FALL CLEANING LIST FOR DINING ROOM

The holidays are approaching quickly. You don't want to spend time deep cleaning the dining room when you have 20 guests coming for Thanksgiving dinner. Your going to be busy doing other things! Get it deep cleaned now, and then stay on a weekly schedule of dusting and vacuuming and you'll be all set for hosting holiday dinners! From the chandelier to Grandmas china were going to clean it up and let it sparkle.

What to clean:

Chandelier. This is a great trick. You don’t have to remove all the crystals and clean them by hand. Put a plastic sheet or old shower curtain on the table and cover that with an absorbent towel. Now pour 4 Tbs of ammonia into 2/3 of a glass of white vinegar. Dip each individual crystal into the cup until it’s totally immersed. Let drip dry. If you choose to remove them, lay down a towel in your sink, fill it up with hot water and a little white vinegar. Let them soak, and give them a good rinse and polish with a soft cloth. Many people neglect this task, but it makes a huge difference when its done. Be sure to wipe down the rest of the hardware of your chandelier also.

Polishing your dining room table. The reason to polish your table is to bring out its luster, but to also remove deposits like smoke, grease, dust, etc. A great homemade furniture polish is 3 parts olive oil and 1 part lemon oil. If you don’t have lemon oil you can use 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 cup white vinegar. Apply with a damp cloth. Be sure to clean the legs of the table well and all the chairs too. Get a pretty fall center piece for the table to brighten the room.

Your walls and wallpaper. Clean walls and baseboard. If you have wallpaper in your dining room you can clean it as long as it’s not untreated paper. If you’re not sure, test a small spot in an inconspicuous place before beginning. If the color didn’t fade, run, bleed or disappear than you can wash it.
When washing wallpaper, start from the bottom and work your way up using warm water and a bit of hand dishwashing detergent on a well wrung sponge. Use as little water as possible. Rinse with a clean sponge dipped in cool water and then dry with absorbent cloth.

Your china cabinet. Thoroughly clean your china cabinet by removing all items, wiping the shelves and drawers out, and shining each piece before replacing it. While it’s empty is a good time to get behind it and clean the floor and baseboards. Don’t forget to clean the top and the glass doors.

Windows and curtains. Vacuum all your window treatments. If you can take them down and wash them do so. If they need to be dry cleaned bring them in. Check for local companies that will come right to your home and steam clean them for you. Clean your windows, the window sills, storm windows, and screens.

Floors and Rugs. If you can, get your rugs steamed cleaned. Either hire a local company or rent a steam cleaner. Concentrate on traffic areas and any stains.

Step back and admire your hard work! Now your ready to decorate for fall. Add a pretty autumn centerpiece, some warm fall colored candles, and get ready for the holidays!!