Spring has arrived and if you haven’t already noticed, there may be some dust bunnies waving hello from the hidden recesses of your home. So we reached out to some of the queens of clean to give us some cleaning tips and tricks on how they make sure vacation and residential homes around the Golden Isles stay clean and fresh all year round.

Rachel Hicks, Owner of Slightly OCD Cleaning Co. says sweeping is essential to a clean home. “Pick up everything off of the floor, move everything out from the walls and sweep!”  Between beach days and ball games we can track in a lot of dirt. By sweeping regularly it helps cut down on dust and dirt all over the house.  “Sweeping also gives you the opportunity to get cobwebs, sweep baseboards, and get items from under and behind furniture.” says Hicks.

When it comes to dusting, make sure you start from top to bottom.  Those fans stay on high gear in the warmer months and before you know it a mountain of dust has built up.  Hicks suggests using a an old pillow case to grab big dust off ceiling fans, but using a damp cloth can also do the trick.  “Take a damp cloth and starting at the innermost base of the blade, grab the dust and pull it straight to the end of the blade allowing the residual dust mound to fall to the floor.  With a clean rag, move your fingertips in between the grooves of the blades and light fixtures.”  Once you’re done with the fans you can move to the furniture.

Did you know? Pledge Lemon furniture polish has double duty as an effective stainless steel polish.  Mel Meyer of Coastal Cleaning LLC says, “use a small amount on of Pledge on a microfiber cloth to safely and effectively polish stainless steel appliances.”

Another powerful tool to use in the kitchen is the pumice, says Rachel from Slightly OCD.  “Once the pumice stone is damp it is no doubt miraculous on removing baked in gook. Use a degreaser or even a plain Dawn and water solution to dampen the area, use a green scrub pad to loosen the top layer then scrub up the rest of the gook.”

From kitchen to bathrooms, using simple solutions like Dawn, vinegar and water can clean up most messes.  Even in the bathroom!  Hard water stains on shower doors are a bear.  Mel from Coastal Cleaning says to combine 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of Dawn dish soap and spray onto the shower or bathtub.  Allow the solutions to sit for approximately 10 minutes and use a scratch free scour pad to wipe down the service.  Then rinse and dry. “Once the hard water stains are removed, spray RainX onto the glass to keep the calcium deposits from building up. It is most beneficial to use a squeegee on the shower doors after each use. It really makes a difference”, says Mel.

There’s no better feeling than walking into a clean home that smells fresh.  To keep your home smelling fresher longer, Donna Drury Simpson from Morning Star Cleaning advises you to put fragrance packets in each room. It’s just enough scent without being too overpowering.  “We also use Fabuloso on floors and hardwoods which cleans well and has a great clean smell to it” says Donna.  Fabuloso is a great option to used on sealed wood as it doesn’t leave residue or streaks and it can be used in kitchens and baths as well.

Whether you are traveling to the Golden Isles as a respite from the real world or you are a perm-vacationer on St. Simons Island, we hope these tips help make your time in your home more enjoyable.  Happy Cleaning.

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