Austin Spring Cleaning Tips
Spring is just around the corner, Austin! If you’ve been huddled inside to hide away from winter, now’s the perfect time to crack those windows and start thinking about spring cleaning. You may have your typical spring cleaning checklist, but all too frequently homeowners can skip over a few important details.
Here are just a few recommendations to get the most out of your spring cleaning from your floors to your shutters, so you can enjoy our favorite season in Austin.
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 due to winter weather–it’s due to a grimy window. Spring is the perfect time to deep clean your windows. Get that beautiful view back with the following steps.
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If your window opens, completely open it and clean out any dirt or debris in the track. First remove as much as possible with the track dry, then use warm soapy water and a cloth or brush to clean out the rest. This helps your window open and close more easily, and ensure your window can close completely.
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Spray the glass with a cleaning solution. You can use either a chemical cleaner bought off the shelf, or mix your own at home with two parts warm water and one part vinegar.
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Clean the glass with a microfiber cloth. Microfibers are best for cleaning glass and leave the least amount of streaks.
Don’t Forget to Clean your Window Treatments
A clean glass window isn’t worth much the window treatment isn’t just as clean.
For fabric window treatments like curtains or draperies, cleaning can be a hassle. For thick fabric window coverings, remove them from the wall and take them outdoors to shake and get rid of any loose debris, then leave 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 hand-wash them in a sink or tub.
Plantation shutters are by far the simplest window treatment to clean. Remove dust by wiping down with a microfiber cloth or duster. To spot clean, use a slightly damp cloth to get rid of any stain, then dry with a cloth.
Now is also a perfect time to think about replacing your window treatments. Visit the Sunburst Shutters Austin Idea Gallery for some inspiration on new window treatments for your home.
Spend Time on Your Appliances
Your fridge, oven and washing machine are just as much furniture as appliances. Especially with modern appliances such as stainless steel appliances, looks are equally as important as function. Clean all the nooks and crannies of your appliances, and make them look brand-new once more.
Stainless steel appliances can be polished with a solution made of 1 teaspoon dish soap and 1 quart of warm water, cleaned with a wet cloth and air-dried.
Get Every Single Surface
You’re likely going to spend some time on your walls and floors when you do your spring cleaning, but remember to spread some attention around to some of those often neglected surfaces. Below are just a couple of the areas that are easy to skip over when doing your spring cleaning:
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Any knobs or handles that are often touched. This could be on the toilet, doors, or any other spot in the home.
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All surfaces in your shower, including the door, floor, and soap ledge.
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The top sides of your ceiling fan blades.
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Appliance undersides - specifically the larger appliances such as the fridge164 and washer/dryer.
