With only a few more weeks of winter and the temperatures finally climbing above freezing again, it’s time to clean out your apartment and living space to make it feel fresh again. Over the winter most of us tend to neglect many of our cleaning duties, but over the months, dust, dirt and debris build up, so that by the time March arrives a deep spring cleaning is necessary.

Once the weather is heated up, even reaching only 50 degrees, opening the windows will feel amazing. You’re used to the temperatures and wind chills being at or under 0 degrees, so a breezy 50 degree wind giving fresh air in your Ames apartment will seem incredible. You’d be surprised how musty and stale the air in your home gets after the windows are closed for several months. Plus, at those temperatures, you won’t need to keep the windows open for long—ten to fifteen minutes should do the trick.

For the last several months, you’ve probably been wearing as many sweaters, beanies and ankle warmers as possible. Now, if you wore those, you would start to sweat instantly. Why not pack up all your winter clothes and put them in a tote or XL ziploc bag to put away until next winter? Once they’re all put together, you can either store them in your closet, a garage or a storage unit if you and your roommates are renting one.

Another task that nobody enjoys doing but needs to be done periodically is to clean out your fridge, microwave and oven. In your fridge, probably shoved way to the back, are expired condiments, tupperware containers of leftovers and who knows what else. Plug your nose and dump those out. After you do, you’ll have a cleared out fridge and be much happier with yourself. Another tip is to get a baking powder air freshener both for your fridge and your freezer.

With the windows shut all winter, dust tends to build up all over the place—your coffee table, tv stand, night stand and on your blinds too. Take some time to go through every room and remove the dust, which can actually be a health hazard.

We’re working our way from top to bottom, and the next step is to clean your floors (you would want to vacuum and then have dust fall on the floor). In the kitchen and bathroom, or anywhere that you have tile or hardwood floors, sweep the entire area first. Then, use a mop or swiffer to really get the area clean. For any carpeted area, invest in a vacuum. While it may be one of your first adult purchases, it’s definitely worth it!

Although we sent out our renewal notices several weeks ago, we love it when our tenants renew their leases with us. If you have any questions or concerns about your lease, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll talk about your apartment in Ames with you.