Spring Cleaning In Just One Day

The spring season is a time for renewal — perfect for shaking up the dust and giving your home a top-to-bottom cleaning. But sometimes, dedicating time to cleaning things that may not have been cleaned in a while can feel a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry, though! If you follow these cleaning tips from The Quad on Delaware, spring cleaning your apartment can be done and over in less than a day.

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Gather Your Supplies

The best way to start is by making sure that you have everything you need to clean every room and surface. This way, you don’t have to stop mid-cleaning to find a cleaning solution or run out to the store. While you may not need everything on this list, these can be some useful items to have on hand:

  • Paper Towels Or Clean Terry Cloths
  • An Extendable Duster
  • Window Cleaning Spray
  • Trash Bags
  • A Surface Disinfectant Cleaner
  • Furniture Polish
  • A Broom & Dustpan
  • A Mop
  • A Vacuum Cleaner
  • Hardwood & Tile Cleaner
  • A Scrub Brush
  • A Toilet Bowl Cleaner & Brush
  • A Bathtub/Shower Cleaner

Having some baking soda on hand can also help deodorize carpets and mattresses. If you’re doing a deeper cleaning, you should also have a stain remover solution and a grout cleaning brush. Play some music or a podcast to set the mood, so you’re not working in silence.

Morning Cleaning

Prioritize cleaning areas that require more time by getting through them in the morning. Forget about cleaning the floors for now.

Laundry

Laundry should be gathered up first and tossed into the wash. Make sure to pull the sheets from your bed, throw blankets, and any towels that have been hanging around in the bathrooms or kitchen. If there’s more than one load, remember to switch them over throughout the day as you’re cleaning. Also, grab any carpets or mats. Even if you don’t machine wash them, having them set aside to vacuum or shake out will clear space to clean the other rooms.

Bathroom

Once the first load of laundry is going, set aside about an hour to tackle the bathroom(s), you can set a timer for 45 minutes to keep you on track. Apply cleaner to areas that need to soak for a while, such as the bathtub, shower, and toilet bowl. Next do countertops and mirrors and work your way down. Pay special attention to spots that don’t get a lot of attention, like the sides of the toilet, cabinet shelves and doors, and the corners of the tub.

Early Afternoon Cleaning

While the bedsheets are off, deodorize your mattress, move on to the bedroom, and don't just shove everything in the closet!

Bedroom & Closet

To clean your mattress, simply sprinkle some baking soda on the mattress and allow it to sit for a couple of hours before vacuuming off. If you’re physically able, this can also be a good time to rotate the mattress if needed. Next, start dusting things like the ceiling fan, window blinds and sills, and furniture. A vacuum cleaner with a hose, funnel attachments, and brush can be particularly helpful to limit the amount of dust that ends up floating around, especially for the fan and window areas.

Tidy any visible clutter and wipe down furniture surfaces with a cleaner. Use the window cleaning solution to clean the windows panes and the surface cleaner for the sills. Also, take this time to go through your closet and pull out things that haven’t been worn in a long time. Consider donating unused clothes or selling them at a consignment shop for a little extra cash.

Afternoon Cleaning

Dedicate the afternoon to cleaning the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas. If you’re deodorizing the carpets, now is the time to sprinkle baking soda on them, so it has time to do its job.

Kitchen

Pull out any expired food from the fridge and toss them into the garbage or compost. Round up all dirty dishes and load up the dishwasher if you have one. If you don’t have a dishwasher or can’t wash certain items in the dishwasher, hand wash and air dry those dishes or utensils. Once your dishes are done drying, do some quick cabinetry organization while you put everything away. It should only take a few minutes to neatly stack Tupperware, pots, pans, plates, and bowls.

Living Rooms

Dust or vacuum ceiling fans and blinds, and wipe down furniture to remove dust. Use the window cleaning solution to clean the window panes, and the surface cleaner for window sills, speakers, gaming devices, and television screens. Use a disinfectant cleaner to wipe down your dining room table and kitchen counters. Pay close attention to any spots that aren’t cleaned as often, like faucets, cabinet doors, ovens, trash can sides, and lampshades.

Finishing Touches

Once all of your surfaces are dusted and polished, you can move on to vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping. If you’re addressing any stains on carpets or upholstery, make sure to vacuum the area first and only then apply the stain remover. Allow the remover to sit for the amount of time stated on the instructions. Make sure to vacuum up all baking soda.

Don't forget to pay attention to the baseboards. You can sweep or vacuum these then wipe them down with a slightly damp rag to make them look like new. Using the vacuum’s attachments and brush, you can also remove any cobwebs that have accumulated in the upper corners of the walls. Once the floors are clean and dry, finish up the laundry and neatly lay out throw-rugs, blankets, and towels.

Once everything is back in place, it’s time to unwind and relax in your apartment. Maybe even treat yourself to your favorite takeout or hit up some of our community amenities.