Written by Teri Watson and published on https://www.tailoredliving.com/.

Life as we know it is on pause right now. People are out of work, working from home or even working reduced hours. We’re not allowed to congregate in groups of 10 or more and that means not seeing our own family. While this is a hard time for everyone, the good news is that we all have a lot more time on our hands. If you’re not sure what to do with all the free time that you suddenly have on your hands, how about doing some spring cleaning in your garage so you can have a more functional space?

Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Your Home and Garage Immaculate

Today’s house cleaning is very different from just a few decades ago. Once upon a time, floors were cleaned by sweeping (brooms) and mopping (heavy mops and hot, soapy water), or scrubbing floors on hands and knees. Rugs were rolled up, hauled outside, hung on a line and beaten to knock all the dust and dirt out. Renewed by the sunshine and fresh air, they were then carried back inside and unrolled onto the freshly scrubbed floors. Now we are bombarded by multiple companies all advertising different products. We’re talking at least a two-person job here! However, with all this confusion, there are still some websites offering guides on the best products, for example, Best Products Pro have produced a guide on the top 10 best mops on the market right now. But there are plenty of other websites like this!

Thankfully, we have cleaning assistance our great grandmothers could only dream about.

• Vacuum cleaners
• Swiffer Wet Jets
• Robotic vacuum cleaners and mops
• Dishwashers and washing machines
• Self-cleaning ovens
• Numerous whirring, spinning cleaning gadgets

As you’ll see, the first and perhaps most important equipment you need is a vacuum cleaner. We’d recommend a corded stick vacuum for cleaning out the garage. These are lightweight and easy to carry around. Go ahead and read about the best corded stick vacuums, buy some cleaning products, and consider a robotic cleaner (if budget allows).

But despite all this modern technology, Spring cleaning is still a real chore. Houses continually accumulate dirt, dust bunnies and cobwebs, and the ritual Spring cleaning goes beyond everyday tasks to a deeper clean.  Here are some helpful tips from Tailored Living® for successful Spring cleaning of your home and garage.

Tip One:  Clear away the clutter and get organized

• Don’t try to clean a room that looks like a bomb went off. Pick up and put away whatever is out of place like shoes, jackets, books and dishes. Once the area is cleared, it can be effectively cleaned.
• Assemble your cleaning supplies so you have what you need without hunting down window cleaner, dust cloths or furniture polish. A handy tote can make it easy to go from room to room.
• Order the chores in a way that makes sense. Don’t vacuum and then dust furniture and ceiling fans that will dump dust back on the cleaned floor.
• Going room by room lets you tackle this big job in smaller pieces, but realize this is probably not a one-day task.

Tip Two:  Start with the walls and ceilings

• Wipe down walls and ceilings to eliminate dust and cobwebs (dry Swiffer, vacuum attachment or a Shop Vac in the garage).
• Wash away smudges, spackle nail holes and dings and apply touch-up paint.
• Wash baseboards, handrails, doors, doorknobs and switch plates.
• Dust light fixtures, light bulbs and ceiling fan blades.
• Wash vent covers, then coat with car wax to slow dust buildup.
• Dust or vacuum window coverings; toss washable curtains in the laundry.
• Wash windows, window sills and screens, inside and out.

Tip Three:  Clean horizontal surfaces and furnishings

• Vacuum sofa, chairs, ottomans or other upholstered furniture.
• Dust all picture frames, knick-knacks and decorative décor.
• Dust furniture and cover scratches on wood with furniture oil or stain.
• Polish mirrors and dust monitors, TVs and computer screens with a tech-safe cleaner like Windex® Electronics Wipes.
• Launder throw rugs and (washable) upholstered cushions and pillows.
• In the kitchen, clean the oven, stove top and microwave; scrub countertops, back splash, faucets, cabinet fronts and knobs.
• In the bathroom, scour the tub, shower, toilet and all fixtures; clean and reseal grout lines.
• In the garage, dust the water heater, electrical panel, garage door opener, etc.
• Wash the laundry sink, countertops and inside and outside of the washer and dryer.

Tip Four:  Declutter and clean cabinets and closets

Enclosed cabinets and closets are wonderful for hiding clutter, but they can also accumulate items you completely forget about.  Going into declutter mode, label some boxes for keep, garage sale, donate or discard and begin the assault!

In the kitchen:

• Start with the refrigerator, throwing out any expired or unrecognizable foods.
• Empty all cabinets; wash the shelves and drawers before replacing contents.
• In the pantry, discard any expired spices or foods.
• Sort dishes and pans and get rid of duplicates, non-working appliances, or things you don’t use.

In the bathroom and laundry room:

• Empty out any cabinets, drawers or vanity; wash shelves and drawers.
• Discard outdated medications or cosmetics.
• Sort laundry supplies; replace what you need and throw out old or unused items.

Closets in bedrooms, hallways, entryways and living rooms

• Empty each closet and sweep, vacuum and wash down the interior of the closet including shelves and drawers.
• Sort items before returning them to the closet: keep, toss, donate, or move elsewhere.
• Install a closet organizational system if closet space is not being efficiently used.
• Repaint the closet if needed, enhance the lighting and install an aromatic freshener like cedar, rosemary or lavender to deter bugs.
• NOTE: Closets alone may take up to one full day.

In the garage:

Admittedly, the garage is about 100 times worse than any other space, but the same principles apply–decluttering, cleaning, organizing and putting away. We recently needed our garage door repaired so we searched for Garage door repair services near me, I finally came across a great company!

If your garage is a complete jumble, Tailored Living has the ideal solution for efficient garage storage with a system of metal garage storage cabinets from our private label, PremierGarage Metal Cabinet Series.  Specialty components, designed to fit together in any configuration you desire, allow you to customize one wall or your entire garage with floor-to-ceiling elegant, black powder-coated metal cabinets. You can outfit any size space with commercial-grade garage cabinet components, including a multi-use locker, two-door base cabinet, five-drawer tool cabinet, multi-function cabinet, wall cabinet, corner wall cabinet and worktops in bamboo or stainless steel.

Cabinets and lockers have 1,000-pound weight capacity to store your heaviest tools and equipment, and the shelves and drawers have 100- to 200-pound weight capacity to ensure safe storage of everything. Additional benefits include locking doors, double-walled, dent-resistant doors, 18-gauge welded steel frames, soft-close hinges and slides, and more.

Tip Five:  Finishing touch … the floors

Now that everything above the floors is clean and decluttered, the final step is cleaning the floors to eliminate all the dust and dirt from your home and garage (until the kids get home or the dog comes in).

• Vacuum the carpet, rugs, stairs, hallways and hard surfaces like wood, tile and concrete.
• Move furniture and vacuum underneath; including refrigerator and the refrigerator coils, the washer and dryer and the lint trap.
• Mop all floors with appropriate cleaners for the individual surfaces such as hardwood, Porcelain tile, epoxy garage floor coverings, laminate, slate, concrete and marble.

Well done! You have survived another Spring cleaning and your home and family thank you. If the decluttering steps took longer than you’d like, talk with your local Tailored Living designer and get on the pathway to custom storage and organization solutions that will streamline year round home maintenance.

We are whole home organization specialists, dedicated to helping people live more comfortably in their space. We can help with closet organizers, entryways, home office design, pantries, laundry rooms, garages and custom garage flooring.

Original post here https://www.tailoredliving.com/blog/spring-cleaning-tips-to-keep-your-home-and-garage-immaculate/.