Spring Cleaning Part 2 - The Living Room

I am almost finished spring cleaning the Kitchen! For that checklist click here. It's taking a while because I'm doing a little bit at a time rather than spending my entire day off working on it. I'm on vacation this week, though, so I plan on finishing it and some of the other rooms, too. The next room on my list is the Living Room.

1) Declutter - I live in a 950 square foot house with 6 people. A little clutter feels like a lot here. My first step will be to put things where they belong. If something doesn't have a home then now is the time to make one for it.

2) Dust - It is 6 year old Jay's job to dust every week. She uses a Swiffer type duster and does a good job, but I'm going to do a little extra. I will be using a dusting spray and microfiber cloth. I will also dust things on the walls and get all of the hard to reach places that she sometimes misses. The curtains will come down and get fluffed up in the dryer. This usually knocks all the dust off. The ceiling fan will also get a good dusting.

3) Wash Walls - Just like in the Kitchen, my walls could use repainting, but we will start with a good washing. I'm going to use an all-purpose Mr. Clean solution that smells wonderful.

4) Clean Electronics - My desktop computer is in the Living Room. I will vacuum out the keyboard, declutter the desk, and dust everything really well. The other electronics in the room will get dusted as well.

5) Clean Furniture - My couches collect things. I don't really know how this happens, but when I lift a cushion I can usually find pencils or toys. After removing items, I will vacuum under the cushions, the cushions themselves, and the rest of the upholstery. The wood portion of the couches will be cleaned with a wood cleaner.

6) Wash Windows - I worked with a woman once that told me vinegar and newspaper worked the best for washing windows. I might try it. I also might use paper towels and Window Cleaner. Do you have any good tips for washing windows?

7) Clean Floors - We have hardwood laminate with an area rug. I will be moving furniture out so that I can sweep and mop all the places that we don't usually get to.

It feels good to get all the extra cleaning done now. It won't be too much longer before I run out of time to get it all done. Pretty soon, the outside world will need to be taken care of just as much as the inside world. Click on the image below to print out The Living Room Checklist.