A 14-STEP GUIDE TO PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SPRING

Winter is grinding to a halt! It's time to get your home spring-ready! This guide of 14 proven steps will take the guesswork out of preparing your home for spring. Let's dive in!

STEP 1: Clean walls, baseboards and outlets

Start preparing your home for spring by scrubbing down all the walls in the house. The walls in the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and living room must be thoroughly cleaned. Use mild soap, water and a brush or sponge to clean them. Baseboards and outlets should be scrubbed down too. Wipe baseboards and outlet covers with a cloth. Make sure outlet covers are dry before replacing them.

STEP 2: Clean windows

 

Windows are delicate and can be hard to clean if your house is made of storeys. Hire a window cleaning company to clean all exterior windows. Get the frames, glass and every part of them to be thoroughly cleaned. You might want to perk up your windows with some new curtains after they are clean. Swap out your old curtains for something with colours like warm greens, yellows, orangey reds, peachy pinks and shades of light brown from tan to palest beige.

STEP 3: Clean faucets and showerheads

 

Screw-off faucet aerators, showerheads, sink sprayers and soak them in a baggie of equal parts water and vinegar solution for an hour. Pull the baggie over the faucet or showerhead and tie it with a rubber band. Vinegar is a good disinfectant and will help kill all bacteria. Rinse them with warm water afterwards. Clean their exterior with some mild detergent, warm water and a cleaning cloth.

STEP 4: Replace filters

When preparing your home for spring, swap out all old filters - water, range hood and air vent filters. This should be done every three to six months depending on the type of filter. For instance, pleated air filters should be changed every 3 months.

STEP 5: Clean out dryer vents

A dirty dryer vent can cause problems for your home. Not only is it a fire hazard, but it won't make your dryer work properly. If your dryer takes up two or more cycles than one to dry up wet clothing, it's most likely caused by dirty vents. They are clogged with lint, dust or dirt and need cleaning. This five-step guide will show you how to clean out your dryer vents the right way.

STEP 6: Reposition your furniture

Change the arrangement of some furniture in your living room to give it a different look. Try a different position for an armchair or the sofa. While you are at it, get some new matching furnishings like throws, rugs, cushions and curtains.

STEP 7: Change your bedding

The cold will be out soon, so it's time to ditch your winter bedding. Replace your winter duvet with a lighter covering. Give your bed new and attractive pillows too. Go for bedding colours that are in season.

STEP 8: Bring in nature and new scents

Spring is the season of blooms. Preparing your home for spring will be incomplete without some flowers being a part of your interior décor. You should at least get a vase or bouquet sitting in some part of the house. You also need to catch a whiff of something that screams spring. Replace the winter scents with light and refreshing scents; clean citrus finish scents should do the trick!

Hint:

If you have allergies, choose artificial flowers instead since they don't produce pollen.

STEP 9: Declutter rooms

You know what they say, "Clutter tamed, space claimed." Besides, de-cluttering keeps dust, pollen and mould at bay. It's time to trash those unwanted items that are 'choking' your house. Use organizers to keep things spick and span in every room in your home.

IKEA is a great source for inspirational ideas to de-clutter your home!

STEP 10: Test smoke alarms and CO detectors

Check to see if smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are working well. Your life and that of your family depend on it since Spring is the season with the highest daily fire incidence. You should test these detectors monthly and replace batteries at least once a year. Clean them out too because dust, cobwebs and other debris can get in. Smoke alarms (detectors) and CO detectors do different jobs. A smoke alarm will let you know when smoke (mostly the first sign of fire) and fire are in your home. However, a CO detector detects the presence of carbon monoxide, which can kill you or cause permanent respiratory and brain damage.

To test a smoke, press and hold down the test button on it. If it makes a loud prolonged signal or warning sound like a siren then it works fine. If the sound is low, then you need to replace the batteries and retest.

To test a CO detector, press and hold down the test button. If you hear two beeps after a few seconds, it means the detector is in testing mode and is working but if you don't hear any beeps or the sound is low, replace the batteries and retest. Check out more information on CO poisoning here!.

STEP 11: Keep your garden in good shape

The garden will be your home's centre of attraction when spring is in, so make sure it gets all the attention it needs. Remove all the weeds. Till the soil and add some compost. Get ready to plant to grow a green garden.

Pro Tip:

Use a garden trowel or your hand (should be gloved!) to sow cayenne pepper flakes into the soil to ward off rodents.

STEP 12: Clean outdoor furniture

 

Spring is the time to be outdoorsy. That outdoor furniture on your patio gathering snow will need tidying up. If it’s made of upholstery, take it for dry cleaning. Clean the metal or wooden parts with a cleaning cloth and hot water. Add a bit of dish soap to the water to clean off stains. Alternatively, you can use a glass cleaner for a gleaming polish. Wipe away thoroughly all residue of cleaning agents after cleaning. Leave to dry before putting back the upholstery.

STEP 13: Check foundation vents

 

Clean out all the leaves and other debris that have blocked the screens of the vents. Use your hand or a vacuum if there’s so much debris. You also need to check for any damages to the screens. If there are damages, have the screens replaced.

STEP 14: Clean gutters 

Wear hand gloves to remove as much debris that has collected in the house’s gutters. Then use a garden hose to unclog the remaining debris. Remove the hose’s nozzle and shove it into the downspout.

 

 

By Nana Ama Afoa Osae I Writer I GreatWonderful Team

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