Are you ready for spring? Tips for general house cleaning

Recommendation points

• Preliminary plan and preparation – we get everything you need
• Window
• Curtains, curtain rods and blinds
• Carpets
• Chandeliers and lamps
• “Problematic places” – balcony and dressing room
• Blankets, pillows and mattresses
• Bath and toilet
• Do not forget about the refrigerator and conduct an audit of winter stocks of pickles and jams
• We bring beauty

Few people like to do general cleaning in the house – the thought of such a need makes every housewife disheartened, and the proposed scope of work is simply terrifying. It is not for nothing that psychologists advise to time such a large-scale event to some kind of holiday – so the task becomes more urgent and it will not be possible to delay it.

Typically, general cleaning in an average Russian family is carried out twice a year – before the New Year (under the slogans “in the new year with a clean apartment” and “we are waiting for guests”), and before Easter, a bright Orthodox spring holiday.

Such spring cleaning allows you to get rid of trash and debris accumulated in the pantry and on the balcony over the winter, tune in to the beginning of the warm season, at the same time sort out and hide winter things, and so on..

How to carry out general cleaning with the least losses and make this process fast and even somewhat enjoyable?

Sometimes the onset of spring and sunny days does not please the hostess precisely because of the approaching “X hour” – the need to start general cleaning. You should not make such a face and panic – you will have time, you will do everything, you just need to get together and be sure to involve all family members in this process – it will be very difficult to cope on your own

Preliminary plan and preparation – we get everything you need

If we speak in the dry language of scientists, then general cleaning is the introduction of perfect order and cleanliness in all rooms of the house, with an audit in cabinets and other storage places. In other words, general cleaning is an event of a truly cosmic scale, when garbage is removed from all, even the most inaccessible corners of the house, and all the details of the interior are waiting for the “head wash” – from the chandelier to the baseboards..

Of course, it is necessary to start such a global process having prepared, and first of all morally. Think about how clean and beautiful your apartment will become after a general cleaning, how your windows and chandeliers will shine, how much space will be freed up on the balcony and cabinet shelves. Have you dreamed? Now go through the rooms and figure out what exactly needs to be done in each of them..

Not a single housewife has yet been able to complete a high-quality, truly general cleaning in one day, even with two or three assistants. Therefore, it is better to immediately divide the process into several stages, for example, on Saturday to wash the bathroom “from head to toe”, to devote Sunday to cleaning the balcony, and next weekend to do the kitchen and living room. Or allocate one day for washing all windows and washing the curtains, the second – to devote to the tiles in the bathroom and in the kitchen, the third – to dismantling the trash in the pantry and on the balcony, the fourth – to cleaning carpets and washing the floor, and so on..

The next important point is the purchase of all the items necessary for cleaning. See if your shelves have window cleaner, stove cleaner, enough soft cloths, sponges, brushes, buckets, and rubber gloves torn. Of course, one can argue about the benefits and dangers of household chemicals for a long time – our grandmothers generally washed dishes with mustard, and they managed to wipe the smoked pots with salt. This, of course, is a much more environmentally friendly and inexpensive option: vinegar, good old laundry soap, ammonia and soda will certainly help in cleaning, but sometimes without “heavy artillery”, that is, chemicals with stains, rust or bloom just can’t handle.

So, the cleaning plan has been drawn up, the relatives have been warned about the “danger”, and the detergents have been purchased. Let’s start!

With such an “arsenal” of detergents, cleaning products and “tools” to carry out even the largest general cleaning will be much easier and easier

Window

Even if you washed the windows from the inside several times in winter, this will not change the overall impression of the dusty glass – you must definitely wash the windows outside. The traditional way looks like this:

1. We remove everything from the window sills, transfer flowers, a vase and what else you have there.
2. We remove curtains and drapes – we are still going to wash them, and they will only interfere with washing.
3. We collect half a bucket of water and add a drop of detergent there, it is possible for dishes. Or, if you are strongly against chemistry – a little ammonia for shine.
4. First, I wash all the surfaces of the window, window sill, cornice, slopes with a damp sponge, periodically dipping it into water. By the way, the water will have to be changed in the process – it may become too dirty. Yes, and don’t forget about the radiator – it’s time to wash it too, before the curtains get in the way.
5. To wash the glass itself, you can use a special window mop, especially if the window is tall or you need to reach the edge of the half of the window that does not open..
6. Now it remains to bring the shine – wipe the glass dry. A newspaper or soft paper will cope with this task, there are also modern special fabrics – such rags will have to be bought in advance.
7. If you had nets on your window all winter (although it is better to remove them in the fall, in winter there will be no mosquitoes and flies), they must be removed and washed in the bathroom under the shower – a lot of dust has accumulated on the mesh. If you carried out this procedure even with the onset of cold weather – great, we take out the mesh, brush off the winter dust and fasten it in place so that the buzzing invaders do not enter the house.
8. And since we removed the flowers from the window sill, wipe the flower pots too, the plants themselves need to be sprayed and dust off the large leaves – on a clean window the flowers should also be freshly washed.

Over the winter, so much dust and traces of raindrops have accumulated on the windows that immediately after cleaning the house will become noticeably brighter, and looking out the window is much more pleasant

Curtains, curtain rods and blinds

Experienced housewives sometimes, in order to save time, do this – when starting to wash the windows, they remove the curtains and immediately send them to the washing machine. While they are safely washed, you will just cope with cleaning the window opening and you can immediately iron and hang the curtains. Thin fabric need not be dried at all – it is much easier to iron a wet curtain, but it will dry up already on the cornice, in the warm spring sun.

It is necessary to wash the curtains on a delicate mode – a delicate fabric does not need strong push-ups, and it will be difficult to iron the folds later.

In especially difficult cases – if you have designer curtains with lush flowers, cords and fringes – you will either have to disassemble this beauty in separate details and wash, or dry-clean – let this become their headache.

Blinds, both vertical and horizontal, are most convenient to remove and soak in the bathroom, and then go over each bar with a wet sponge. Yes, for a long time, but arranging wet cleaning of blinds right on the window is simply inconvenient. Although, if the blinds are screwed on “tightly”, there is no other way out.

Such lush lambrequins look, of course, beautiful, they can also be washed in the washing machine, but to walk through each fold with an iron and hang evenly is a responsible and difficult mission

Curtains and drapes are usually washed at a temperature of no more than 30 degrees, on a delicate cycle. Some housewives advise turning off the spin, hang the curtain on the balcony or an outdoor clothesline and let it drain, and then iron. So there will really be less folds

Carpets

The best way to generate carpets is to take them to a car wash. This service costs about 60 rubles per square meter, that is, washing a carpet two by four at a car wash will cost only 480 rubles. But your rug will return home perfectly clean, pleasantly smelling and completely dry..

Cleaning companies offer to dry-clean carpets and carpets directly at home. I’m not sure how safe it is for the health of the household (after all, chemistry), but the carpet will look like new. Dry cleaning of carpets and carpet costs from 100 rubles per square meter.

You can also do with the old grandfather’s method – carpets in the yard, on a special dryer, a knockout in the hands of a husband or child and let them exercise. By the way, knocking out carpets perfectly relieves stress if you imagine a “beloved” boss or a grumpy neighbor in place of a flower drawing.

After knocking out on the mat, you can walk with a damp sponge to get rid of animal hair and dust residues, and clean the stains with a detergent diluted in water

Chandeliers and lamps

The main thing when cleaning chandeliers and lamps is to observe safety precautions. Therefore, it is better to temporarily turn off the electricity, and it is recommended to put cellophane bags on the lamps so that water does not get into the shades. If you can disassemble a chandelier or sconce into details, that is, remove the shades and other decorative parts, they can be perfectly washed with detergent in a sink or basin. Just do not forget to wipe everything dry afterwards or wait until the parts dry themselves – do not rush to turn on the light.

If you plan to wash the chandelier without removing it from the ceiling, a spray bottle with a solution of water and ammonia will come in handy. Step on a stool, treat all parts of the chandelier with spray solution and wipe with a rag. In order not to drip the floor, some advise to hang an old umbrella, however, if you have already removed the carpets, then you can not worry too much about the solution that has got on the floor – the floor will still have to be washed later.

By the way, a solution of ammonia (1 tablespoon for 1 glass of water) perfectly gives shine to crystal chandeliers and pendants.

A lot of dust accumulates on the large decorative “petals” of the chandelier; moreover, insects attracted by the light like to fly here. Therefore, at least twice a year, all lighting fixtures must be thoroughly washed.

“Problematic places” – balcony and dressing room

“When cleaning up the trash, the main thing is not to start looking at it.” An absolutely fair conclusion, because on the balcony and high shelves of the cabinet you can find so many interesting things that the study of the “treasure” can take all day.

Ruthlessly discard any cracked plates, a lone ski pole, or old, rusted skates. In the spring, the balcony should be cleaned of both accumulated empty jam jars and boxes that have been stored here all winter. If there is nowhere else to put the remaining and recognized useful things, at least arrange everything neatly, install a shelf or an old bedside table on the loggia, which will help organize a civilized storage place.

In the dressing room, first of all, you should prepare winter things for the summer period, that is, pack, clean the shoes and hide them in boxes, put a moth repellent in the pockets of a fur coat, and so on. It is advisable to wash warm sweaters and other winter clothes in advance – let them be kept clean, otherwise the remaining stain may be eaten thoroughly until autumn.

And the main advice that all experts from the fashion world unanimously give is that if you did not wear this thing last summer, then you will definitely not wear this one. No, it’s clear that you are hoping to lose weight and still fit into your favorite jeans. But they are already five years old, no less. Maybe you shouldn’t cling to the past so much and it’s better to make room for new things and novelties this spring?

If things are still in good condition, you can give them to those in need. And children’s clothes are traditionally given to friends or relatives with babies – everything will come in handy on the farm, and fast-growing kids usually do not have time to wear things to holes

Blankets, pillows and mattresses

These indispensable attributes of every bedroom harbor an enormous amount of dust and dust mites, which can cause allergies. Ordinary synthetic winterizer blankets and blankets can be washed in a washing machine (of course, if their size allows you to put a thing into a drum). They dry relatively quickly, even after a delicate spin, especially in the warm spring sun..

Artificial pillow covers are also usually removable and washable. The main thing is then to carefully distribute the contents inside the pillow so that there are no lumps. But with feather pillows it is more difficult. The only thing you can do is donate these pillows to a company that cleanes feathers and replaces bedclothes, or just take them out into the yard, knock them out and leave them in the sun for a couple of hours – dust mites really don’t like this..

If you have winter-summer mattresses, then it’s time to turn them over to the other side, ordinary mattresses can be simply knocked out or at least vacuumed.

Of course, all pillows and blankets can be dry-cleaned, but the cost of cleaning one single blanket will be at least 300 rubles, pillows – about 250 rubles

Bath and toilet

You should start with a general cleaning of the toilet, and then move on to the tiles and the bathroom itself. As during general cleaning in other rooms, we move from top to bottom – we start with the lamp, then move on to the walls, shelves, do not forget about the mirror and heated towel rails.

We clean the bathtub itself, the shower cabin and the sink with a special tool or ordinary soda. If there was a curtain in the bathroom, remove it and wash it if possible. At the same time, since we are cleaning the entire bathroom, review all the shampoos, gels and cosmetics that are on your shelves, perhaps some of the products have expired and must be thrown away. And arrange everything beautifully.

Now I wash the floor, we are glad that the bathroom is small, make ourselves a coffee with a bun and move on.

You should only clean the bathtub with gloves – it is here that you cannot do without “harsh” chemicals, especially when flushing the toilet. If fungus or mold appears on the tile, purchase a special antifungal agent and treat all walls

Do not forget about the refrigerator and conduct an audit of winter stocks of pickles and jams

Kitchen cleaning is a special “song”. It seems that the room is small, and there is so much to check and sort out. Let’s start by defrosting the refrigerator. Even if your kitchen unit is equipped with the latest system that prevents the appearance of “icicles” and ice, all the same – all shelves and compartments must be thoroughly washed, and for this, first turn off the refrigerator from the network.

As always, we go from top to bottom – from the chandelier to the baseboards. In the kitchen, you still have to linger at the stove and sink to put them in perfect order. You should also wash the oven, microwave and other useful appliances such as a coffee maker or electric kettle. It is usually the hardest thing to wash a smoky hood – in this case, dishwashing detergent will help, which is designed to fight fat.

Be sure to audit both the refrigerator and cabinets. Old towels, torn bags, a year before last moldy jam or an incomprehensible bag with something blue-green, for some reason already covered with a layer of penicillin – into the trash. Review cereals, pasta and other dry stocks, fold neatly.

We wipe all the cabinets inside and out, put everything in its place, wash the floor and baseboards, move the dining table and the rest of the furniture that is not fixed, wipe the legs of the stools. Done!

Before turning on the refrigerator, it must be wiped dry. And a vinegar solution will help get rid of an unpleasant old smell.

We bring beauty

It remains “just” to walk through all the rooms with a vacuum cleaner, not forgetting about the upholstered furniture, the corners on the ceiling, where the spiders have already been waiting for you, the inner drawers of the sofa and the double bed, as well as the spines of books on the shelves. And you also need to dust off the cabinet furniture, rub the facades and shelves with polish, thoroughly wash the floor, preferably by moving the furniture aside, and you can bring beauty.

We spread our clean carpet, which has just returned from a sink, cleaning or after knocking out the street, put back the vases and souvenirs, cover the sofa with a freshly washed blanket and finally fall into our favorite chair. The general cleaning is over, with which we congratulate you. Now you can not think about it until the New Year, nice, right? And it’s just scary to walk around a clean house – you want to preserve such beauty as long as possible!

Oh, I wish I had such a young man at home, and a mop in his hands, let him clean it up, and I’ll lie on the couch … In fact, if you just have no time to waste time on general cleaning, hiring a team of professional “cleaners” is not a problem today. Your house will be washed from top to bottom – just pay the money. The cost of such a service depends primarily on the area of ​​the apartment or house itself and starts at 90 rubles per square meter. So to bring shine in a typical “kopeck piece” with an area of ​​50 “squares” will cost 4.5 thousand rubles per visit

Of course, each experienced housewife has her own general cleaning scheme, worked out over the years. Someone spends all the weekend on this, someone does everything gradually, and someone simply does not bring the house to such a state, washing the curtains and wiping the chandeliers every month. In any case, the spring general cleaning timed to coincide with Easter is an occasion to tune in to the already close beginning of a hot summer, to feel the arrival of real spring and a bright Orthodox holiday.