Once the days begin to warm up and the morning chill has worn off, opening the windows for fresh air is the best medicine for getting over those cold winter days. I don't know about you, but my house starts to feel so stuffy, I long for the days to let in the fresh air. I take the opportunity to clean all my windows, draperies, and window sills during this lovely weather.
I start by removing all draperies in every room. Each has its own set of cleaning instructions, so pay special attention. Most of mine are machine washable on a gentle cycle, so one by one I pop them into the wash and air dry them in the dryer.
While I am waiting for them to dry, I clean all blinds, window sills and door tracks. It is amazing just how nasty this areas get during the long winter. This process is not as hard as one might have thought.
I use a white vinegar mixture diluted with water and spray it into the window/door tracks. Giving it a few minutes to work its magic, I move onto dusting my blinds. I find that a damp cloth works best when removing any debris from the slats of the blinds. Back to the windows and doors, I use a micro fiber cloth to easily wipe away the grim that has been living in the tracks and all is back to looking as good as new!
My last step in the window and door process is to clean the windows, inside and out. To achieve maximum results with minimal streaking (cause who wants to do all that work for nothing!) choose a cloudy day, pick your best window solution and newspaper instead of paper towels (yes you read that correctly!) and get to work. I find that scrubbing the exterior of the window with warm soapy water before using a window cleaner yields the best results. To maximize the cleanliness, you can use a shower squeegee to dry off the window surface for a crystal clear shine.
For those of you living in the Southeast, like myself, this window cleaning process is best left for the end of the month after all the pesky pollen has made its way out of the trees and flowers. And fingers crossed for the end of pollen season by April's end!
When do you like to clean your windows, blinds and draperies? Do you find it refreshing or just another household chore? See you right back here tomorrow for yet another great spring cleaning/organizing tip!
