Our living areas tend to be collection points of random clutter. Kids leave their toys laying around. Piles of mail get stacked here and there. Random items that belong in other areas of the house magically congregate in corners.
The biggest task in spring cleaning these general living spaces of your home is likely to be the first step — removing clutter. Better bring in some big bins for sorting, because you’re going to need them!
Living room, dining room, TV room, kids area — whatever these family spaces are in your home, now is the time to spring clean them!
Before You Get Going, Get Your Gear!
By now you should be pretty familiar with your basic spring cleaning kit. But, just so you don’t forget anything, here’s your list:
- All Purpose Natural Cleaner
- Window Cleaner (Combine equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle with a few drops of your favorite essential oil)
- A stack of clean flour sack towels or microfiber cloths
- A small bristled brush or toothbrush
- Several large bins for sorting clutter
- Long-handled duster
- Vacuum and vacuum brush attachments
- Mop and mop bucket (only if you have hard flooring)
- Step stool
Spring Cleaning The Living Areas Checklist:
If you have multiple living areas in your home, consider doing each room separately. A living room and dining room, if connected, can certainly be accomplished on the same day, but if you also have a den or kids’ playroom, wait and tackle those later.
Why? It’s easy to get distracted moving from room to room, and you may find at the end of the day that you can’t cross anything off your list because you added too much to your plate. Not to mention, your family living spaces will all still be disaster zones.
One of the keys to making spring cleaning successful is to keep it in bite-sized chunks. At the end of each day of work, you should be going to bed knowing at least one project is complete. It’ll help you stay motivated — and sane.
So, without further ado — the checklist!
- Get rid of the clutter. Separate the mess into categories so you can easily put them away later. Use one bin for each family member, plus one for things you’re giving away and another for trash.
- Move small furniture (end tables, potted plants, chairs, etc) out of the room you’re cleaning. Clean each item with All Purpose Natural Cleaner as you go.
- Clean dust and cobwebs from the ceiling, walls, light fixtures, ceiling fans, window frames, and baseboards. Start at the top using your long-handled duster or your cloth and work down. Remove any artwork from the walls and dust them before setting aside. Wipe the window frames, light fixtures, fans, and baseboards with a microfiber cloth or flour sack towel dampened with All Purpose Natural Cleaner.
- Clean doorknobs and light switches.
- Clean the windows. If your screens are removable, take them out. Take them to the bathroom shower. Lightly scrub them down before rinsing them clean. Spray a natural cleaner along the window tracks and scrub them clean using a toothbrush or small cleaning brush. Replace the screens. Use a window cleaner or your own DIY solution to clean the glass.
- Clean your window treatments. Remove fabric curtains and dust the curtain rods. If your curtains are machine washable, launder them using Oxygen Whitener to restore vibrancy. If they’re dry clean only, immediately take them out to the car. If you have blinds or other window treatments, wipe them with a cloth dampened with All Purpose Natural Cleaner to remove dust and debris.
- Clean your HVAC air vents. Remove the air vent covers. Remember to place the screws in a safe location so you can easily reattach it! Clean the cover with a clean cloth and an all purpose cleaner, or scrub them in a sink of warm, soapy water. Vacuum the interior of the air duct to remove dust build-up. Look inside the duct to see if any debris or dust has accumulated. If it has, you may need to hire a professional to clean your ductwork.
- Clean storage areas. Remove all items from any storage areas, such as TV cabinets, shelves, or end tables. Clean all surfaces (including the interior of drawers) using a cloth dampened with All Purpose Natural Cleaner.
- Organize your belongings. All the belongings you’ve removed from your storage area must now be sorted. Use those bins from your earlier de-cluttering project as necessary.
- Clean the furniture. If your couches have slipcovers, remove them and follow recommended laundering guidelines. Remove the cushions and, using an appropriate vacuum attachment, thoroughly vacuum the entire surface. For leather furniture, use a leather cleaner. Hard surfaces (such as dining room chairs) can be cleaned using All Purpose Natural Cleaner and a dust cloth.
- Clean all remaining hard surfaces with All Purpose Natural Cleaner. Clean all end tables, lamps, electronics, TV mounts or cabinets, and shelves. Dust any decor you have on these areas as well.
- Thoroughly vacuum the carpet (or mop the floor). Move the furniture as much as possible to vacuum all areas, including (and especially!) under the dining room table and couches.
- Steam-clean carpeting (optional). If you own or have rented a steam cleaner, now is the time to use it! Remember that you will need to move all furniture off the carpet you’re cleaning. You cannot return those items until the carpeting is completely dry, so plan this step into your schedule carefully.
- Return all items to their places. Return the furniture and decor back to where it belongs. You know those bins you were using to organize all the clutter? Now is the time to put it all away. Take out the trash and place all the items you’ll be donating in the back of your car.
- Forbid all family members from entering the room for at least a few hours so you can admire your handiwork.
Struggling with Stains on Carpeting and Furniture?
These can be some of the toughest stains to get out. Don’t worry though, no matter what’s been spilled, we can help you get it out. Check out our Stain Guide for help. And, when in times of crisis, you can always reach out to our Laundry Guru for advice.
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