For many of us, the warmer weather usually sparks great motivation to tackle the tasks that may have pushed aside during the cold winter months. With the warmer weather here and continually warming up, it’s time to begin to be proactive and start accomplishing your spring maintenance responsibilities. Here’s a list of maintenance tasks and tips as you begin knocking items off your list!
1. Wash Walls, Cabinets, and Baseboards
This task is truly only necessary to do once or twice a year so with spring cleaning in mind, now is the perfect time to do it. Make sure to wipe down all surfaces with a dry cloth or sponge to remove dust buildup, followed by wiping down with a soapy cloth. Scrub walls top to bottom and make sure to leave a door open to allow for ventilation to help in the drying process. Clean baseboards with a wet towel and work to remove all dust build-up that has occurred during the past few months.
2. Clean Windows and Screens
To effectively clean your windows and screens, first, remove the screen entirely from the window. It will be easier to clean the two if they are separated. To wash the screen, spray with a garden hose and scrub with soapy water to remove all dirt build-up and allow it to dry. If any dirt remains, try scrubbing with a brush. For the windows, simply clean with soapy water and hand-dry with a dry rag. After both the windows and screens are dry, reassemble.
3. Wipe Down Ceiling Fan Blades, Light Fixtures, and Vents
Lots of dirt and dust tend to resignate in those hard to reach places so it’s important, especially during spring cleaning, to clean and remove all build-up. To do this, make sure you have a step ladder or some other ladder so you can safely reach the areas that need cleaning. It’s important to clean the items such as the ceiling fan blades, hanging light fixtures, and vents strategically so you can refrain from the dirt and grime falling down to your carpets and flooring. To clean your ceiling fan, grab a garbage bag and insert the blade inside. Wipe the blade as much as you can as it is in the bag and repeat for the remaining blades. Next, grab some all-purpose cleaner and clean rags and wipe down each blade. Similar procedures may be used to clean light fixtures and vents using a clean rag and all-purpose cleaner.
4. Vacuum Low Traffic Areas
Low-traffic areas tend to get neglected because they aren’t used often, however, they still need to get some love. Vacuuming should be done often to help with the life of your flooring. Low-traffic areas may include, underneath furniture, the floors of closets, and other hard to reach spots. Move all furniture and items from closets to ensure every area in the home is free from accumulating dust and allergens.
5. Clean Carpets
To ensure the cleanliness of your space, carpet cleaning is a great way to start! Clean carpets can really help bring greater appeal to the property and change the look drastically! Now that spring cleaning time is here, now is the perfect time to clean them! You can borrow or purchase a carpet cleaner from any company but either way, cleaning them will help get them back looking how they did on day one.
6. De-clutter
During the time you have set aside for your spring cleaning, it’s important you especially set additional time aside to de-clutter. Decluttering makes you more efficient and keeps you organized. Studies have shown that a disorganized home can add more stress to your body. It can signal to your brain that there is still more work to be done. So with the inhaling of dust, combined with a disorganized home, it can really take a toll on your body. Take some time to organize your closets, look through your dreaded junk drawer, and organize a disorganized room in your home. While organizing, make sure to throw away unneeded items and make it look clean. Some questions you should ask yourself while going through items should be:
- Do I use this?
- Do I want this?
- Do I need this?
These questions can help you better get rid of items that might not be needed anymore.
7. Change Furnace and HVAC Filters
Replacing your furnace and HVAC filters is one of the most important and overlooked parts of spring cleaning. However, doing so can help you breathe better air as the summer months come rolling in. In fact, replacing the standard filters with higher quality and higher MERV ratings can help keep you healthier. It will catch smaller particles that can also make it so you don’t have to clean your air conditioner ducts as often. Overall, replacing these filters can help with the air quality of your home and keep you less likely to wake up stuffy every morning from the spring allergies.
8. Dust Everywhere
It is likely that lots of dust have accumulated in many areas of your home during the winter season. If you have severe allergies, then these dust particles might affect you even more during the spring months. This dust has likely accumulated in areas such as furniture, fixtures, and other surfaces. Be sure to remove all dust by using a cleaner of your choice and running a clean rag along all surfaces. Also, be sure to remove all dust from the tops of your baseboards as it is likely this doesn’t get done often and dust particles are present.
9. Clean Gutters and Remove Leaves
Depending on the size of the property, this task my be manageable by yourself, or it could be something you wish to hire out. Either, way, it is important to make sure all gutters are clean and are able to drain excess water properly. Be sure they get cleared of any materials such as leaves, small sticks or branches, and other organic material that may have accumulated during the fall and winter storms. Any excess leaves on the lawn can easily be removed by mowing them up or by using a mulcher mower that will then fertilize the grass with the cut-up leaves. Doing this can also improve the appearance of the yard.
10. Educate Your Tenants
Now that you have either completed your spring cleaning or at least got a list of the item you wish to complete this spring, it’s time to also educate your tenants on the ways they should be keeping up with the upkeep of the property. Let them know what you expect them to be doing and set up a time for an inspection. Doing this will help with the overall flow and order of your property and keep it in better condition.
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact Keyrenter Highlands Ranch today!