Cleaning with grandmother Upstairs

This is my grandmother: Valborg. I love this picture. I choose this picture even though it had nothing to do with cleaning. You see, there was more to her then just cleaning. It often is.

But today the focus lies on cleaning.

Even though she was not a housewife she took a lot of pride in keeping her house spotless. Twice a year she and her family made an real effort making the house smell and look wonderful. I will now tell you how she used to clean. I am not saying that you should do this, but it really inspires me, and it might inspire you to. I have divided this post in two parts. I call the first one Upstairs it will contain: Wardrobes and bedrooms. And the second part Downstairs is Kitchen, Bathroom, Living room.

Here goes:

Upstairs

Start in your wardrobes. Empty them on clothes and wipe the walls, ceilings and floor with a damp cloth.  Sort out all your winter clothes, like heavy coats and boots.  Clean them as good as you can. Wash them or take them to the cleaners. Grandmother hung them outside in the fresh air all day. Then she brushed them with a clothes brush. Don´t forget to turn the pockets inside out for a good brush too. Clean and prepare your boots for storage.

While you are in the closet see if there is anything you want to donate or sell.

Once it is clean hang it all back. Put your winter gear in storage or in coat bags. Don´t forget moth repellent if the coats are made of wool.

Once you are done with the closet move on over to the bedrooms. Empty your beds and take all the pillows and covers outside. Let them hang there all day, and when night comes they are nice and cool.

There are a few things that should be done in every room.

Start by moving all the furniture to the middle of the room, or even better into another room. It is so much easier then.
And open all the windows.
Remove everything loose. Take curtains, sheets and table cloths and throw them in the washer (grandmother did not have one back in the 40´s, she washed it by hand) and wipe or wash everything else in the kitchen sink. Don´t forget the pictures on the wall.

Wipe all the surfaces with water and soap. Start from the top. Ceiling and walls, and all the furniture.
Don´t forget lamps, radiators, and doors.
Vacuum what you can. Stuffed furniture such as beds and sofas.
Clean the windows and the window frame.
Vacuum the floor and scrub them by hand using a brush and a rag.
Since grandmother did not have Spotify I am sure she had the radio on, and don´t forget to snack on something every now and then.

PS: I usually keep a notebook and a pen at hand, because for some reason i get so many great ideas while cleaning. =)

This is how I want my bedroom to feel when I am done cleaning. Fresh and clean. This is from the visit at Anna´s house.

Or like at Sara´s house. From this visit.