There is no better way to prepare for the start of lake season than by freshening things up with a good old day of lake house Spring cleaning. While Spring cleaning, or any type of cleaning for that matter, ranks at the bottom of our list of things we like to do, it is so worth the time invested to do the work. Lake house Spring cleaning is made easy when you have a checklist and the right tools to get the job done.
Giving your lake house a good cleaning will give you a great sense of accomplishment and pride, and there is no better way to give your family, friends, and guests a warm welcome than with a fresh smelling, cobweb free, squeaky clean getaway haven. We put together the 10 steps we go through to get the lake house ready for the busy lake season. We are also sharing the tool/tips we incorporate to help make the lake house Spring cleaning easier or that we feel makes a meaningful impact for our guests.
Lake House Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Dust Ceiling Fans and Fixtures: A bendable microfiber duster with a telescoping pole is a critical tool for dusting things that are out of easy reach. No one likes to lay down on a bed and look up at dust hanging over the edges of those fan blades. Once you get this duster in motion, not only should you clean each ceiling fan, but also clean all light fixtures. Some light fixtures might just need a pass with the microfiber duster, but others may require taking off glass globes and washing the with soap and water. If you don't have a microfiber duster, this option on Amazon is highly rated, has several accessories, will arrive quick, and is under $20.
- Wash Linens and Blankets: As soon as you start your lake house Spring cleaning day, get that washer rolling with your first set of bed linens. We love for our linens to smell heavenly, so a tip we use is to wash our sheets and blankets in Diva Glamorous Wash. This bottle of laundry detergent is a splurge, but we have a trick on how to make it go further while still giving you this luxurious scent. We use 1/8 cup of Diva Wash and 1 Unscented Tide Pod for each load of sheets, blankets and we even use this for towels. I promise you that when your guests pull back the covers to crawl into bed, they will be asking you what laundry detergent you use! It is a difference maker in the "wowing your guests" department.
- Dust Window Ledges: The microfiber duster is a great tool for this task as well. Pull back all the curtains and dust all window casings and ledges. No one wants the surprise of a dead spider when trying to take in the view at your lake house retreat.
- Vacuum Curtains and Mattresses: While it may sound a bit odd to vacuum the curtains, it really makes a lot of sense to us. While you may prefer to launder the curtains, you can go that route if you choose. The goal here is to eliminate the dust that collects over time. To us, we feel that laundering typically requires ironing before rehanging, and we have found that sometimes curtains are just not made to hold up to a washer cycle. That said, we just take the vacuum wand to them while they are still on the rods, and sweep away all the dust. We also recommend you vacuum your mattresses while you have the linens off, if you do not use a zippered mattress encasement cover. We eliminate this step by using these mattress covers since they can be tossed in the washer. Let's face it, humans shed and accidents happen. So, protect yourself with a waterproof mattress encasement cover. If you are in need of a great vacuum, we highly recommend the Shark Rocket Pet Corded Vacuum. We love that this vacuum is so lightweight, does not require bags, and converts to a hand vacuum to sweep off the furniture. It is so lightweight, we even take it to the dock to sweep out the boat. Not only is this tool super critical on lake house Spring cleaning day, it earns its investment nearly every week during the Summer months to pick up all the hair from The Anchor Dog KC and the grandkids' crumbs.
- Dust Walls and Baseboards: Here is another lake house spring cleaning task where your microfiber duster will come in handy. Take this telescoping dusting wand and run it across all the walls, around all crown molding and baseboards, and don't forget the cold air return vents.
- Wash the Windows: When you own a piece of paradise, it is a no-brainer that you need to keep the windows clean in order to take in the beauty from every angle. We start with removing all screens and giving them a good sweep with a broom or vacuum. Then, our favorite window cleaning method is the Norwex Envirocloth paired with the Window Cloth. The envirocloth and window cloth work as a duo, in that you use the envirocloth to wet the glass and the window cloth (dry) to shammy/polish the glass. This allows you to clean all windows, mirrors, shower doors, glass tables, faucets, etc., with just water and these cloths. No expensive store-bought cleaners or chemicals involved! If you have never tried Norwex products, do yourself a favor and find a Norwex representative today.
- Purge the Pantry: Since we do not spend as much time at the lake house in the Winter months, it is inevitable that food sometimes expires before we get it all consumed. As a result, purging the pantry finds its way onto the lake house spring cleaning checklist. Remove all food from the cabinets, toss the expired items, and of course, keep all the good items. We also include the refrigerator as part of the lake house Spring cleaning project.
- Organize Garage and Storage Closets: Confession time - we are often in a hurry when preparing the lake property for the Winter months. That said, we put ourselves in the position of needing to clean out the garage and dock locker to get things organized for the upcoming season. Let's face it, organization requires discipline, but rods, racks, hooks and shelving are tools that aid in keeping things tidy. In the garage, The Anchor Man hung a wooden rod for us to hang life jackets on just as you would in a closet, but this life jacket storage idea from Nikki Smith on Pinterest is a creative alternative. We also love the creative fishing rod, oar, and board storage solutions that Peter306 used in his storage closet. We find these cord storage wraps very helpful to keep extension cords, hoses, as well as ski ropes from getting tangled. These hooks are what we use to store wakeboards and paddle boards.
- Power Wash Home Exterior: Our lake home sits off a gravel road and is surrounded by trees, and let's face it, spiders just like to make webs. Giving the lake home exterior a good power washing will get rid of all the residue and insects that tried to take up residence around your soffits and eaves. A power washer can be a very useful tool at a lake home. We use ours to also spray down patio furniture, as well as the floats on the pontoons. It has the pressure needed to remove all that scum and residue that builds up. If you are in the market for a power washer, we recommend a gas-powered model, as they are heavier duty for around the lake and make the job go faster. This WEN 3100 PSI model is rated very high as a budget friendly HD model.
- Spray for Spiders: We learned of a spider repellant from our lake neighbors that is truly remarkable. We cannot tell you the amount of times we have walked among our little slice of paradise and been blanketed with cobwebs. We cringe every time, because you know what lives in cobwebs . . . SPIDERS! Don't know about you, but we don't want spiders on us. So, by diluting this magical solution and spraying onto the soffits, eaves, beams, and poles, we can literally go 6 weeks or more without having to reapply before cobwebs start showing back up. We spray it around all of our outdoor living spaces to keep those pesky spiders and webs away. We are certain this repellant is heaven sent and you will thank us for this info! It is called Bayer Tempo SC Ultra Premise Spray. You only use 1/2 ounce to one gallon of water, put it in a one-gallon multi-purpose sprayer, and go to town spraying down all the pertinent surfaces. It is safe to use indoors or out, as well as around pets. You can even use it to spray the lawn to keep insects and fleas away.
Well, we don't know about you, but we are ready to get this lake house Spring cleaning checklist knocked out and behind us before our favorite season gets underway and our guests start arriving. As a matter of fact, we think we will get started this very weekend.
We would love to hear any tips you have for getting your lake house ready for Summer. If you have remarkable discoveries or time savers to help our fellow lake lovers with tackling spring cleaning, please share. We all want more time on the water and less time cleaning, so let's go get this checklist crossed off.
