4 Things to Do During Your Indoor Spring Cleaning
The warm weather has finally come. Open your windows and start on some chores to head off any potential problems. It will help prevent costly home repairs. Here are four indoor spring cleaning tips.
Indoor Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Get Rid of Dust
Getting rid of all the dirt will make your house clean. It also makes your house healthy. You’ll be getting your homes free of dust mites, allergens, and germs. They can cause respiratory ailments and other problems. Make sure to get at these particular dust traps:
- Horizontal surfaces (ex. tops of window frames and doors, ceiling fan blades, light fixtures, artwork, books sitting on shelves and cabinet tops)
- Gently turn over chairs and sofas and vacuum the fabric underside with an upholstery attachment. This fabric cover is called the cambric. It keeps dust out of the furniture but can be dust and pet hair magnet.
- Clean bathroom exhaust fans by gently removing the vent cover. Make sure to wash the cover and let it dry thoroughly before replacing. Vacuum out all the dust that’s collected inside the vent housing.
- Vacuum behind the refrigerator. Too much dust restrict the airflow and can lower the efficiency of your fridge.
- Remember to clean the inside corners of closets. They collect quite a bit of dust, too.
- Remove you range hood filters and clean them. Get your biggest pot, fill it with water and boil it. When it starts bubbling, add 1/2 cup of baking soda, slowly. Put the filters in the water completely and let them sit for a minimum of 10 minutes. The filters may not fit all the way. Flip it over and repeat the process. Once they have been soaked, take the filters out of the pot and rinse them with hot water. Scrub them gently with a nylon brush and rinse again. Let them dry before replacing.
Indoor Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Replace HVAC Filters
This is a quarterly job, and a spring clean is a great reminder to do it again. Dirty filters will strain your HVAC system, which can strain on your wallet.
You might see some different rating systems on the filters. Minimum Efficiency Rating Value (MERV) goes from 5 to 12. Higher numbers are more efficient. Filters are rated based on how effective they are at removing:
- Mold
- Dust
- Pollen
- Pet Dander
Cheap filters typically cost about $3. Pleated filters, with 1250 microparticle ratings, might cost about $15. Then filters that are rated higher than 2000 run around $20 to $25.
Find out the exact size of the replacement filters you need before you head to the hardware store.
Indoor Spring Cleaning Tip #3: De-Gunk Aerators
Unscrew the all the faucet aerators, sink sprayers and showerheads. Try removing stubborn aerators with a pair of pliers. Make sure to protect the fixture from scratches by putting a couple of turns of masking tape around it. Aerators tend to have several little parts. Make sure you know how to reassemble them.
You can give the aerators a bath in a warm, 50:50 solution of vinegar and water. Let them soak for about hour and then rinse them with warm water.
You don’t need to take apart showerheads and sprayers. Instead, fill a plastic bag with the solution and tie it around large faucets and showerheads to give them a good soaking. You should get the same results.
Indoor Spring Cleaning Tip #4: Check the Laundry Room
Dryers are involved in more than 15,000 residential fires every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The reason for this is that dryer vents are plugged with lint.
You need to disconnect the vent from the back of the machine to clean it. Use a dryer vent brush to remove lint. Then go outside your house repeat with the outside vent. Make sure the vent cover flap can move freely when you’re done.
It’s safest to use solid metal vent pipe for your dryer. A solid vent pipe doesn’t collect lint as easily and is easier to clean.
Inspect washer hoses, too, for signs of cracks or leaks. Replace any plastic hoses with some braided metal water supply hoses.
By following these indoor spring cleaning tips, your home will be ready for the upcoming summer. Or, if you choose, ready to go on the market. Give us a call if you are thinking about selling your home. We’d love to help.