Cleaning - Winter Checklist

Winter is a great time for some deep cleaning inside your home.  The cold weather may have you trapped inside, but you can take advantage of this hibernation to improve the quality of your home through cleaning it.  The following tips can help to guide you in your winter cleaning.

Getting started
Before you begin cleaning your home, do a little preparation.  First, have a plan.  Make a list of everything that you want to accomplish.  If your cleaning is going to take more than a day, it helps to create a timeframe.  You’ll also want to gather your supplies before you begin.  Try to have the following on hand:

• garbage bags for throwing away as much as you can as you clean
• gloves to protect your hands
• a good duster
• white vinegar for cleaning most surfaces as well as mirrors and windows
• lemon juice to remove stains from counters and to use as a disinfectant
• baking soda for cleaning and scrubbing down your sinks, tubs, and toilets
• club soda to remove stains in carpet and upholstery
• distilled water to clean leather furniture
• your own favorite cleaning products

Quarterly tasks
With deep cleaning, there are certain tasks that need to be done at least every quarter to keep your home in good shape.  If you make these tasks a part of your quarterly cleaning, they shouldn’t take too long to do.

• Wash down the baseboards and moldings.
• Clean the exterior of all of your cabinetry.
• Wash the porches and exterior doors with an attachment on your water hose.

Winter tasks
Take advantage of your time indoors during the cold weather to tackle the following cleaning projects. 

• Clean the chimney (especially if you use it regularly).  Have this professionally done by a chimney sweep.
• Have your heater serviced so it is prepared for the cold weather.  Be sure to change the filters.
• Rid your mattresses of dust mites.  For cleaning the mattresses, vacuum them after removing the bedding and flip them if possible.  Also, wash all bedding on the hottest temperature possible.
• Clean out the pantry.  Throw out any food that is past its expiration date.  Donate any cans that you bought but never used.
• Clean your computer.  This involves cleaning off its desk as well as cleaning the keyboard, monitor, and printer.
• Tackle the junk drawer.  Cleaning it out at least once a year guarantees room to throw your car keys in there.  And, you just might find a coupon or gift card before it expires.
• Go through the holiday decorations.  As you take them down, organize them.  Buy bins to keep them in if necessary.  Get rid of any that you no longer use.

Focus on the indoors for winter cleaning.  It’s too cold to be working outside, but there are plenty of tasks to keep you busy cleaning and maintaining the inside your home.