Winter Cleaning Checklist

Introduction

Now that the holidays are over and there's snow on the ground, you may have a little more time to look around your house and realize just how messy it is. Even if you do a good job with regular cleaning, getting rid of junk and organizing can be a daunting task. However, getting your home in order during this cozy season will make spring cleaning much easier. Take some time to plan out how you want to spend your winter days: curled up with a blanket but still able to see the floor? Or watching Netflix while doing the dishes? Follow our winter cleaning checklist to get started!

Get organized.

Whether it's a seemingly endless pile of dirty laundry, a chaotic inbox overflowing with unread emails and unanswered questions, or simply an overstuffed closet that you can't find an outfit in, your home is probably in dire need of some organization.

Organizing and decluttering can help bring order to the chaos of daily life, giving you space to breathe—and more importantly—to think clearly. It's time for some spring cleaning!

Deep clean the kitchen.

In the kitchen:

• Clean the stove top. Use a scrub brush to remove any burned-on food or grime.

• Clean the microwave oven, inside and out. Throw away any sticky packages or containers on shelves or in drawers; wash them as well.

• Remove dishes from dishwasher, wipe down racks with a soft cloth and run it through again to clean remaining food particles from plates and glasses (turn off power before opening door). If you have hard water stains on your glassware, try some vinegar; soak for 30 minutes before running through another cleaning cycle in the dishwasher (or hand washing if you don’t have a dishwasher). If you need extra help removing such stains, use an abrasive cleaner such as Bar Keepers Friend Stain Remover & Polish on them instead of hand washing them directly!

Tend to the bathroom.

The bathroom is another room that can get pretty gross, especially if you don't clean it regularly. The shower, tub, sink and toilet all need cleaning (and yes, the toilet needs to be cleaned every few days!).

The mirror: If you have a mirror over your sink or vanity, wipe it down with glass cleaner.

Floor: Sweep up any dirt or dust on the floor using a broom or dustpan. If you have tile floors, use a damp mop to clean up any spills. For wooden floors and other types of hardwood floors without waxes applied regularly (like me!), use vinegar mixed with water as a natural cleaner that will shine while killing germs too!

Cabinets and drawers: You should clean all of these regularly so they don't collect bacteria or mold inside them over time! Empty everything out into garbage bags then wipe down all surfaces with disinfectant spray before putting everything back in place again for good measure!

Shape up your bedroom.

• Clean out your closet. Get rid of the items you don’t wear, and put the rest in order so you can see what you have.

• Get rid of unnecessary items that are cluttering up your drawers.

• Clean under your bed: sweep and vacuum the floor, remove any dust bunnies or stray toys, reshape the mattress topper or sheets if necessary.

• Wash windows inside and out, especially if they have been exposed to cold weather for a long time (if it’s humid outside, be sure that you don't leave water streaks).

• Wipe down curtains with fabric softener sheets (to eliminate static electricity), then wash them on gentle cycle with warm water—it's best not to use dryer sheets since these can cause static cling! Keep them away from direct sunlight when drying so they don't fade prematurely or develop an unpleasant odor from being too hot/humid or too cool/dry respectively! When done washing make sure all drip marks are gone before hanging up again!

Clean out your closet.

Take everything out of your closet and donate, sell, or throw out anything you haven't worn in a year. It's always good to purge your closet every so often—you'll be surprised at what you find! Organize your closet by color, type (pants/shirts), or season so that you can easily see what's available for the coming months. If you have a large amount of clothing that won't fit into your wardrobe immediately, consider using a hanging shoe rack to store them on their hangers until they're needed again.

Clear out the cabinets and drawers.

• Remove all items from the cabinets and drawers

• Clean the cabinets and drawers (use a solution of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda)

• Organize items according to their frequency of use (e.g., things used daily go in front)

Organize your pantry.

Organize your pantry by category:

• Keep like items together. If you have a lot of pasta, keep them all in one location. This makes it easier to see what you have and helps prevent spoilage since all the pastas will be stored at similar temperatures.

• Put frequently used items on eye level or within easy reach (such as baking soda and flour, salt and pepper). Also keep commonly used pots and pans close to where you cook most often so they’re within reach when needed. If it’s not on eye level, it doesn't mean that you never use the item—but if it does get used infrequently enough that its placement doesn't matter much (like baking powder), consider keeping it somewhere else with less traffic flow so as not to clog up prime real estate with items that are rarely used but take up space nonetheless (for example: canned soups).

Winter cleaning is a good way to look forward to spring

Winter is a great time to spring clean your home. This can be a great way to prepare for the coming warmer weather and it’s also an excellent opportunity to get rid of clutter, tackle germs, and remove dust from your home.

Conclusion

When you’re done with all the tips in this post, your house will be clean and fresh. You will have more time to spend with your family and friends. And if you didn’t get everything done that you wanted to, don’t worry! Next year is just around the corner.