After the past week of some of the coldest temperatures we have experienced this winter, it may be a stretch to get excited about spring cleaning your home for the change of season that will soon be upon us.
While March is often a combination of all our climate has to deliver – snow, rain, cold, wind and even the odd warm day – there is no doubt that Spring will arrive. Maybe not by its official start in 2 weeks, but soon.
In preparation for this eventuality, we have compiled a non-exhaustive list of suggestions for spring cleaning. We hope that renewing and refreshing your home at this traditional time will help you get in the mood. We have tried to make this short, but if you have any additional cleaning, discarding or disinfecting ideas we may have missed, we will invite you to share your thoughts on social media later this month.
Let’s start by going room to room …
Kitchen
+ Clean the oven, including cleaning or replacing burner trays. Pull out the oven and vacuum/sweep and wipe the floor and walls behind
+ Defrost, wipe down with a mild detergent and rinse the inside of the refrigerator. Pull out the fridge and vacuum the rear coils and floor. Clean the drip tray at the bottom of the fridge (if you have one)
+ Go through cupboards and pantries and discard expired products. Wipe down shelves
Bathrooms
+ Empty vanities and medicine cabinets. Throw away outdated products and take expired prescriptions to your local pharmacy for safe disposal
+ Wash shower curtains. Cleanser sinks, tubs and shower stalls
+ Clean behind and around toilets. Turn off the bathroom exhaust fan. Remove and wipe dust and debris from the cover and vacuum the exterior of the fan motor and ducting
Laundry Room
+ Clean behind the washer and dryer
+ Detach the vent hose from the back of the dryer and remove any lint build-up. Reattach and secure the dryer ducting
+ If available, run the washer ‘clean’ cycle
Bedrooms
+ Vacuum and flip over mattresses. Vacuum under beds
+ Wash pillows or hang outside to freshen
+ Launder comforters and bedding. Replace with seasonal bed coverings
+ Clean out closets and dressers. Remove seldom worn clothing for donation to local shelters.
Living Rooms/Halls
+ Dust blinds/ wash curtains
+ Clean furniture and vacuum sofas and chairs
+ Remove dust from the backs of TVs
General
+ Clean windows and sills
+ Wipe down baseboards and clean air ducts
+ Replace the furnace filter
+ Vacuum dust from smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Replace batteries
+ Clean light fixtures and remove dust from ceiling fan blades. Switch fans to the counter-clockwise direction when the weather gets warmer
We know our list only scratches the surface of spring-cleaning activities, but we hope this will give you some guidelines for making your homes a little safer and healthier as we move into the warmer seasons.
At Scotia Fuels, we want to continue to provide you with great service and helpful information. If you have any concerns with your home heating system please send us a note at https://scotiafuels.com/contact-us/ or better still, call us at 902-453-2121. If you haven’t yet had your annual furnace cleaning (that’s included in your fuel oil price) please use our handy on-line booking tool in the Contact Us link above.