Forgotten Spring Cleaning

The Spring and Summer temperatures have been playing hide-n-seek with Chicago giving Chicagoans the hope that our windows can be opened and our homes vented from the long winter months. But there is more than just fresh air that needs to be taken care of. Throughout the winter our homes have been keeping us warm but now that warm weather is near; a little TLC around the apartment is just what you need to start the Spring on a good foot.

We are always doing general cleaning such as sweeping, dusting and vacuuming but to give the apartment a fresh start and even a fresher scent; don’t forget to clean this out of sight areas that are often forgotten for extended periods of time.

Rugs:

Rugs are prized during the cold months with helping us avoid cold-wooden floors and helping insulate the apartment. While vacuuming helps remove loose debris and hair; constant walking compressed dirt and other contaminants into the rug fibers and under the rug that general vacuuming can’t remove. Over time this can lead to odors and lower air quality in the apartment. To bring new life to the rug, you should consider using a carpet cleaner machine that will soak and scrub stubborn dirt away leaving only a rug like it was purchased yesterday. If a machine isn’t available or just too expensive (and they can be expensive) consider removing the rub from the apartment to “clap” the dirty off the rug outside. While not as effective, turning the rug over and hitting it will remove a shocking amount of dirty you never thought was there. Don’t forget to sweep/vacuum the floor under the rug!

Cabinet Tops:

It’s time to forego the “out of sight out of mind” motto and search high and low for those forgotten areas to clean. If you have cabinets that don’t reach to the ceiling; chances are the tops of those may be sticky and stock piling dust and debris. Overtime, grease and oils from cooking will accumulate at the top forming a thin layer of grime that will collect dust, hair and even attract some unwanted insects. Using a grease-removing cleaner and general cleaner spray on this area will help remove the grime and give your kitchen a must better clean-feeling.

Window/Balcony Door Tracks:

It has probably been several months since you last opened some windows in the apartment in order to keep that warm air inside as long as possible. Now that open-window temperatures are settling in; take a gander at the window track between the window and screen and you might find a nice layer of muck nestled in there. This is from rain, snow, insects (yuck!) and other debris being blown in through the screen and settling there for an extended time and no one wants that blowing inside the apartment when the time comes to open the windows. Give that area a good scrubbing with bleach or mild dish soap to remove the unwanted mess so that any air coming into the apartment is as fresh as possible.

Ceiling Fans:

Dust, hair and spiderwebs oh my! While it is impossible to prevent dust from forming, you can mitigate stuffy air by looking for areas that collect dust but may have gone unnoticed during your routine cleaning. Ceiling Fans are center stage for collecting hair and dust on the blades and ceiling fan housing. Give the fan a short break and take a look at the blades. As they move through the air they will collect air-born dust that can be spread around the apartment. Cleaning the blades and housing will ensure that it isn’t collecting or shooting dirt around the apartment. Don’t forget to change the direction of the fan to counter-clockwise as well, this will help create a downdraft pushing cool air down and warm up and away from you in the summer months.



We all want to enjoy Spring and Summer in the best and healthiest way possible. While this isn’t a complete list of often forgotten areas to clean; it will help you get a head start identifying other areas of your apartment that may need some TLC.