New York Spring Cleaning Tips
Spring is almost here, New York! If you’ve spent the last season huddled inside, now’s the perfect opportunity to open those windows and begin thinking about spring cleaning. You may have your annual spring cleaning checklist, but all too frequently homeowners can skip over a few important tasks.
These are just a few pointers to max out your spring cleaning from your floors to your shutters, so you can enjoy the best season in New York.
Clean Your Windows For Spring
It’s normal to get out of bed in the middle of March and realize that the less-than-stellar view out your window isn’t because of winter weather–it’s because of a dirty window. Spring is a great time to deep clean your windows. Get your awesome view back with these instructions.
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If your window opens, fully open it and clean out any dirt, dust or debris in the sill or track. Try first to clean out as much as possible with the track dry, then wash with warm soapy water and a cloth or brush to clean out the rest. This helps your window open and shut easier, and ensure your window can close completely.
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Spray down the glass with a cleaning solution. You can use either a chemical cleaner bought off the shelf, or mix a homemade cleaner using two parts warm water and one part vinegar.
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Swab the glass with a microfiber cloth. Microfibers are effective at cleaning glass and leave fewer streaks.
Don’t Forget to Clean your Window Treatments
A spotless glass window is no good if the window treatment isn’t similarly clean.
For fabric window treatments like drapes or curtains, cleaning can be a hassle. For thick fabrics, take them off the wall and take them outdoors to shake and get rid of any loose debris, then put them in the washer and run on cold water and air dry them. For thinner fabrics, you’ll want to handle them more delicately, and wash them by hand in a bathtub or sink.
Plantation shutters might be the easiest window treatment to clean. Get rid of dust by wiping down with a microfiber cloth or barely damp rag. To spot clean, wipe with a slightly wet cloth to take off the stain, then dry with a cloth.
Spring is also a fantastic time to think about switching up your window treatments. Check out the Sunburst Shutters New York Idea Gallery for some inspiration on new window treatments for your home.
Pay Attention to Your Appliances
Your fridge, stove and dishwasher are as much pieces of furniture as they are appliances. Particularly with newer appliances such as stainless steel appliances, looks may be just as important as functionality. Clean all the nooks and crannies of your appliances, and restore them to the condition they were when you first bought them.
Stainless steel appliances can be shined up using a solution made of 1 tsp. dish soap and 1 qt. of warm water, applied with a wet cloth and air-dried.
Get Every Single Surface
You’re probably going to spend some time on your walls and floors when you do spring clean, but don’t forget to spread that attention around to some of the most often neglected surfaces. Here are just a couple of the spots that are easy to neglect when doing your spring cleaning:
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Any switches or knobs that hands touch. These could be on the toilet, doors, or any other spot in the house.
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All surfaces in your shower, including the door, base, and soap ledge.
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The tops of ceiling fans.
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Appliance undersides - specifically the big appliances like the refrigerator164 and dishwasher.
