Spring cleaning checklist you can easily do all summer

Even though I have a Spring cleaning checklist, I enjoy cleaning about as much as getting a sliver, so ‘Spring’ is a relative term. It doesn’t mean I don’t need to square my stuff away though. Here are a few tips and tools to getting at the warm weather stuff.

Thing is, once I get started, these projects are easy and, unlike operating power tools, can go well with beer.

The Vehicle.

Leading the pack on my Spring cleaning checklist is siphoning up my kid’s Chex cereal and PushPops mashed into the upholstery, because—trust me—one of the last places I’ll spend a Winter weekend day is dragging my vacuum out to the driveway. However, warm weather, maybe a cold beer, some tunes…can be almost…cleansing.

Be sure to have the right tools for the job, like the best cordless vacuum for effortless vacuuming without being wrapped and trapped in the cord.

Windows.

I wouldn’t believe this if it didn’t happen to me. Cleaning windows and screens SIGNIFICANTLY brightens the view inside the house. For the screens, I pop ’em out of our windows and vacuum around the window frame with the upholstery brush—it works great getting at spider webs and other muck. Then I use some soapy water and my Hyde Quickly Clean Glove—see video for more on this must have bad boy—to dislodge the muck. I wash and rinse one side, flip the screen and repeat. It gets more dirt off than you want to know is on there.

Trash Cans.

Face it. Your cat’s litter spill-outs have frozen, melted, re-frozen and fused—along with papers, schmutz, and all kinds of other crap (including crap if you have a baby, cats, or are weird)—to the inside of the family trash can. Before it becomes a warm weather chemistry lab, I fill the cans with soapy water (I love SimpleGreen concentrate for this) and soak them. Then I hit ’em with a hard rinse to un-fuse the fused-on.

Mower.

You should clean out under the mower deck before you start the mowing season. But if you’re like me and baled on that, do it now. Clean the caked-on grass from under the deck. Disconnect the spark plug wire, flip the mower on its side and scrape. A Hyde Tool is my go to for this. You’ll get a better cut.

Gym Bag.

Bite the bullet, brethren. Empty out the junkyard you’ve amassed in there and soak it. Your socks smell. The towel isn’t really dry. You might have food in there. (Yes, I’m describing my own gym bag.) Start fresh. The weather is warm and even guys have to have some kind of Spring cleaning checklist to give the season a kick-ass start. Even if we do it in the Summer.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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