The Big Spruce Up

The Big Once-a-Year!

The Big Shine

The Big Shake-out

The Big Spring Cleaning

Spring is many things, but atop the list is the tradition and necessity annually of conducting a thorough home cleaning.

Sure, we're certainly familiar with more modern accounts of the tradition, but this annual practice has some deep roots and actually dates back much further than you may think: On the wild frontier, settlers had no choice each spring but to “shake out” the cabin; all winter they had been cooped up with wood or coal burning stoves,and oil or kerosene lamps. The soot and dust that was produced would settle into everything - not to mention the smells that come with being shut in for winter.

The spring cleaning, in reality, has been a cleaning plan embedded across as many centuries as cultures. To name a few:

• As an ancient Jewish custom, an annual deep clean ensured all non-kosher remnants were removed prior to Passover

• Iranians practiced khanch tekani (literally translated “shaking the house”) prior to Persian New Year

• Chinese Little New Year holds a similar tradition involving a thorough once-per-year cleaning

It was not uncommon in these cultures to see all the contents of a home spread out under the sky as homemakers toiled away to remove dirt and grime from every crevice and get a fresh start.

If we are sticking to the bygone ways, it’s officially that time of year again: Old Man Winter has shriveled back up into the Arctic, and the Golden Hour of Spring is flashing its warm signals.

Today, an annual spring cleaning isn’t something that typically must be done out of adherence to rules or propriety; and when you do it is not so important as how you do it. There are so many great ways to make it an awesome family affair and usually much satisfaction comes from working together as a team - dividing and conquering what can seem a mammoth-but-crucial job. Getting creative with carrying out the clean can bring about some sweet family memories.

When debating carrying out an annual deep or “spring” cleaning, keep close in mind the many stellar health benefits. A deeply cleaned home has:

• Reduced Allergens

• Less Stress and Depression

• Increased Focus and Productivity

• Saved Time and Money

• Strengthened Immunity

• Enhanced Total Holistic Health

• Increased Safety (1 in 4 adults over 65 fall each year)

Spring cleaning is a lovely opportunity to rejuvenate the inner and outer world - enlivening your living spaces much as Mother Nature herself does with the onset of the growing season. It can be taken on as an event equally beneficial to the soul as well as the physical body.

Here are a handful of general cleaning tips and points to ponder for the day-to-day, the spring, or any other type of cleaning:

• Stay on top of regular cleaning.

• Write out a physical to-do list.

• Choose natural cleaning supplies when possible.

• Tackle your least favorite task first; and tackle the whole home room-by-room.

• When tidying and decluttering, try the category-by-category method.

• MAKE THE COMMITMENT AND FOLLOW THROUGH!

• About the time you turn off the heat for the season, or when the muddy season has come and gone, is the right time to get going on your spring cleaning.

• Be sure to take advantage of the extra daylight hours and tackle some of your outdoor projects.

Below is a non-exhaustive but decent little “List of Spring Cleaning Duties You Might Forget” to keep in mind when planning or hiring for yours:

• Kitchen-

  • Vacuum refrigerator grill and coil/behind unit

  • Wipe down inside freezer

• Living Area-

  • Rotate heavy curtains, rugs and throws for lightweight ones (at the very least have them dusted and “sunned” if possible)

  • Clean floor well where rugs were placed

• Bedrooms-

  • Replace heavy winter bedding with lighter sheets, comforters and quilts- launder all winter linens prior to putting them away

• Home Office-

  • Clean out junk files

  • Review and update necessary policies, contracts, and inventories

• Closets-

  • Declutter and reorganize closets; mark unwanted items for a sale or to give away

  • Clean and waterproof winter boots

  • Rotate and/or Replace cold weather clothing with those for warn-weather

• Utility Rooms-

  • Remove lint from dryer hose and rear vent

  • Clean attic and basement- mark unwanted items for a sale or to give away.

  • Vacuum/sweep/mop attic and basement floors

• Through-Out The House-

  • Vacuum and wipe walls/ceilings

  • Shampoo wall-to-wall carpets and area rugs

  • Steam clean upholstery

  • Reseal stove surfaces

  • Reseal grout

  • Remove books from shelves- dust shelves and books

  • Polish and dust doors and window hardware

  • Lubricate window and door hinges

  • Wax wood furniture

  • Wax wood, stone, concrete, brick,and unglazed tile floors

  • Wash windows, inside and out

• Outdoor Spaces-

  • Scrub porch ceilings and walls

  • Wash porch floors, decks, patios, the driveway and walkways

  • Clean outdoor furniture, umbrellas and awnings.

  • Wipe down light-fixture covers

  • Clean gutters and downspouts

  • Inspect for any signs of pest damage

  • Look for any plumbing failures

Use this list to help you design a spring clean project that suits you to a T.

Now, we’ve gotten a fairly thorough idea of what a cleaning in the spring can entail; let's look at the difference between “spring cleaning” and a “Gleam Team Deep Clean”: spring cleaning differs from our Deep Clean and entails completing tasks that aren’t covered in our routine Deep Clean Plan (such as cleaning inside kitchen appliances or cleaning the burner tubes on your gas grill prior to first use of the season). We would be honored to have you go to our website @thegleamteamcleaningco.com and you may choose our “Custom Clean Plan” to put together the type of clean you’d like completed. We also have the inclination that all should partake in their own home’s spring cleaning in order to see where you’ve been and look sharply and soundly at where you want to go and how you want to live as a human and family. We will help you in any way we can and be there to add “A Sun-Bright Shine Every Time” you need us.

Notice: The Gleam Team Cleaning Co does not perform what we call "Spring Cleaning"; The Gleam Team “Deep Clean Plan” is recommended to be intermixed with The Gleam Team “Standard Clean Plan” as maintenance throughout the year.

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