Author: Jean Hanson

The start of summer brings with it so many wonderful outdoor activities. You get to dust off all that patio furniture and shake out those umbrellas. You get to pull out the old grill. You get to break out the bikes and give them a wipe down. You get to unpack all the summer clothes.

Wait… this is starting to sound less fun and more like a…you guessed it!

Ultimate Summer Cleaning Checklist!

It doesn’t have to be a lot of work and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, many of the things on this list will occur to you organically;  for example, when things have been in storage, you naturally give them a wipe down before using them.

Here are our recommendations for summer cleaning that will keep your house feeling fresh, cool, and clean all summer long.

Summer Cleaning Task #1: The Grill

Thankfully, the weather in California is so nice, we can grill out all year long. But, summer is traditionally the best time to grill, so it is also a good time to give the grill a thorough cleaning.  Don’t forget these areas of the grill:

• Take the grates off and use an oven cleaner (don’t forget your gloves!) to give the grates a really good scrub down.
• Use a soapy solution and a washcloth to wipe down the outside of the grill and then dry completely
• Hand wash your grill utensils

Most people quickly clean the grill after each use, but it is advisable to once or twice a year give it a good scrub down.

Summer Cleaning Task #2: Vases

Flowers are available in abundance all summer long. If you have flowers in your garden that you sometimes bring in the house, summer is a good time to give the vases a good cleaning. Some vases are rather difficult to thoroughly clean on the inside; for instance, they might be long with a very small hole at the neck.

 

To clean out those hard to reach places, put a spoon of uncooked white rice into the vase with a little soap and warm water. Then cover the hole of the vase with your hand and shake. This will help scrub the inside of the vase. Now you’re ready for all those pretty flowers!

Summer Cleaning Task #3: Pillows

Summer is a great time to wash all the pillows in your house. Throw pillows, pillows for your bed, pillows your dog uses— they could all could use a good cleaning once a year. Some pillows might be able to be tossed into the washing machine with no ill effect.

For those that aren’t washing machine friendly, just wash them in the sink or a washing tub. Use a low suds detergent like Woolite, and then press— do not wring— the pillow dry. Most pillows are safe to toss into the dryer; just add in a few dryer balls to fluff them up.

Summer Cleaning Task #4: Patios and Decks

Wiping down patio furniture periodically is a great idea. Chairs might be doing double duty and also being used to dry swimsuits and towels from the pool. The chlorine might make the colors fade over time, so to prevent that, use soapy water to scrub, rinse, and dry the patio furniture in the summertime, when it will dry quickly.

The patio or deck itself could likely use a good spray down. Power spraying the concrete, deck, ceilings, etc, to rid them of cobwebs and bugs and general dirt will make your outdoor living areas look new again. Just be careful to use the suggested spray strength.

Summer Cleaning Task #5: Stains

Summer is a time for parties, relaxing evenings with friends, or just a quiet evening with neighbors watching the kids play in the backyard. Plenty of these events might also involve a glass (or two) of wine. With kids about, there is also the chance of a glass (or two) getting knocked over. Popsicles are also a major culprit behind stains in the summer.

If a glass of wine is just knocked over, use salt to soak it up. Not just a sprinkle, but a good amount of salt over the stain (on the carpet or the floor) will soak the wine right up. Then just vacuum it away. White vinegar, warm water, lemon juice, and a sponge will help you get rid of Pop Ice stains in no time.

Another good item for your summer cleaning checklist? Call CleanSpace cleaning services to get your free quote on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning to keep your house looking its best.
Chances are high that during the summer, you’d rather be spending time outdoors with your family and friends than cleaning up around the house. Your summer cleaning checklist can melt away by hiring our professional cleaning teams at CleanSpace!

Spring cleaning just feels like a natural thing to do. After all, spring is a time of birth and rebirth in nature. Birds build nests and lay eggs, baby bunnies abound, flowers bloom, trees come back to life— the world is green and lively again!

It makes sense to throw open your windows and perform a thorough spring cleaning of your home after the cooler months are gone. It can also be a time to organize, declutter, and focus on using healthier cleaning products in your home.

Here are our top tips for a green spring cleaning to keep your family in a healthy environment.

Make a Spring Cleaning Plan

Think about all the rooms, closets, and spaces in your home. What is the top priority for your spring cleaning? Make a list of every room in your home and put them in order from most important to clean to least.

Then, take a look at your calendar. Is it easiest for you to commit to a weekend or two in order to complete your list? Or maybe it would work better for you to tackle one room a day for a week or so. Whatever works best for you, be sure to add the dates to your calendar.

Spring Cleaning Supplies

Once you have a list and have decided on the dates, confirm that you have all the equipment and supplies you need before the day you’ve designated as the start of your spring cleaning.

Of course, you’ll need your vacuum and mop, but if you’re planning on a green spring cleaning, you’ll need to make sure you have all the ingredients to make your cleaning products. Here is a helpful list of supplies to make sure you have on hand.

• Baking soda
  • Good for killing viruses, deodorizing, and cutting through grease
• Castile soap
  • 100% plant-based, cuts through grease
• White vinegar
  • Gentle, but will clean almost anything
• Olive oil
  • A natural polisher
• Lemon juice
  • Good for cleaning mold and mildew
• Salt
  • A good scrub agent
• Essential oils
  • Additions to your bases like white vinegar, baking soda or castile soap. Some good essential oils to use in cleaning are Thieves, Lemon, Lemongrass, and Lavender
• Squeegee
  • For windows and glass to leave a streak-free shine
• Glass spray bottles and/or glass containers
  • If you are planning on using essential oils, lemons, or vinegar, the glass will stand up against their acidity
• Microfiber towels
  • These are washable— they eliminate the need for paper towels
• Reusable gloves
  • These can be washed and reused, cutting down on the use of plastic disposable gloves

If you plan on decluttering as well, it might be a good idea to buy some cardboard moving boxes to collect items you’d like to donate. 

The Recipes

The popularity of do-it-yourself anything is so great you can search green spring cleaning DIY products, and thousands of suggestions will come up. Knowing what to search is half the battle. A few suggestions are:

• Natural oven cleaner recipe
• DIY natural toilet scrub
• Recipe for natural disinfectant
• Countertop cleaner with essential oils

To get you started, we’ve added our favorite green spring cleaning product recipes, and all of them can be made with products from the list above!

Bathtub Scrub

For tough grime in the bathtubs, showers, or even your sinks, mix together a bit of baking soda and castile soap with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Scrub and rinse clean with water.

Kitchen- Microwave

Microwaves can get pretty gross and they’re hard to clean. In a small cup, pour in vinegar and a splash of lemon juice or lemon essential oil. Put into microwave and run it for two minutes. Take out the cup and wipe down the microwave with a microfiber towel. No elbow grease needed!

Living Room- Furniture Polish

Make that furniture shine and remain dust free longer with this natural furniture polish. Combine 3/4 cup olive oil, the juice of a quarter of a  lemon, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 3-4 drops lemon essential oil (optional). Dip a damp rag into the polish and rub on furniture. Use an old dry towel to buff off. This same recipe can be used on stainless steel.

Whole House- Floors Cleaner

Combine one part white vinegar with two parts warm water in a bucket. Use a mop or rag to wipe down floors. Put a few drops of essential oil as well to mask the smell of the vinegar if desired.

Spring cleaning can be a daunting task. It’s tough to find the time you need to do the job right, let alone create the green products that will clean in an environmentally friendly and healthy manner.  There is nothing wrong with outsourcing that task to a professional cleaning company. CleanSpace offers a spring cleaning service to our clients in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and surrounding areas in California.

Our licensed and bonded professional cleaning teams are highly trained; every cleaner is specially trained in our special top to bottom, left to right process of cleaning your home. We are proud to only use Green Seal and Green Guard approved products, so you will only ever receive a green spring cleaning from our cleaning professionals.

Call our customer service team today for your free estimate for your home’s spring cleaning!