Guide to Cleaning Your Living Room and Hall Area for the Spring

Spring is coming. Things are warming up. The sun will come out more consistently, and we finally get the chance to do so, too. But closing up our homes for those harsh winter months takes a toll on our cleaning patterns and our homes (even when we have tools to help us with those things now). That’s why it’s important we do our deep cleaning in the springtime.

I know you’d like to do all of your spring cleaning in one day. Between your work and your home life, though, that will not be the case. So, I’ll give you a spring cleaning guide by room/area!

And what area would you be in (most often) upon entering your home? That’s right, the living room/hall area! Let’s start there.

Declutter The Area

The hallway/living room area is where your household and guests go to escape the outside world and get comfortable. Unfortunately, in making that transition, some physical things get shuffled around.

Living rooms will be a little different in every household, so it’ll be a good idea to get everyone's input before you declutter this area. Put the remote(s) near their corresponding electronics. Sort the mail that’s piling up in the hall, and make sure everyone has their own mail. While you’re picking up the clutter, decide if your household still needs it. Carry around a container or two to put your discards in.

You won’t need your puffer coat a lot in the spring, so you’ll need to update the outerwear and accessories in your hall closet (or wherever you keep the outerwear you currently use). Put your fireplace and chimney accessories in the hall closet or shed area.

Get Rid Of Dust And Dirt

Dust your area from the top down. When you dust things that are high up, the dust will fall and settle on lower surfaces. Starting at the highest points will keep you from going in circles. Dust the corners of your rooms. Cobwebs may form there.

Dust your ceiling fan with a ladder and a microfiber cloth (or you can use a pillowcase to scrape the dust off of individual fan blades), or use a microfiber duster with an extendable handle (microfibers don’t spread dust around as much as regular fibers). Dust your light fixtures.
 
Remove the throw pillows and seat cushions from your living room (don’t worry, this is only temporary). If the cushions have removable covers, take them off and launder them. If not, vacuum them. Don’t put them back before using a mini-vac or vacuum attachment to vacuum the frame of your couch/chair.

Remove your books and things from the shelves. Dust the books and every inch of the shelves. If you have any accessories or movable furniture that you don’t feel like making the effort to dust regularly, you probably don’t need them. Dust all of your lamps and plants, and wipe down your surfaces with your vinegar solution. Use a screen cleaning cloth to wipe off your TV and other electronics.

Take down your curtains and drapes, and dry clean them. You can also clean them with a steam cleaner. Use a white vinegar solution and a microfiber cloth (or an old shirt, or even an inside-out sock) to clean your blinds, window sills, and window panes. Outside contaminants build up on these surfaces, and you don’t want that to happen!  

Dust the baseboards of the walls; if your walls have sticky stains, use a cleaning eraser sponge (we at Andy’s Quality Cleaning use the Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean). Use a steam cleaner to clean the rugs in your hall and living room.

After you’re done, put the throw pillows, cushions and books back where they were.