Seasonal cleaning, especially during the colder days, is a dreaded activity for most people. It takes quite a bit of time and effort, and before you know it, you have to do it again. However, if you do a good enough job and thoroughly clean your home, you’ll be able to rest and not think about it for a while. We’ve gathered some essential winter cleaning hacks that you should try that might help you make this experience a more positive one.
Plan your winter cleaning in advance
If there’s something people dislike more than cleaning, that’s making plans to do so. However, if you decide to make a cleaning checklist, you’ll see just how beneficial it can be. By creating a strict timetable where you’ll consider the free time you’ll have to set aside for cleaning, you’ll also have realistic expectations.
Declutter your home
The first thing you should do, without which winter cleaning wouldn’t be possible, is decluttering. The best approach that you can have to declutter your house is to divide and conquer. Separating all your items into different categories will give you a clear outlook on what you need and what you should get rid of. Of course, not everything you don’t want needs to end up in the trash. There are a few options that you can consider.
- Sell
One of the best ways to save some money that you can later use for Christmas presents or whatever feels right is by selling your old things. You can do this online, through a garage sale, or by taking your stuff to the flea market.
- Donate
However, if making a few bucks doesn’t make a difference for you at the moment, there’s another option. Even though you might not see the value in some of these items, they could still be useful to someone else. Make sure to find a local place and donate all your castaways so that other people can find joy in them.
- Throw out
Finally, some items are unsalvageable. These need to be thrown away. However, make sure to recycle anything that can be recycled.
Store your items during winter
More often than not, we stumble upon some items that we don’t need right now but don’t want to get rid of either. It would be best if you considered storing these items during winter. This way, you’ll be able to put them away, where they won’t bother you, but access them later once you need them again. Choose a safe and sheltered storage unit and think about getting insurance for your items if they’re valuable or weather-sensitive.
Clean your heaters thoroughly
Regardless of what you use to keep your home warm and toasty over winter, make sure to give some extra love to it while cleaning. Neglecting your radiator and letting it become dusty can lead to some serious issues. You’ll not only have to dedicate much more time to clean it thoroughly later, but your health will also be endangered. You’ll constantly breathe in the specs of accumulated dust, which can lead to issues, especially if you already suffer from respiratory problems. In the same manner, make sure to clean your fireplace inside and out.
Hire professionals to help
After a year of non-stop work, are you tired and wish to spend this time resting and regaining energy? That’s fine as well. However, winter cleaning doesn’t have to wait. You can hire cleaning services and let them do all the heavy lifting. Make sure to be very open and honest about your needs and expectations. Cleaners will do an excellent job, and you’ll be able to enjoy the holidays rested and relaxed in your beautiful and clean home.
Try to use natural cleaning products
Even though some surfaces will need extra work and grind, you’ll be able to clean most of, if not your entire home, just by using some natural ingredients. You’d be surprised at how thorough of a job some soda, lemon, salt, and vinegar can do. What’s more, this way is far better for the environment. You won’t be releasing intense and harmful chemicals into nature which is a big plus. Even though we can’t always be perfectly sustainable, small things such as this make a difference.
Get to your linens, pillows, and comforters
We use far more covers and linens during the winter days. Make sure to clean these as well. Especially when it comes to your bedsheets and comforters, they can hold quite a bit of heat and moisture from your body and get dirty much sooner than most people think. If you don’t want to wash them too often, you can air them out every other day.
Cleaning your home before a relocation?
If you have an upcoming relocation, you’ll need to clean your home for the winter. Of course, if your current home is in Florida, there is no winter there. Still, cleaning is a must before the move, and moving interstate to leave Florida for Texas, for example, can be a real hassle. If you wish to dedicate your time to cleaning and preparing your home and cannot organize your move, make sure to hire a reliable moving company to do this for you.
Don’t forget about the finishing touches
Finally, you’ll want to set up some finishing touches once you’ve cleaned your home. This is critical, and it’ll make your home come together.
- Candles and lights
Nothing brings winter coziness into your home as much as candles and lights do. Make sure to choose warmer tones and display them beautifully.
- Freshly baked goods
If you want to freshen up your home with scents, you can do so in many ways. However, one of the best things about winter is walking into the smell of freshly baked cookies.
- Christmas decorations
After you’ve wrapped up all the winter cleaning you’ve had planned, it’ll be time to decorate. Go all out; you deserve it.
