The tradition of spring cleaning is a very sensible one because the warmer, pleasant weather allows you to open up your house after a winter of having doors and windows shut tightly. While you have all of the windows open, the fresh air cascading through your home can also carry away dust that gets worked up and the smell of cleaners being used. Here are a few spring cleaning tips from John Elliott Interiors to get you started. 


Have a Plan
As with most things in life, if you have a plan of attack in mind, everything will get taken care of quicker and easier. When you are ready to tackle some spring cleaning tasks, these tips can be extremely helpful. 

• Make a schedule - Unless you want to spend an entire weekend doing everything all at once, plan to tackle 1 or 2 spring cleaning tasks at a time. Start with areas that need the most work and plan to take on big projects when time allows, and smaller ones when you only have a short amount time to clean.
• De-clutter - Get unnecessary items put away (or thrown/given away) first, leaving you plenty of room to get to the parts of your home that need some spring cleaning attention. 
• Start at the top - Always work from high to low when you clean a room and work your way from one corner of the room to the other so you won't miss anything. 

Items To Tackle 
You already clean most of the things in your home that get dirty or out of place from daily living. Spring cleaning is a time when you focus on larger items and things that are not used as often. Here are a few tips on things you may want to take care of. Remember, always check labels on furniture and other items before using any type of cleaner, and always test a small, inconspicuous spot first to make sure the cleaner won't harm it.  

• Couches and ChairsTake the cushions off and vacuum all sides of them, followed by underneath where they normally sit. Check for items that have fallen into the crevices. Wipe down the legs and arms that are not covered in fabric, and consider renting a cleaner to take care of upholstery. For tough stains on fabric, you may want to hire a professional. This is a good time to polish wooden furniture too.   
• Beds and BeddingSheets, pillowcases, and blankets get laundered regularly, but now is a good time to wash the comforter and pillows too. While those are in the wash, vacuum the mattress. If you put baking soda on the mattress for about 30 minutes before vacuuming, this helps to deodorize it. Last, flip the mattress so that the wear and tear from everyday use is better distributed. 
• Drawers
  Spring clean all of the things that have accumulated in the drawers of your home over the past season. De-clutter each, and before replacing the items you are keeping, vacuum the drawers out and wipe them down. Wipe off the outside and handles too.  
• Cleaning Equipment
  This may actually be the first thing that you want to do before you even get your home's spring cleaning started. Clean out the brush roll on the bottom of the vacuum cleaner, and also clean the attachments. Spring is a good time to replace old mop heads and toilet brushes. You can also clean dishwashers and washing machines by running them through a cycle while empty with cleansers made especially for them, or you can find natural cleanser recipes online. 

Those are just a few tips for taking care of some of the items that don't normally get a lot of attention. Once you have everything looking shiny and new again, you will be able to see where you want to make a few updates with new pieces from our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks. You could update with a few new home accessories or brand new wall art, or you may decide that you want to redecorate an entire room. For both of those situations, you will find what you need at John Elliott Interiors.