Seasonal Cleaning Tips

Whole House 

• To bring in all that extra light, clean windows, and window screens, both inside and out, clean all your window treatments, and clean your ceiling light fixtures. 
• Now you can see how dirty your walls are! Dust with a slightly damp, clean cloth. Wash walls only if needed. 
  
• Dust ceiling fans and wipe blades using a damp microfibre cloth. 
  
• Vacuum cold air returns and furnace vents. Damp wipe them clean.  
  
• Wash garbage, recycle and compost bins inside the house with hot soapy water and disinfect them (if needed) using 2 tbsp bleach to 4 cup water. 
  
• Check and replace furnace filters, if needed. Write on the new filters the date they were replaced to make it easier to remember. 
  
• Check and replace batteries in smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and outside security cameras. 
  
• Uncover and clean your air conditioner and get it ready to go, according to your manual. 
  
• Clean and demineralize your humidifier filter; you can use vinegar. This makes it ready for when the air gets drier next fall.  
  
• Shake out and air outside all area mats and small carpets. 
  
• Clean indoor and outdoor doormats to prevent new dirt from coming inside. 
  

  Kitchen  

• Empty the pantry and go through food items; get rid of any outdated items. For a general guideline on how long you should be storing pantry items, see How to Store Food Safely. 
• Clean your oven. 
  
• Clean outside of kitchen cabinet doors. Use a wood cabinet conditioner, if needed. 
  
• Fully clean and defrost your refrigerators and freezers. 
  
• Ensure your dishes are getting clean by cleaning your dishwasher. https://www.atcoblueflamekitchen.com/en-ca/how-to/cleaning-dishwasher.html  
  

Bedrooms 

• Clear out the clothes closets and change out winter gear to spring stuff. We have tips for rotating your seasonal wardrobe. 
  
• Reorganize your clothes closets with new shelves or boxes and bins. This one is high on the self-satisfaction scale. 
  
• Vacuum bed mattresses and turn over or rotate. 
  
• Clean bed pillows and comforters. Replace with lighter-weight bedding or remove extra blankets, if desired. 
  
• Thoroughly clean all children’s toys. 
  

Bathrooms  

• Take apart and clean bathroom fans. 
• Clean outside bathroom cabinet doors.  
  
• Go through bathroom cabinets and remove any old or expired products. Pack up unused and expired prescriptions and bring them to the pharmacy for safe disposal.  
  
• Check your tiles and bathtub for signs of mould or mildew. If necessary, disinfect with a bleach solution (2 tbsp bleach in 4 cups water). 
  
• Clean your grout. Use a commercial grout cleaner or wrap an old toothbrush with a damp cloth, sprinkle baking soda on the cloth and gently scrub the grout. Rinse well with clean water.