This has been hard for me to write because I have a small house. My living room, family room, great room, or whatever you want to call it is my office, sewing room, dining room, etc. So the way I spring clean my living room wouldn’t necessarily be the same as yours. For example, I’m going through all my files and cleaning out everything that’s too old. Most people don’t store their files in their living room. Anyway, I hope this suits most people’s living room spring cleaning needs.
Spring Cleaning: The Family Room
- As usual, start at the top. Dust the walls, light fixtures, and ceiling fan
if you have one. Knock all the cobwebs down too. If your ceiling isn’t too horribly tall, dust it as well. Lisa has tall ceilings and is short, so she uses a telescoping duster.
- Take all your throw pillows outside and let them hang out in the sun for a while to freshen. Take down any curtains, throws, and other such items and wash them. Give your blinds a good washing. Take any area rugs outside and beat them. (Fun for all, right!?)
- Pick up and organize everything. This is a good time to go through media like DVDs and video games and take them to someplace like a used book store that will buy used media to make a few bucks off stuff you don’t watch or play anymore.
- Dust
- Your maid may not do windows, but you’re going to have to. Wash them inside and out. Mom says windows are the “eyes” of a home. Keep your home’s “eyes” clean!
- Move all furniture away from the walls. Vacuum the baseboards with a brush attachment. Give them a good wash with a damp rag if they’re still funky.
- While you’ve got the furniture moved out, vacuum the floors. If you are like me and like to rearrange the furniture, go ahead and do so.
- Move all the furniture back and then vacuum the rest of the floors. Wash down your doors and switchplates
- Clean your knickknacks. They are dust catchers and usually have tiny crevices. Clean them and decide if you need them all. If you don’t, put them in your donate box and get them out of the house.
- Put all your curtains, blinds, throw pillows, area rugs, etc. back where they belong.
Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Lightbulbs. Mine get filthy. Dab a little vanilla or other scented oil of your choice on them for a non-chemical-smelling air freshener.
Way cheaper than Febreeze, Glade, Lysol, etc., too.
While you’re dusting, dust those lightbulbs too. They get fuzzy and hotter if you don’t and they could kick the bucket even faster.
Vacuum your furniture with the upholstery brush – find the treasures under the cushions BEFORE you vacuum!
Also, Ivy, I wanted to say that our living room is multipurpose too. I read somewhere that people like rooms where work/activity happens so we’ve never tried to preserve our living room for just sitting. Interestingly, our guests still migrate towards the piano in the dining room or, of course, the food prep in the kitchen.
You rock, Ivy! Love your blog!
this may sound like a retarded question but how exactl does one dust the wall? do you dust the entire wall with a dust cloth? do you wash it? (i’m not busting on you all, i’m serious i suck at cleaning lol)
You’ve inspired me. I’ve already got a neighbor in mind for the knickknacks…
Julia 😉
I have VERY textured walls. When dusting, sometimes the dust turns into smears. Like what happens with a ceiling fan. Any advice? (We don’t smoke in the house-when I asked someone else they thought that might be the case)
How about using a microfiber cloth to wipe the dust? At least it grabs the dust and does not release it into the air. You don’t wanna be choking and sneezing amid all that dust do you:) Ooh and applying a thin coat of wax to the fan blades can help repel dust.
Here’s what I found >> http://guidetospringcleaning.com/
PLEASE tell me how to clean a living room throw pillow that does not have a zippered pillowcace. Dry clean the whole pillow?
Cut it open and sew on a zipper? Throw out
a beautiful embroidered pillow? HEEELP!
You could probably get a Projector Screen to help you save space. No more worrying on where to the TV if that's the case 🙂