Seattle Spring Cleaning Tips
Spring is finally in the air, Seattle! If you’ve spent the last season huddled inside, now’s a great opportunity to open those windows and begin thinking about spring cleaning. You might have your annual spring cleaning plan, but all too frequently homeowners can skip over a few important details.
Here are some pointers to get the most out of your spring cleaning from your floors to your shutters, so you can enjoy the prettiest season in Seattle.
Clean Your Windows For Spring
It’s common to get out of bed in the middle of March and realize that the lousy view out your window isn’t due to winter weather–it’s due to a gunked window. Spring is an ideal time to deep clean your windows. Get that beautiful view back with these instructions.
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If the window opens, completely open it and remove any dirt and dust in the sill or track. First remove as much as you can with a dry cloth or small brush, then use warm soapy water and a cloth or brush to clean out the remainder. This will let your window open and close easier, and ensure your window can shut completely.
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Spray down the window with a glass cleaner. You can use either a store-bought chemical cleaner, or mix a homemade cleaner using two parts warm water and one part vinegar.
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Clean the windows with a microfiber cloth. Microfibers are best for cleaning glass and leave fewer streaks.
Don’t Forget to Clean those Window Treatments
A crystal-clear glass window isn’t worth much the window treatment isn’t similarly clean.
For fabric window treatments like drapes or curtains, cleaning can be difficult. For thick fabrics, remove them from the wall and take them outdoors to shake and get rid of any loose debris, then put them in the washer on a cold cycle and air dry them. For thinner window treatments, you’ll need to handle them more delicately, and hand-wash them in a sink or tub.
Plantation shutters are by far the simplest window treatment when it comes to cleaning. Remove dust by going once-over with a microfiber cloth or duster. To spot clean, wipe with a slightly damp cloth to get rid of any stain, then go over with a dry cloth.
Spring is also an ideal time to think about replacing your window treatments. Visit the Sunburst Shutters Washington Idea Gallery to get inspired with beautiful window treatment ideas.
Spend Time on Your Appliances
Your refrigerator, oven and washing machine are as much pieces of furniture as they are appliances. Particularly with modern appliances such as stainless steel appliances, looks are 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 teaspoon dish soap and 1 quart of warm water, cleaned with a wet cloth and air-dried.
Don’t Neglect a Single Surface
You’re probably going to spend some time on your walls and floors when you do spring clean, but be sure to spread some love around to some of those often neglected surfaces. Below are just a few of the areas that are often forgotten when doing your spring cleaning:
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All knobs or handles that are often touched. These could be on the toilet, doors, or anywhere else in the house.
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All surfaces in your shower, including the door, floor, and soap ledge.
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The tops of your ceiling fan blades.
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Underneath appliances - especially the bigger appliances such as your fridge164 and washer/dryer.
