Time required to complete all of your kitchen, bathroom, and general spring-cleaning tasks: about 3 hours and 28 minutes.

Kitchen

De-grime outside of fridge

Time allotted: 5 to 10 minutes

Be sure to clear debris out of the rubber seal around the door while you’re at it.

Clean outside of kitchen cabinets

Time allotted: 10 to 15 minutes

Wood: Use a mild detergent-and-water solution or a wood cleaner like Minwax.

Laminate: Use a sponge and all-purpose spray cleaner.

Bathroom

Clean bathtub, sink, toilet, floor

Time allotted: 15-20 Minutes

Install new shower curtain liner

Time allotted: 8 minutes

General Cleaning Tasks

Spot-clean walls, light switches, and doorknobs

Time allotted: 20 minutes

Clean mirrors

Time allotted: 15 minutes (not counting mirrored walls)

Tip: Never spray window cleaner directly on mirrors, because it can seep into the panel and ruin the backing.

Vacuum baseboards, windowsills, heating vents, and tops of bookcases

Time allotted: 45 minutes

Toss old newspapers and magazines

Time allotted: 15 minutes

Thoroughly dust

Time allotted: 1 hour

“Thoroughly” means removing everything from tables, shelves, and other surfaces so you can sweep away the dust that’s usually invisible.

Polish chrome fixtures

Time allotted: 10 minutes

Tip: To leave a shine, wipe chrome with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol or white vinegar.

Helpful Hint:

Shop Before You Mop

Keep your focus. Tips include: gathering your tools and supplies, your bags for trash, and snacks like sandwiches or raw veggies that can be eaten in a hurry.  Go into the room you want to clean and don’t leave until you’re done.

Here are the seven essentials for your spring-cleaning:

• •Vacuum cleaner
• •Trash bags
  • •Paper towels
  • •Sponges/scrubbing pads
  • •Dusting/cleaning cloths
  • •All purpose cleaner
  • •White vinegar

By Jason Gignac