014 at 8:50 pm

We always use Tilex at our house! It's perfect for every situation.
Jaime says:

May 28, 2014 at 8:50 pm

We often use Tilex in our bathrooms. Such a great product. And this weekend, I spent hours cleaning out two of our closets. I can't believe I let them get so bad!
Kiwi says:

May 28, 2014 at 8:58 pm

Thanks for the information! Tilex is a great brand - I want to try that Tile & Grout Pen.
Amanda Love ~ Growing Up Madison says:

May 28, 2014 at 9:01 pm

Great tips. The only place I really worry about mildew is in my bathroom and I usually use Tilex because I know it works.
Lindsey @ Redhead Baby Mama says:

May 28, 2014 at 9:11 pm

Good call with the stainless steel. And I have more than a few painted walls that need a scrub!
gaynycdad says:

May 28, 2014 at 9:20 pm

I can use the bathroom cleaning tips, but that is all! The tip I need is where to find a good cleaning lady! Headed out for the Tilex now, that much I can do!
thanks,
Mitch
Virginia @thatbaldchick says:

May 28, 2014 at 9:50 pm

Great Spring cleaning tips. I haven't found a Tilex I didn't like!
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says:

May 28, 2014 at 9:53 pm

You know what, I didn't do one lick of spring cleaning this year. I should get started, huh?
Debbie Denny says:

May 28, 2014 at 10:40 pm

Good information. I need to get on the spring cleaning.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says:

May 28, 2014 at 11:03 pm

I don't have any spring cleaning tips. There are many years where I don't spring clean and this is one of them.