Tis’ the season, and I am not talking about Christmas! Moving season is in full bloom around the country. It can be a time that is super exciting for your family or a journey that incites stress and anxiety. Today I want to share a few tips that I hope will help lessen the overwhelming feeling that comes with cleaning out your entire home for the big move.
Take a deep breath and make a plan –
When you have had moving boxes, paper, bubble wrap, and tape in your home for months, it can start to feel like the walls are closing in. Do I sound like I am speaking from experience, because I so am!! When that glorious day comes, and the boxes have been packed into a moving truck you feel like a weight has been lifted. You can breathe again! Now is the time to make that plan I mentioned, because even though the boxes are gone, the job is not yet over.
*Start with the toughest jobs in the clean out first (ex. showers, inside of the stove, toilets, etc.). Spray them all down from top to bottom with the appropriate cleaners, and then for the next few hours, forget about them! Let the cleaner do the dirty work. You will thank me for this later!!
For the Stove: Get yourself a can of Easy-Off Oven cleaner. Leave the racks in the oven when you spray it down (take them out later and wash them off with a sponge in the sink or outside if it’s nice out). Use the spray liberally, especially on spots that have been set in for a while. The can says one thing, but I have learned that a minimum of two hours is necessary if you don’t want to have to scrub the stove with all your muscle!
*Next, move on to the middle of the road jobs (ex. cleaning the greasy hand prints off all the cabinets in the house, scrubbing the inside of the refrigerator, fan blades, baseboards, etc.) These are the less fun jobs that take some elbow grease and time.
For Baseboards: use a bowl of super warm water and an old wash cloth. We always add a couple of drops of lemon essential oil just to make them smell amazing. For scuff marks always grab a Magic Eraser, works like a charm. For tough to reach corners try a kid sized tooth brush!
For Cabinets: We trust simple Dawn dish soap. The degreaser in the Dawn is excellent. Just use a bowl of warm water with a few drops of Dawn. Take your wash cloth again and scrub them down. Works so well.
*Now, clean the easy stuff. Wipe down mirrors, take the Magic Eraser to the scuff marks throughout the house, vacuum, etc. By this point in the day you are getting pretty wiped out, but don’t forget to go back to that first list and thank me, because the jobs that should take you hours to finish will only take you minutes. Go back to the stove and even the toughest spots will wipe right out with a hot damp wash cloth because you gave the cleaner hours to do the work for you! Take your mop and scrub that oversized bathroom surround down, and use that tooth brush again if you have stubborn spots in the grout. Brush out the toilets. GO NAP!
I know I get a little silly about these cleaning tips, but it makes the job so much more enjoyable if you know how to handle the tough stuff and can laugh about the fact that you just got sprayed by the shower head. In all seriousness, I hope this helps you out in a season that can be rough. Have a blessed moving season everyone, and safe travels!
Mention promo code SPRING10 in the contact section on our website at www.TheRetreatOnTheRiver.com for 10% off any move-out cleaning service scheduled before April 18, 2019. For more useful tips and tricks keep checking back at Macaroni Kid!
Hey everyone! My name is Anna! I am a military spouse, mom of three boys, and the owner of The Retreat! We provide weekly, bi-weekly, and move out cleaning services to residential clients in and around the Leavenworth area. At The Retreat we strive to provide you with a home that feels like a getaway, everyday! For more information please visit us online at https://www.theretreatontheriver.org/
