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By
Konnie McCollum
Staff Writer
(March 2007) – Spring is a time
when most people begin to look forward to
blooming flowers, budding trees, warm sunny
days and fun outdoor activities. It is also
a time, however, when people traditionally
do some of those extra household chores
they have managed to put off for most of
the rest of the year.
Spring cleaning normally involves a deeper
cleaning of the house than the normal quick
dusting, light vacuuming and fast surface
scrubs most people do on a regular schedule.
It is also a time when unusual household
maintenance should be scheduled. These include
carpet and upholstery cleaning, air duct
sanitizing and cleaning, chimney cleaning
and repair and gutter cleaning and repair.
Frank Warren of Jeffersonville, Ind., home
cleaning service Merry Maids, said spring
is the busiest time of the year for his
company. He said it is usually the time
when homeowners choose to move heavy furniture
and appliances and clean behind them, reorganize
closets, cabinets and garages, and thoroughly
scrub windows, walls, woodwork, floors and
ceilings. He said people suddenly realize
when the freshness of spring arrives, they
need to freshen up their homes.
Not only do people need to do the heavier
and lengthier cleaning around the house,
the little things often neglected for most
of the year need to be remembered as well.
He said people should remember to clean
light fixtures, globes, edge their carpets,
wash baseboards and vacuum extra carefully.
He suggests homeowners who find they are
unable to do the work themselves or who
are already on tight schedules may want
to get a professional service to do some
of the spring cleaning.
His company offers specials for spring cleaning,
which includes an in-home consultation for
pricing.
Mark Jackson, owner of Sure Clean Carpet
in Madison, Ind., said while no time is
wrong to get carpets cleaned, spring cleaning
lists should certainly include a professional
carpet cleaning. People have been stuck
inside all winter long and have carried
in all kinds of contaminants that settle
in a carpet.
“You wear a shirt or a pair of pants
one day, and then you throw it in the washer
because you think it is dirty; but no one
walked on those things like they do carpet,”
he said.
While some new carpet warranties insist
on professional cleaning every 18 months
or so, Jackson said it should be considered
every year and possibly sooner depending
on the amount of foot traffic an area receives.
He also suggested homeowners invest in an
inexpensive carpet rake and spend a little
bit of extra time vacuuming to keep a carpet
cleaner between professional cleanings.
He said a carpet rake will help fluff up
a matted-down carpet, which makes it easier
to vacuum the dirt out of it.
Along with professional carpet care, homeowners
should include on their lists an appointment
to get air ducts cleaned and sanitized.
Roger Bickers of Madison’s Bickers
Air Duct and Carpet Cleaner, said indoor
air quality is important to health.
“Everything is re-circulated through
the vent system and out into the house.
Air ducts are ideal places for mold, bacteria
and fungus to grow,” he said.
Getting air ducts cleaned out not only removes
those kind of germs from the air, it also
saves on the amount of dusting homeowners
have to do on a regular basis. “For
children and adults with allergies or asthma,
this should be a priority,” he said.
He suggests homeowners should get their
vents cleaned and sanitized with special
chemicals at least twice a year, particularly
in the spring and fall. His company offers
a special video inspection of air ducts.
The video equipment goes through a duct
and videotapes what is in it. “You
just wouldn’t believe what we find,”
he said.
A videotaped inspection runs about $75;
homeowners can decide after viewing the
tape whether their vents need to be done.
Among the unusual chores that many people
put off doing is chimney cleaning. David
Hearne of Kickin’ Ash, a chimney cleaning
and repair business in Hanover, Ind., said
spring is the perfect time for chimney cleaning.
“Spring is best for chimney work because
it is after the burning season and after
harsh winter weather that may have caused
exterior damage to brick or masonry.”
Chimney cleaning takes about an hour to
an hour and a half. Hearne also inspects
the exterior of the chimney and will waterproof,
repair flashing, tuck point, fix mortar
joints and repair damaged chimney caps.
Although most people think of spring cleaning
as something that needs to be done to the
inside of a house, spring is a good time
to clean, re-organize and get rid of the
junk that collects over the year in the
garage, shed or other outdoor buildings.
It is also a good time to get the gutters
inspected and cleaned. Donnie Wattenbarger
of Donnie’s Seamless Guttering in Madison,
said, “Spring is the most important
time because tree saplings will clog and
cause more damage than any other gutter
debris.”
He said if gutters are not maintained before
and after winter, homeowners stand the chance
of losing them.
All the experts suggest homeowners should
make a list of all the chores that are needed
to be done and call early for any appointments.
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