Get Organized for Spring Cleaning
You’ve weathered another winter. Granted, Baton Rouge didn’t experience the frigid temps and relentless storms that hit other parts of the country. We still appreciate the emergence of spring that revives the spirit and allows us to celebrate the season of new starts. How about kicking it off with a clean house? Get organized for spring cleaning with these tips from Alvarez Construction Company.
Plan your attack.
Don’t just go into a cleaning frenzy. You’ll waste valuable time and energy. Instead, map out your strategy. Go from room to room in your home and make a list of every single task that needs to be done. Be specific. For example: Dust above the door trim and top of the walls. Scrub the floor boards. Clean the doors. Replace the light bulbs.
When you break down the cleaning this way, you don’t miss details. You also have the gratification of crossing more things off the “To Do” list more quickly.
Focus.
Once you have your spring cleaning checklist prepared, post the list for each room in that space (on the door or the wall). You can assign one person to a room (even if that person is you), and then establish the ground rule: Focus on one room at a time. Don’t let distractions pull you off track. Once a room is cleaned, you’ll feel the satisfaction of completion that you won’t experience when you just dabble here and there.
Gather up the supplies.
It’s easier to have the cleaning supplies ready and waiting in the space you’re about to clean. You avoid leaving the room (which leads to the distraction mentioned above) and saves time. At the outset, assemble a bucket or other container with cleaners, sponges, microfiber cloths (which are far more economical than paper towels), brushes, Magic Eraser sponges, and work gloves to protect your hands from the solvents.
White vinegar is a safe, effective, and cost-effective cleaner. Dilute it to wash windows and scrub walls and wood work. Mix white vinegar with baking soda and scrub tile and grout, clean a stainless steel sink, unclog a drain, get rid of mildew and mineral deposits in the shower, and even remove carpet stains.
Cut up some lemons to pack with your cleaning supplies, too. In the kitchen, place 2 halves of a lemon face down on a microwaveable place, sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of water, and microwave it on high for 1 minute. Then, wipe away the lemony steam inside and you have a sparkling, fresh-smelling appliance. Afterwards, put the lemon into your disposal, add a half a dozen ice cubes and a few tablespoons of salt. Run the disposal and these simple ingredients clean and disinfect it.
If you have lime build-up on faucets, give them some lemon! Rub them with lemon juice, let it work overnight, and wipe the lemon and lime away in the morning.
Clean the air.
After you’ve washed the windows, throw them open and let the outside air in for at least 20 minutes. With all the efforts made to keep homes airtight, your indoor air quality contains about 5 times more pollutants than what you breathe outdoors. Cleaners, pet dander, dust mites, mold, chemicals, and even fumes from fabric, carpet, treated wood, and other household features keep circulating inside your home. The air filtration and purification system that’s standard in Alvarez Construction Company’s homes adds even more protection so you can always breathe easily.
With spring being the season of fresh starts, it’s a good time to consider more than a good cleaning. How about moving to a brand new home? Our communities of new construction, single-family homes in Baton Rouge and the surrounding cities and towns offer many options. Build the home of your dreams with us or see if it’s among the move-in ready homes now available. Step away from your spring cleaning for a bit and talk to Matthew Petty at Alvarez Construction Company to start the season off right.
