summer cleaning

Garden and Power Tools

I take the trimmers into the house and place them on a piece of newspaper to sharpen and lubricate the blades. I have taken my chainsaws in the house to clean them and to replace the dull chainsaw blade with a nice sharp one. Change the oil in your mowers in the early hours before the heat gets the best of you.

Cleaning Your Basement

Cleaning your basement in the summer is the perfect place to clean since the basement is nice and cool. I burn old boxes and things I do not use that have seen better days. You can sell stuff in your basement that is clean and useable. If you have not used an item in ten years, you might as well sell it. Take old paint to a recycling center. Wash and mop your basement floor and clean your rafters and don’t forget to clean out the dryer vent and replace your furnace filter.

Cleaning Up Outdoor Buildings

I have sold or taken almost all my items from my outdoor building. I have burned many of the items in a burn pile. In the summer, I burn any old cardboard and debris that I might find in a building. I like clean and orderly facilities. I have donated good usable items to charity or sold them to get the unneeded item out of the way.

Cleaning Up Your Home In The Summer

If you have a painting project, working on it in an air-conditioned house is lovely. It is an excellent time to replace your carpet, as you can set items outdoors to get them out of the way while the carpet installers are at work. I have stained or painted my deck and outdoor buildings in the early morning hours. Mowing your yard and weed whacking is necessary for the early morning or late hours. I like cleaning the refrigerator and stove and defrosting the freezer. I wipe down the sleeves in the fridge, clean up the oven and racks, defrost the freezer, and put the food with ice in coolers. I like clean appliances as they can harbor germs if left unattended and not thoroughly cleaned.

Gardening

Put wood chips around your garden plants so you will not have to weed much in the summer. Sprinkle natural pest control powder on your squash and potato plants. You may need to water your plants with a mixture to prevent blight. Work in the garden before the mosquitoes commence to eat you alive. Do not be afraid to spray Off or Cutter on yourself to prevent mosquito bites.

Clean Up Your Pets Beds, Dishes, Bird Baths, and More

I like to scrub out my bird bath with a Brillo pad, rinse it thoroughly, and put nice fresh water in it. It is also a good idea to clean out your bird feeders. Clean or replace pet dishes and bowls. I wash my cat’s bedding, toys, and towels in a washing machine just for my cats. Clean up your automatic and other litterboxes to prevent fleas and sickness in your cats. I have burned most of my old plastic litterboxes, bowls, and other pet dishes and replaced them with stainless steel or Pyrex containers. I buy new litterboxes when the old ones get, so you cannot clean them anymore. Clean early or later in the day to beat the dog days of summer if you must work outdoors cleaning. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.