You’ve heard of spring cleaning, but the summer season is also a great time to get your house ready for the upcoming fall and back-to-school season. From the hustle and bustle of kids and grandkids being home from school to all of that sand from your recent beach trip, summertime brings unique cleaning needs. Here are some tips to keep your home spotless and ready for whatever the next couple of months may bring:
Control Pests with Essential Oils
The heat of summer brings in the spiders and other insects. While you can purchase products specifically designed to deter these creatures, many people have had luck with just a spray bottle of water and peppermint essential oil. Spray the combination in the corners of rooms around your house or other places where pesky critters tend to gather. The smell will leave your house smelling fresh and like it’s Christmas in July, too.
You can also add vinegar or soap to your mint concoction. Not a fan of essential oils? Try a mint plant. Citronella plants, too, are considered helpful at deterring specific insects, such as mosquitos, but you’ll want to keep them away from your pets.
Clean Up Your Patio or Deck
Your backyard spaces are well loved in the summer. Keep them clean with a patio and deck cleaner or make your own by mixing baking soda with water. Alternately, you can make a cleaning solution that is half vinegar and half water. Vinegar and baking soda are both able to naturally deep clean almost anything. It’s an excellent item to have around the house for a variety of cleaning projects.
When it comes to cleaning outdoor surfaces like patios, it’s usually recommended to sweep the patio and then use a water hose to rinse the area before applying your cleaner. You’ll also want to rinse the patio again immediately after you scrub it all down. If you’re looking at an especially intense job, you might prefer using a pressure water instead of going the DIY route.
Most patio furniture can be cleaned with simply warm water, dish soap, baking soda, or vinegar. In fact, go ahead and pour some baking soda into the bottom of your patio trash cans. They’ll keep the cans smelling clean even after your summer parties.
Spend Some Time in the Garden
You’re probably keeping your lawn and garden maintained throughout the summer, but don’t forget to work on getting the grime and even rust off of those gardening tools. Gardening supplies, like shears, can be soaked in a solution of water and vinegar. A water hose can be helpful when it comes to clearing away old grass from your lawnmower. Vinegar and water solutions can clean lawn chairs and other outside equipment.
Give Your Grill a Deep Cleaning
Like your gardening tools, your utensils can be soaked in a solution that incorporates baking soda or vinegar with a touch of soap and water. When it comes to your grill, however, you’ll need to be a bit more involved. Scrape the gunk off of your grill grates (best practice is to do this after warming the grill) and then let them soak like you did your tools. You’ll have to scrub and rinse your grates, too, of course.
Switch Out Your Air Filters
Regularly changing out your air filters helps cut down on allergens and germs. Our service areas have experienced quite the heat wave this summer season. With your air conditioner taking that much of a beating, it’s especially important to keep a close eye on your filters.
Dust Your Plantation Shutters
You’ve spent the summer filtering in beautiful sunlight, creating just the right seasonal ambiance for gatherings with family and friends. Plantation shutters are low-maintenance, so it’s easy to find yourself forgetting to give them a good dusting every now and then. You can clean your plantation shutters in three easy steps. With faux wood plantation shutters and all-wood plantation shutters, you want to be sure to avoid the classic soap and water combinations that you used while cleaning the rest of your home. This is because water can actually warp the plantation shutters. Vinyl shutters, on the other hand, can usually handle cleaning solutions.
Don’t have plantation shutters? Summertime is an ideal time to install custom made, real wood plantation shutters. Home improvements and renovations are extremely common in the warm summer months. Why all-wood instead of faux wood or something like composite? Wooden plantation shutters are the only plantation shutters that add value to your home. They’re naturally beautiful and as easy to clean as any other material. You just dust and polish until you’re happy with the end result.
Use Your Decorations to Your Advantage
A new seasonal welcome mat will keep guests from tracking dirt into your home. Table cloths can be switched out and tossed in the washer without sacrificing your good tables. Decorative coasters protect your fine furniture from the water rings that summer party guests tend to leave behind.
Remember Your Pool Accessories
Your pool receives all of the attention during the summer months, but it’s easy to forget to clean the floats and toys drifting across the water. This is where that baking soda or vinegar comes in handy again. Combine it with warm water to thoroughly clean your favorite pool toys. Don’t forget to scrub down any pool storage units, as well.
Looking to Brighten Your Home with Wooden Plantation Shutters?
If plantation shutters are on your list of things to do this summer, contact Shenandoah Shutters today for a free in-home design estimate and consultation. For years, plantation shutters were used as a form of temperature control throughout the seasons. Today, they still help control the temperature, as well as filter in and out gorgeous natural sunlight and offer privacy for home owners. Our plantation shutters are crafted locally in Richmond by skilled employees with decades of experience. Let Shenandoah Shutters enhance your home this summer season.
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