Summer Living Cleaning Tips

The summer should be a time for fun and enjoyment.But with kids home for the holidays, vacation days, and busier schedules during this time, homes suffer from a less than thorough clean. There’s nothing like a neat, fresh home to lift your spirits and keep your energy up during this busy time. Unfortunately, there’s so much more to do, and far less time, for housework.  Here is a list of helpful tips that will keep you on top of your summer cleaning without robbing you of time away from family.

Early Cleaning

Summers can get prohibitively hot. Wake up earlier to get your cleaning in before it gets too hot to work comfortably. To make it easier, break down cleaning into a daily schedule that alternates (for example Monday: Bathrooms and Floors Tuesday: Living room and Kitchen Cabinets etc). This way you don’t spend too much time cleaning and too little time enjoying the summer outside!

Dust regularly

In between major cleanings, regularly clean areas of high traffic such as kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, showers and floors. If you wipe down counters and sinks as you go, the big clean at the end of the month will be a lot shorter. High traffic places will not have accumulated the layers of dust and grime prevalent in the summer heat. 

BBQ cleaning

Summer is synonymous with barbeques, family, friends, and great food. Beat the post-party cleaning blues by cleaning greasy BBQ grills and equipment while they are still warm. Give the grill time to cool down so that it’s not so hot, which can be dangerous. Once you’re ready to clean, wipe down the grill, tongs and other BBQ equipment with warm soapy water before giving them a thorough wash. Cleaning the grill whilst it is still warm saves time as the oil is not able to set and become difficult to clean.

Clean curtains and drapes

Top of the list of summer cleaning is curtains, drapes, and other window treatments. Air your fabric window treatments outside to get rid of dust and musty smells. For an even more thorough clean, you can dry-clean curtains and drapes to get rid of built up dirt and grime.

Gutter cleaning

Over the winter gutters can get clogged with leaves and other debris, especially with the heavy rains. Take a day out to clean them. Make sure you have the right equipment to clean the gutter safely. You’ll need a hose with a gutter-cleaning attachment to get the debris out. Wear gloves to avoid splinters and potentially infectious germs. Those gutters may have bacteria, worms, and bigger pests.

Clean heating and cooling system

Air-conditioners and heating systems are often overlooked during cleaning as many are not the easiest to clean. Get a blower attachment for your vacuum. It will help you clear dust build up in hard to reach parts of an air conditioning system. This is also a great time to get the system thoroughly checked to ensure that it is in tip-top condition.

Control the Clutter

Keep the clutter under control during the summer by assigning specific places for extension cords, toys, books and other products used regularly by members of your household. This way everyone is responsible for helping keep the living space tidy and neat. It makes cleaning days faster as there is no clutter to put away before the actual cleaning can begin.

Prepare your entryway

A lot of dust is picked up by members of the household and brought into the house through shoes, clothes, and scarves. Adding a mat outside your door and a coat rack inside ensures that dirty garments are left at the door, not carried into the house.