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Making the Best of the Extra Daylight with a Handy Summer Cleaning Checklist

Summer can certainly bring its share of cleaning challenges when things heat up. Stay on top of it and make the best of the extra daylight hours with this handy summer cleaning checklist.

If you’re anything like me, then you may have a love-hate relationship with summer too. While the heat and humidity are unpleasant, to say the least, I do enjoy the longer days. Those extra hours of daylight allow me to get more done. Which really comes in handy when I want to tackle seasonal cleaning.

(If you’re reading this and it’s not summer where you live, check out my fall, winter, and spring cleaning checklists.)

Although, even with the extra daylight hours, summer brings its share of challenges to keep our homes tidy. Dripping popsicles and wet swimsuits, to name a few, require quick cleanups and a plan!

Let me help you stay on top of it with a printable summer cleaning checklist and tidy-up tips.

Making the Best of the Extra Daylight with a Handy Summer Cleaning Checklist

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Related: Foolproof Methods to Naturally Clean the Microwave and Oven

Related: 5 Steps to an Organized Linen Closet

Keeping Up With The Floors

During the summer, we find ourselves going from indoors to out a lot more often. Extra foot traffic and especially going back forth from the pool equates to dirty floors!

This means you’ll have to clean the floors more often too. If you have many carpeted areas, I’ve got the best solution ever to refresh and revive carpets and rugs!

What smells amazing, cleans without toxic chemicals, and lifts odors instead of masking them? Essential oils and baking soda, my friends. Yep, that’s all you need.

But first, go the extra mile and use a window squeegee to scrape the top of carpet and rugs to remove hidden pet hair, fuzz, and the unknown. Then sprinkle on this DIY Lemon Myrtle Carpet Refresher, my secret to spring fresh home all year round.

And if you uncover some hidden surprises, a.k.a. ugly carpet stains, mix a bottle of this easy homemade natural DIY carpet stain remover to spot clean. You may also want to consider placing doormats at every outdoor entrance and asking guests and family members to remove their shoes when they come inside.  

Make the best of the extra daylight hours with a handy summer cleaning checklist.

The Dreaded Windows

Yes, I’m about to say a bad word when it comes to cleaning… w-i-n-d-o-w-s

The summer is really is the best time of year to clean the windows. The warm temperature and sunny skies allow them to dry quickly, and if you get wet washing them, you won’t be cold. To save time, try vacuuming the screens.

If that doesn’t do the trick, follow these steps:

  1. Remove the screens and wash them in the sink or outdoors with the water hose and liquid castile soap.
  2. After the screens are cleaned (even if they are still drying) get to work on the outside of the windows.
  3. Start with a long handle broom or leaf blower to remove dust and cobwebs. Beware of possible hornet, wasp, or bee nests.
  4. Next, using a water hose with a sprayer or power washer set to work washing out the windows.

When it comes to the inside of the windows, use my recipe for a natural Streak-Free Glass Cleaner. It creates a professional foam spray without chemicals. And it’s incredible for cleaning photo frames, mirrors, windows, and glass cupboard doors too.

Stay on top of summer cleaning tasks with a handy printable summer cleaning checklist

Summer Sips and Drips – A.K.A. Drink and Food Spills

No doubt one of the best things about summer is the food. Unfortunately, ice cream, lemonade shake-ups, barbecue sandwiches, and popsicles can make quite a mess.

And with insects in full swing during the summer months, you’ll want to clean it up fast!

I recommend keeping your microfiber cleaning cloths nearby, along with the simplicity of using just ONE cleaner for almost everything.

This homemade All-Purpose Natural Surface Cleaner can be applied to just about anything! To keep the spills away, enjoy your favorite summer foods outdoors as much as you can.

There’s more,

Laundry Duty

We certainly go through a lot of clothes in our house during the summer months. Play clothes, yard work clothes, swimsuits, towels, and sundresses mean our laundry room is working overtime!

Dry your clothes outside when you can, and use wool dryer balls to cut drying time in the dryer.

Check out my tips for ditching dryer sheets here and save money with Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap. It’s an all-natural laundry soap recipe made with only 5 ingredients and HE washing machine approved.

Stay on top of summer cleaning tasks with a handy printable summer cleaning checklist.

Bathroom TLC

The bathroom needs a little extra TLC in the summer due to the heat and humidity. Help keep mold and bacteria away by running an exhaust fan while showering and using a Natural Daily Shower Spray in your daily cleaning routine.

A few quick sprays every day after showering helps keep mold, mildew, and soap scum away!

Find more clever tactics to clean your bathroom sans chemicals in my book No Nonsense Natural Bathroom Cleaning Methods, That Work.

Give Your Mattress a Flip

Mattresses need to be cleaned twice a year, summer and winter, to keep dust mites under control.

  1. Start by sprinkling Odor Eliminating Refresh Powder on the mattress,.
  2. Let it stand for five to ten minutes.
  3. Then vacuum the top the mattress.
  4. Remove the mattress and vacuum the top of the box springs.
  5. Now, flip the mattress and place it on top of the box springs.
  6. Sprinkle with refresh powder again, following the instructions above.

Do this for all of the mattresses in your home. Keep things fresh every week by washing sheets in hot water and applying a natural linen spray. Homemade Fresh Lemon Vanilla DIY Linen Spray is my current favorite.

Stay on top of chores with a printable summer cleaning checklist and tips to tidy up.

Printable Summer Cleaning Checklist

Print this handy Summer Cleaning Checklist to keep track of your progress. Grab it and more printables, checklists, and reference guides in the Simple Living Library.

 

Bathrooms

  • Wash shower curtain and liner
  • Scrub Tile, Tub, and Shower
  • Clear and clean all surfaces
  • Clear cobwebs from ceilings
  • Wash windows and mirrors
  • Vacuum and clean window sills
  • Wipe light switches and door handles
  • Launder all towels
  • Dust light fixtures and fans

Kitchen

  • Scrub Tile, Sink, Stove, and Oven
  • Clean all surfaces and polish stainless steel
  • Clear cobwebs from ceilings
  • Wash windows, mirrors, and glass cabinets
  • Vacuum and clean window sills
  • Wipe light switches and door handles
  • Clean all appliances
  • Dust light fixtures and fans
  • Wipe down and polish wood cabinets

Main Living Spaces

  • Vacuum and freshen all carpets and rugs
  • Clear cobwebs from ceilings
  • Wash windows
  • Vacuum and clean window sills
  • Wipe light switches and door handles
  • Declutter and dust furniture and shelves
  • Dust light fixtures and fans
  • Change air filters as necessary
  • Vacuum central air vents and wipe down the surface

Bedrooms

  • Vacuum and freshen all carpets and rugs
  • Clear cobwebs from ceilings
  • Wash windows and mirrors
  • Vacuum and clean window sills
  • Wipe light switches and door handles
  • Launder quilts, duvet covers, and comforters  
  • Change bed linens
  • Declutter and dust furniture and shelves
  • Dust light fixtures and fans
  • Vacuum, refresh, and flip mattresses

Outdoor Spaces

  • Sweep and wash porches and decks
  • Remove cobwebs on porches and decks
  • Clean outdoor furniture
  • Wash windows and screens
  • Tidy and replace outdoor lights
Stay on top of chores with a printable summer cleaning checklist and tips to tidy up.

Summer can certainly bring its share of cleaning challenges when things heat up.  Stay on top of it and make the best of the extra daylight hours with this handy summer cleaning checklist. Not ready to make DIY cleaners? Then grab a free Mrs. Meyer’s 5 piece cleaning set from the Grove Collaborative

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