Look Up! When Was the Last Time You Cleaned Right There?

Wherever you are right now, I want you to look up. Now, I want you to think about the last time you cleaned up there (or really anything above eye level). The truth is, these up-high places are really the first area you should be cleaning in any room. If you think about it for a minute, you’ll realize cleaning from top-to-bottom is the most logical way to clean, since no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to kick up dust and debris that will get on lower surfaces. 

There’s a lot of area to cover — ceiling or wall-mounted light fixtures; ceiling fans; the tops of door frames, picture frames, cabinets and bookshelves; and any moldings, rafters or other architectural details you might be lucky enough to have. That’s why for your Day 4 Spring Cleaning Cure assignment we’re going to choose just one of those things to focus on first.  

When you’re finished, take a few minutes to do some slow, deep breathing. Does the air feel a bit cleaner? It should! 

Whether you’re cleaning a chandelier, a ceiling fan, or crown moldings, the main problem with cleaning up high is that what is up is in danger of coming down and getting all over the place. If you’re not careful, you’ll just spread the dust around. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to prevent this from happening:

Use a microfiber cloth and a broom to clean ceiling moldings. You don’t need a dedicated tool for cleaning up high; you can fashion one out of a broom and a microfiber cloth (and maybe a rubber band to keep the cloth in place). You may still end up knocking some dust down, but most of the cobwebs and dust should go easy on you and stick to the microfiber cloth.

Use an old pillowcase to clean your ceiling fan. This smart hack makes cleaning your ceiling fans quick and easy. Making sure the fan is off, slide one blade completely inside the case. Next, pull the fabric over the blade to remove any dust and debris, making sure it all ends up inside the pillow case. Repeat with each blade.

Put an old sheet or towel underneath wherever you’re cleaning. Even with a microfiber cloth or old pillow case, it’s never a bad idea to protect whatever’s underneath the area you’re cleaning. An old sheet or towel will do the trick.

Take that light fixture down. If it’s relatively easy to take a light fixture down, my advice is to do it. Then you can set it on a table and clean it, making sure to also vacuum out any hidden mess, like say the dead bugs that have accumulated inside the globe.

Run your air purifier. If you have an air purifier, give your cleaning efforts a boost by moving your air purifier into the area you just cleaned and running it for about 30 minutes to an hour. Any of those dust particles you may have kicked up and missed will be cleared away.

Now that that’s done, there’s just one more thing to do: Enjoy the reward of cleaner air. 

• Sign up for email updates
• Visit the 2022 Spring Cleaning Cure page and follow along with the daily assignments
• Join the Apartment Therapy Cure Facebook group