SPRING CLEANING

All the Tools

Spring Cleaning

 Spring is in the air and so is the dust, dirt and clutter that has built up over the winter months!  Whether you are getting ready to sell your home, need to take an inventory of your belongings, you need a good cleaning from top to bottom or maybe it’s just time to transition into the warmer weather; spring cleaning is a good idea for every home. Once you have completed the task you will feel organized, tidy and just a little bit lighter!

Here are a few tips to help you get started, followed by a general checklist to help break the daunting task into smaller more manageable ones and ensure you get everything done. Also listed are some specific jobs for certain rooms and areas in your home.
TIPS

1) Get four large containers and label them:

Put Away- items that are used regularly and need to go back to their “home”

Get Rid Of- items you don’t use anymore that are in good enough shape for a 2nd life

Storage- items not used regularly or that are seasonal but you still need to keep and find a place to  store in your home

Garbage- anything that doesn’t fit  into the other categories

2) Depending on the size of your home, how you like to get things done and how much time you have, you can choose to either dedicate a
whole weekend to the job or assign different days to different rooms. The last chart divides your home into 7 areas, so if you choose to do one area per day then you can get the job done in one week!

3) If you want the whole family to get involved (this can be a challenge, sometimes quicker and easier just to do it all yourself!) here are some ideas to encourage them:

-Each person should do their own bedroom, especially if they want to decide what goes into the ‘Garbage‘ container!

-Let them read the checklist and decide which room/area they would like to do

-Organize a garage sale at the end of the clean up and make a rule, “The more you help, the higher percentage of profits you get”.
GENERAL CHECKLIST

Walls & Ceilings    - vacuum to remove dust and then wipe down Dust thoroughly   – from the top of the room down and then vacuum the dust that settles on the ground

Shelves   - take everything off, dust and wipe-down

Doors   - wipe down thoroughly and polish metal hardware

Windows  – remove and wash screens  -clean window treatments; check curtain labels, many can be machine washed  -clean glass (from the inside and out)

Upholstered Furniture - remove cushions and beat out the dust (outside)  – vacuum under the cushions and in crevices  – read care labels to clean
stains

Wooden Furniture -wipe down and then wax (if appropriate)

Rugs  – vacuum and then shampoo  -rugs without backings, including oriental rugs, require professional cleaning

Floors  – sweep and mop  – most non-wooden floors can be waxed

*Don’t forget to move all of your furniture to clean under and behind thoroughly!

AREA ROOM – SPECIFIC TASKS

Bedrooms – Flip mattress and replace winter bedding with more  lightweight ones.   Wash pillows, most can be   machine washed.   Put winter clothes away  and bring out warmer  weather ones, also get rid  of items you no longer  wear.

Bathrooms – Scrub EVERYTHING – Discard expired hygiene  products, cosmetics and  medications.

UPDATE FIRST AID KIT!!!

Living Room – Dust TV and stereo equipment, Swap heavy curtains,  rugs and throws for lightweight ones.

Kitchen Clean all appliances (turning  off power to do so), including  removing food from fridge and   freezer to defrost and clean.

Dust cupboards and shelves and clean out drawers Scrub sink  Throw out expired food.

Office  Clean computer and dust  keyboard  Organize files.

Stora     ~ Get rid of what you don’t need.

Utility Areas   – Organize In areas with concrete floors use blocks to lift  items and boxes off the  floor to preserve and  protect them.

Outdoors – Sweep cobwebs off porch  ceilings and walls, Scrub decks, patios,  walkways and driveways.  Wash outdoor furniture and  toys

Replace burnt out and broken light bulbs and  fixtures.

Just think of how fantastic you will feel when your whole home is clean, organized and up-to-date! If you are getting ready to sell your home then it will be ready for showing and make packing and moving so much easier.  And if you’re not then you can feel good about keeping your family healthy by getting rid of those hidden germs (that are there no matter how clean you keep your home!). When you are finished you can give back to the community by donating gently used items; or make some extra cash by having a garage sale, (check out our garage sale
blog for some tips).

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!!!

www.liveinstalbert.com

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 With the first day of Spring just around the corner (March 20th), it’s the perfect time of year to focus on fire safety in
your home! We “Spring” our clocks ahead an hour, and to help remind you about maintaining your household smoke alarms, why don’t you Spring Ahead Into Safety as well!

Did you know that the number one reason for smoke alarms not functioning in homes is due to missing or dead battery/power sources? An analysis was done of people who perished in homes where smoke alarms were present but not working, and 85% of those people who died did not have a functioning smoke alarm because of missing or dead batteries! What a simple and easy problem to fix!

Smoke alarms save lives, it’s even the law to have a functioning detector in your home! But who wouldn’t want to protect
themselves and their families, especially while you sleep, as most fatal fires are at night when people don’t wake up. You only need to change the battery once a year, twice if you want to be extra cautious, and a great way to remember this is to do it when you change your clocks in the Spring and Fall.  Here are some other smoke alarm safety tips for your home:

 1) Test your detectors once a month by using both the test button on the alarm, as well as a smoldering piece of cotton string. Be sure to also follow the owner’s manual when doing this.

2) Make sure an alarm is installed on every level of your home and near sleeping areas. One alarm isn’t enough! They should be installed on the ceiling, and if this isn’t possible then place them high up on the wall. Also make sure they are away from
bathrooms, heating appliances and ceiling fans.

3) If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, which is recommended for fire safety, then you should install a smoke detector IN your bedroom.

4) Dust or vacuum out the detectors regularly, a good time is when you are testing them each month.   Don’t use chemicals to clean as this can damage the smoke alarm. Also never paint them.

5) Replace old smoke alarms AT LEAST once every ten years.

6) When you are purchasing a new alarm, why not go for the best?! Some detectors are electrically powered and some use batteries, however the best use a combination of these power sources and also have a pause button for when it accidentally
goes off. This is handy for when you are burning dinner!

7) Have an escape plan. Make sure everyone in your home knows what the smoke alarm sounds like and practice your escape plan together. It should include two separate ways out of each different room and a pre-arranged meeting place outside where you can call the fire department from.

8) You should also have at least one carbon monoxide detector installed on each level of your home.

 So can you remember to Spring Ahead Into Safety next week? Don’t forget to check that the smoke alarm battery is in
place, connected, not corroding and functioning properly. These simple tips will help protect your home and more importantly you and your family!

Happy Spring!!

www.liveinstalbert.com

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In the Real Estate Industry, you meet a lot of people – people who you know nothing about.  It is important that we refresh our memories of how to stay safe while we are working out in the field, especially all of us Women Realtors® out there…

Here is a few things to keep in mind:

Know who you are dealing with:
Meet your potential clients at your brokerage or coffee shop, somewhere public.  If the situation permits, fill out the Fintrac form when you first meet.  When you’re meeting a potential client in order to list their property, typically, you are meeting them in their home.  If this is the case, make sure you tell someone (your significant other or a friend) who you are with, where you are going and when you will be back.

Keep a cell phone by your side:
Not in your purse or briefcase, but in your hand or next to you on the table.  Keep your cell phone fully charged.

Personal marketing:
Your marketing materials should be polished and professional.  Limit the amount of personal information that you share. Always use your office contact information and not your home information.

Trust your instincts:
When you feel apprehensive about a situation, or have a gut feeling that something isn’t right – trust your instincts.  Remember these signals you are feeling are alerting you for a reason.

Let them lead the way:
During the showing walk behind your clients.  Leave doors open after entering the house and any room.  Do not go with the unknown potential client into the basement, suggest that they go down and have a quick look while you wait on the main floor.  If they insist you come with them, then that should alert you that something isn’t right.

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Carrie Wood
Business Development & REALTOR®
Edmonton’s Buyer Agent 

KENNEDY Real Estate
Your Edmonton Realtor® | Edmonton Home Stager

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