By Andrea Steere
news@joplinglobe.com
As the winter cold gives into spring, many look forward to the warm weather and heading outdoors. Others, however, are not looking forward to things the season brings — such as spring cleaning.
But spring may be the best time to clean up after harsh winter weather.
“After you’ve been through a dark, gloomy winter, you start to let the sun in and see all the dust,” said Ryan Rivers, owner of Merry Maids in Joplin.
The employees at Merry Maids spend more time cleaning kitchens, bathrooms and floors than any other part of customers’ houses, Rivers said. Kitchens and bathrooms are always important areas to keep clean — kitchens are especially important this time of year, because of pests looking for food.
Another big part of Merry Maids’ work in the spring is removing the grime tracked into the house from the salt and charcoal that is used to clear icy roads, Rivers said.
“Customers that use us for the first time this time of year want us to clean the dust and buildup from over the winter,” Rivers said.
Cleaning the house is not the only thing people are thinking about when spring time arrives, however. Spring is also the time to do some routine maintenance.
Ryan Scheuermann, of Ryan’s Residential Maintenance, said that many people start to make repairs in order to make their homes more efficient.
“They ask for door jams and insulation repairs to reduce the use of air conditioning,” Scheuermann said. “They also start on exterior repairs, like siding and painting.”
Spring time is also a good time to take advantage of any caulking that needs to be done before the weather gets too hot, Scheuermann said.
Despite all the seasonal cleaning, many home owners neglect some repairs and replacements that should be checked frequently.
Home owners should have their heat and air serviced more often, Scheuermann said. They should also check their gutters and add extensions if needed, otherwise the water flow can back into the house.
Barton Drake, hardware sales representative at Pearl Brothers True Value Hardware, said that people should also change their air filters more often.
Air filters should be changed quarterly or monthly, Drake said — not just in the spring.
“They should definitely check their sump pumps,” Scheuermann said. “Over the winter they can freeze. When the spring rains come, it can be a mess.”
Cleaning tips
Merry Maids doesn’t have a magic wand, said Ryan Rivers, owner. But they do use hands-and-knees scrubbing and attention to detail to get the job done.
While cleaning your own home, you can use your own elbow grease, but making it into a team project also makes cleaning more bearable.
“Gather the family together and tackle one room at a time or assign tasks that each member can handle,” Rivers said. “Create deadlines that each team member can meet and reward a finished project with a break or time off.”
Goodhousekeeping.com recommends assembling all of the cleaning supplies and tools you need before you start and making a list of what you want to accomplish. If you are cleaning one room at a time, don’t leave until you’re finished. This way you will save time and energy — and be able to enjoy the spring weather.
Although it may seem like there is always something to clean, spring cleaning can at least wash away the feelings of winter in your home.
“Having a house is a full-time job,” said Ryan Scheuermann, of Ryan’s Residential Maintenance.
Health & Family
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