Spring is here, and while the season can come with many enjoyable activities, there is one thing most of us do every year that is far from a beloved pastime: spring cleaning.
“It’s really crucial, especially with a new season. Starting fresh is incredibly important,” said Lexi Grant, operations manager of Well-Paid Maids in D.C.
So where do you begin? Grant said start with decluttering. This could be ditching the gifts that you received over the holidays that you know you’ll never use or finding a new home for those toys and books your kids no longer use.
“We like to start by just getting rid of the things we don’t use, the things that don’t serve us anymore,” Grant said.
Then, once you decide which items get to stay, tidy up by organizing the stuff that you deemed worthy of a place inside your home and finding spots for all the new things you have acquired.
Now it’s time to get after the dust that may have built up over time. Grant said to start with those high-touch surface areas, such as the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave and counters.
She said not to forget the tech, too. Safely wipe down tablets and other electronics with a microfiber towel or anti-bacterial wipe.
Next, it’s time to tackle those other areas where, when the sun comes in, the dust is apparent.
“You can see if a window is dirty and you can see if there are handprints on those kinds of things,” she said.
Grant said one forgotten area in many homes is the bedroom. Since the bed and nightstands don’t move often, dust can easily build on them. She said often when people switch the fan directions from clockwise for winter to counterclockwise for spring and summer, the dust can get kicked up.
“Then all of the dust that we missed underneath our bed, near our nightstands, anywhere where we’re lying our head down at night gets caught into our airways,” she said.
Grant offered tips to more efficiently remove dust from your home. First, use a wet rag on dusty surfaces, then use a dry rag on those areas.
“I give it a minute to let the dust dry and then run a vacuum overtop of it just to get any excess dust that may have settled after I was finished,” Grant said.
Finally, to hit the most dusty areas, you may need to bring music into the equation. Grant said she likes to do a little dance, moving back and forth, so she can see all the areas that need her attention.
“Some of my clients are like, ‘Are you OK?’ I’m like ‘I’m just doing the cleaning dance,’” she said with a laugh.
She said professionals are ready to help, and that if you do hire a cleaning service, don’t feel like you need to pre-clean before they arrive.
“Honestly, we are here to be the pros,” she said.
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