Baltimore Spring Cleaning Tips
Spring is just around the corner, Baltimore! If you’ve been huddled inside to hide away from the cold, now’s the perfect time to open those windows and begin thinking about spring cleaning. You may have your usual spring cleaning regimen, but all too often homeowners can neglect a few important items.
These are some tips to improve your spring cleaning from your floors to your shutters, so you can enjoy our favorite season in Baltimore.
Spring Clean Your Windows
It’s common to wake up in the middle of March and realize that the subpar view out your bedroom window isn’t caused by winter weather–it’s caused by a grimy window. Spring is the perfect opportunity to deep clean your windows. Get your awesome view back with the following steps.
-
If your window opens, completely open it and clean out any dirt and dust in the track. First remove as much as you can with the track dry, then use warm soapy water and a cloth or brush to clean out the remainder. This will let your window open and close more easily, and make sure your window can close completely.
-
Spray down the glass with a glass cleaner. You can use either a store-bought chemical cleaner, or create your own at home using two parts warm water and one part vinegar.
-
Clean the windows with a microfiber cloth. These cloths are the most effective at cleaning glass and leave fewer streaks.
Don’t Neglect to Clean those Window Treatments
A spotless glass window isn’t worth much the window treatment isn’t just as clean.
For fabric window treatments such as drapes or curtains, cleaning can be an issue. For thick fabric window coverings, take them off the wall and take them outdoors to shake and get rid of any loose debris, then pop them in the washer and run on cold water and air dry them. For thinner window treatments, you’ll want to be more delicate in how you handle them, so wash them by hand in a sink or tub.
Plantation shutters are probably the simplest window treatment to clean. Get rid of dust by wiping down with a microfiber cloth or duster. For spot cleaning, use a slightly wet cloth to get rid of any stain, then dry with a cloth.
Spring is also a fantastic time to think about switching up your window treatments. Take a look at the Sunburst Shutters Baltimore Idea Gallery for some inspiration on new window treatments for your home.
Spend Time on Your Appliances
Your refrigerator, oven and washer and dryer are as much pieces of furniture as they are appliances. Particularly with newer appliances such as those made of stainless steel, looks may be just as important as function. Clean all the nooks and crannies of your appliances, and get them back to the condition they were when you first bought them.
Stainless steel appliances can be polished with a solution made of 1 tsp. dish soap and 1 qt. of warm water, cleaned with a damp cloth and air-dried.
Get Every Single Surface
You’re likely going to spend some time on your walls and floors when you do spring clean, but remember to spread some love around to some of the most often neglected surfaces. Here are just a couple of the areas that are often neglected when doing your spring cleaning:
-
Any handles or knobs that get touched a lot. These could be on the toilet, on electronics, or anywhere else in the house.
-
Various shower surfaces, including the door, base, and soap ledge.
-
The top sides of ceiling fans.
-
Under your appliances - specifically the larger appliances such as the refrigerator164 and dishwasher.
