Home Improvement Tasks To Do in May – Cleaning and Refreshing Interiors

April Showers have hopefully brought you May flowers in your yard, along with fantastic sunny spring weather.  One of the best parts of spring is opening up those windows and letting your home fill with fresh air.  Although many May home improvement projects focus on your neglected winter yard, you’ll want to make sure your inside space is nice and tidy.  Here are a few home maintenance projects you’ll want to take care of this month.

Clean walls and touch up paint.  As you open windows to let the fresh air in, it will also cause dust to stir in the air, landing on your walls. If you haven’t done so yet as a part of your spring cleaning, take some time to clean your walls. If you’ve never cleaned your walls before, you might be surprised at the amount of dirt you’ll find. Use a dusting attachment on your vacuum or an electrostatic duster to remove dust from walls, paying special attention to corners and baseboards. For a deeper clean, wipe down walls with warm, soapy water after dusting. Rinse with clean water, using a lint-free cloth. Touch up paint as needed on interior walls and trim.

Clean items on open shelves. Infrequently used items stored on open shelves can get pretty grimy over time. For items with a thin layer of dust, swipe with an electrostatic duster. If there is a thicker layer of dust, of if the items are in the kitchen (where cooking grease can be an issue), wash each piece in a tub of warm, soapy water. Rinse and allow everything to dry before replacing.

Refresh bedrooms. Rotate the mattresses on all beds and flip over if possible. Dust nightstands, lamps, headboards, blinds and decor. Swap heavy duvets for lighter-weight bedding for the warmer months.

Inspect kitchen and bath fixtures. Keeping an eye on these areas can help prevent costly water damage and repairs later on. Make a plan to regrout or recaulk around counters and tile as needed. If you come across any slow leaks, have these repaired as well.

Thoroughly clean the laundry room. Run the washing machine with a specialty tub cleaner (or with vinegar for a natural solution) on a hot water cycle. Wipe the rubber rim inside the washer and dryer doors and remove lint from the dryer vent with a vent brush or vacuum attachment. Clean countertops, mop floors and restock supplies.

—
Photo Credit:  VGstockstudio / Shutterstock.com