So you’ve decided to give your home a Fresh New Start by doing a big cleanup this winter. Now what? Where do you start?

To help you, I’ve put together a checklist of winter house cleaning tasks that you may want to tackle. They’re in no particular order, but I have divided them into two major categories: “Deep Cleaning Details” and “Appliance Care.”

Here you go:

DEEP CLEANING DETAILS

1) Wash all the woodwork — door frames, baseboards, windowsills, etc.
2) Vacuum drapes and curtains
3) Clean the exhaust fans in your bathrooms — Have you looked up there lately?
4) Clean your HVAC (heater/air conditioning) vents — By the way, when was the last time you changed the air filter?
5) Wash the blades of your ceiling fans
6) Wash the windows — including the tracks and the screens — Hiring a specialist is worth it for this one!
7) Move the furniture and clean the floors (and walls) under and behind everything
8) Wash the light fixtures — Take them down to do the best job of this!
9) Wash whatever’s washable — blankets, pillows, throw rugs, bath mat
10) Clean the decorative items up on those high shelves and ledges
11) Get your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned
12) Clean the outside of your front door

APPLIANCE CARE

1) Run the filters of your stove hood (usually a metal mesh) through the dishwasher to clean them
2) Clean the inside of the fridge — walls, shelves, drawers … the works — with a mixture of 1 c. white vinegar and 1 c. warm water
3) Clean the inside of the oven
4) Clean your dishwasher by running a cycle with just 1 c. white vinegar poured into the empty machine
5) Thoroughly clean your microwave — inside and out, all around
6) Clean under the burners of your stove (if you have that type, usually electric)
7) Move the fridge and clean the floor it stands on, as well as the walls behind
8) While the fridge is out, vacuum the coils
9) Wash your dryer’s lint filter — actually WASH it with a little soap and warm water
10) Wipe the inside of your washer, especially around the wash tub of a top-loader
11) Clean the motor compartment of your vacuum (or take it in for service)
12) Use vinegar to clean your coffee maker (but check your owner’s manual first)

Remember, you don’t have to do all of this yourself! You can hire professional house cleaning help or enlist the help of family members.

So, tell me — do you have something on YOUR list that I left off mine? Tell me in a comment below!

Until next time … Keep it clean!

January is a traditional month for making a fresh new start. Some people start the year off with new resolutions, new goals, new outlooks, new plans.

Today, I want to suggest a new tradition for you … something we’ll call a “Fresh New Start” Winter House Cleaning.

Basically, take the traditional spring cleaning, and do it now!

Lots has been written about the ritual of “Spring Cleaning.” (Here’s one of our own blog posts from a few years ago on the topic: http://minimops.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/time-for-spring-cleaning/) I’m suggesting that you not wait until spring to do this type of cleaning!

Think about it … You’ve probably taken down the holiday decorations at this point. Maybe you’re feeling a little sad that the holidays are over. Maybe the gray winter weather has got you feeling a little blue …

Maybe you’re just ready for that fresh new start that January seems to promise.

Let’s channel that into a fresh new CLEAN start for your home! A thorough, deep cleaning that leaves your house (and the things in it) sparkling and renewed.

The kind of cleaning that gives you a renewed appreciation of your home, and an increased joie de vivre.

Sounds good about now, doesn’t it?

So, who’s with me? Let’s celebrate the start of a new year by giving our homes a Fresh New Start Winter House Cleaning!

(By the way, this works whether you are doing the cleaning yourself OR if you hire a professional house cleaning service to do it for you!)

Need some specific tips about what to do? Some ideas about what cleaning tasks you should tackle? Come back next week, when I’ll give you a checklist of some things to do.

In the meantime, why not share this article with a friend? Or, leave me a comment below.

Until next time … Keep it clean!