6 Cleaning Hacks to Refresh Your Home This Spring
This spring before you put your property on the market make sure to clean each room from top to bottom. While this task can be a timely, cleaning can increase a home’s value and be one of the most cost-effective preparation steps in the home staging process. It’s important to schedule some time before a showing to conquer a deep clean of your property if you can afford to hire a professional to handle this. Deep cleaning is different from regular or spring cleaning because it reaches the deep grime and dirt in your home. This type of cleaning covers areas that should be wiped down every 6 months to a year including:
- behind kitchen appliances
- inside the oven including the oven door glass
- inside of window frames and patio doors
- inside and outside of all windows
- washing all blinds
- dusting every room from top to bottom (including behind items)
- under the sink
- scale removal from all tile, faucets and shower heads
Here at Chicagoland Home Staging, we understand you may not exactly like spending your time cleaning, so we have a few cleaning hacks we wanted to share with you to save you time.
Vinegar Friendly
Did you know vinegar can double-up as a cleaner to cut through tough grease and make your home sparkle? This powerful substance can also kill mold. Look to mix distilled or white vinegar which won’t leave a stain with one part water. Creating this self-cleaner is cheap, natural and tough on bacteria and dirt. Here are just a few things you can clean with vinegar:
- appliances
- countertops
- drains
- wood floors
- windows
- toilet
- shower/tub
Hard Water Stains
Dissolve hard water stains on your water faucets and showerheads by wrapping them up in a plastic bag filled with vinegar and a dash of baking soda. Secure the bag with a rubber-band. Leave it on the item for at least one hour or you can keep it on overnight. This will help de-scale and deep-clean the items without harsh scrubbing.
Maintain Appliances
Major appliances are usually sold with the home, so it’s important to clean all appliances to help them run more efficiently and avoid a fire or flood. Consider lining your fridge shelves to avoid inevitably spills, then you can just pull the liner out and wipe it down and not have to remove half your fridge to clean up a sticky mess. This same technique works well in the oven too. Prevent future messes with an oven liner to catch drips. Bust through cooked on grime in your oven by scrubbing with a Magic Eraser. Have a dirty microwave? Microwave a vinegar-water mixture for five minutes in a glass or plastic bowl. The steam from the mixture will allow you to easily wipe down the inside quickly.
Catch-All Cycle
Your dishwasher doesn’t just have to be for your dishes. There are a ton of things you can deep clean in this appliance with a push of a button. Sponges, cleaning brushes, plastic toys, trash cans, dust pans, fridge shelves, vent covers can all benefit from a cycle.
Dust Bunnies
Instead of just brushing the dust around, use a tool like a Swiffer duster that collects and captures the mess. On your ceiling fans use an old pillowcase to trap the grime. Just put the pillowcase over each blade and slide it off. Quickly dust and de-fuzz a screen door or window screen by rolling a lint roller over the surface, for removable screens you can wash them down with a garden hose.
Pet Care
While we love our pets, they can make a mess. Remove embedded pet hair with a watered down plastic glove. Place the glove on, put it under water then wipe over the upholstered area to pick up pet hair. Also, wipe down baseboards with a dryer sheet to help remove and repel not only pet hair but dust too.
Once the property is spotless, it’s time to prepare the property with on-trend furnishings and accessories. Let our team help you show off your property for quick sale, contact us today for more information.
