Spring Cleaning: Linens, Curtains & Spiritual Lessons

Allison Weeks
May 4
11 min read

JUMP TO RESOURCES

Today, we are continuing to spring clean our way through the home with the top-down approach. We’ve covered ceilings and overhead things and all of the hard vertical surfaces, including windows, doors and walls. This week, we will tackle the soft surfaces-primarily window coverings and linens. We will save upholstery for next week when we discuss furniture and rugs for the final week when we look at all things on the floor.

I’ve said throughout this series, the way you structure your spring cleaning is going to depend upon your schedule and how you prefer to work. That is, you might take one room at a time and working from top to bottom, clean the ceiling, then the walls/windows and doors, the linens and window coverings, the furniture then the floor and be completed done with that room before moving on to the next room. Or you might tackle all the ceilings in the house one day, then the vertical surfaces the next, then window coverings and linens, etc. My desire is to give you the basic steps and helpful tips for the process as a whole and then you get to decide how you will implement it in your seasonal cleaning. Just make sure that you employ the top-down method as much as possible to avoid more cleaning than is necessary.

In this Monday Motivation I want to start with linens, the move on to window coverings and finally share with you a little spiritual lesson I learned from neglecting my window coverings for nearly a decade.

SPRING CLEANING HOUSEHOLD LINENS

Household linens include sheets, comforters/quilts or duvets, pillows, blankets and throws, pet bedding and towels (bath and kitchen). You could also throw in table linens, such as table cloths and cloth napkins, to this process if you use them often.

All linens should be in a regular laundry rotation. Check online for recommendations on how often you should be washing each type of item. But for seasonal cleaning, you may need to give your linens a little extra TLC.

First, check their condition. Is it time to replace some things or do they just need deeper cleaning, such as laundry stripping, to remove built up body oils, detergents and stains? There are tons of articles and videos online to explain laundry stripping, so I won’t go into that here. Just know that it is a labor intensive process and will require extra time added to your seasonal cleaning schedule. Some laundry service companies might offer stripping for a reasonable fee. This may be worth the splurge, especially if you’ve invested in high quality linens and or you lack the time, space, or tools to do it yourself.

BEDDING

Let’s tackle the bed first. Strip the bed down to the mattress and using the upholstery brush of your vacuum cleaner, thoroughly vacuum the mattress on all sides. If you have an upholstered headboard, go a head and vacuum that as well. Now is also the time to deal with stains on the mattress. Spot cleaning with a damp cloth is safe for most mattress, just be sure it is completely dry before you put any bedding back on and consider using a breathable protective mattress cover to avoid stains in the future. Oh, and don’t forget to rotate your mattress…that is, take the end currently at the foot of the bed and put it at the top. If you have a two sided mattress—that is, there’s no pillow top, but it’s the same on both sides- rotate it and flip it over. All this flipping and rotating helps extend the life of your mattress by preventing lumps and valleys that form when you sleep in the exact same spot for years at a time.

For the outer layer---comforters, quilts, duvets, etc.---you will want to assess their condition to decide if they have reached the end of their life in your home, but also, check for stains and spots that need mending. These items tend to be more expensive, so you want to use them for as long as possible. Or they may hold sentimental value. Getting rid of Granny’s heirloom quilt that covers your daughter’s bed is simply not an option. But is it still functional as a bed cover or does it need to retire to a wall hanging or other form or artistic display? Once you’ve assessed the condition and it passes the test, launder each item according to the instructions on the tag.

SEASONAL LINEN STORAGE

Many people change their bed covers with the seasons with a heavier quilt for fall and winter, and a lighter cover for spring and summer, and even flannel sheets for colder months and cotton for warmer. If this is you, go ahead and change those out now, be sure to wash and dry the outgoing sheets and or covers thoroughly before storing them away in a breathable linen bag or storage box. It’s also a good idea to put sheets of tissue paper in between the layers of the folded linens so they don’t get creases while in storage until next season. A little sachet or a couple of dryer sheets also help to keep them smelling fresh.

If you are pulling warm weather bed linens out of storage and they are less than fresh, you may also want to give them a fresh launder or at a minimum air them outside on a clothes line for an hour or so before putting them on the bed. While they are airing out or being washed you can vacuum and clean the mattress as discussed above.

CLEANING PILLOWS

You’ve cleaned the mattress, the sheets and the comforter or quilt. Now let's talk pillows. Technically these are part of soft furnishings in the home, but we are grouping them with linens today. Inspect your pillows the same as your sheets and covers. Are they looking lumpy, stained and a little worse for wear? It may be time for new pillows. If they look pretty good, they still need to be cleaned at least twice per year to remove allergens, sweat, skin cells and bacteria. You may want to wash them quarterly if you have sweaty sleepers, kids or pets.

Most pillows made of poly-fill or down are machine washable, typically warm for poly and cold for down, just check the label on your specific pillow. A good practice when machine washing pillows is to wash 2 at a time so the machine doesn’t become unbalanced in the spin cycle. Poly fill pillows can go in the dryer on low, but down filled pillows should be air dried. Make sure pillows are fully dry before you put pillowcases back on, to avoid mold. A zippered protective pillow cover under the pillow case will extend the life of you pillows.

For throw or decorative pillows, follow the directions on the tag for cleaning. A note about memory foam…these cannot be machine washed, usually only spot cleaned. Consider that next time you are in the market for new pillows. Personally, I want to be able to throw mine in the washing machine. And speaking of washing machines, most of these bedding items are very bulky. Might I suggest you take all of your bed coverings and pillows to a laundromat where you can easily fit them into their large capacity machines? Most laundromats will have at least 2 or 3 of these industrial sized machines, so you could really knock this job out fairly quickly.

Congratulations, your bed is fresh and clean! Expect to have an excellent night’s sleep!Let’s move on to towels, shall we?

SPRING REFRESH FOR TOWELS

Again, the first thing you will do is assess the state of your towels—all the different sized bath towels and all of your kitchen towels—are they frayed, full of holes, or stained? Do they still absorb moisture pretty well, or do they just push liquid around? Do they still smell fresh, even when wet, or do they have that musty, sour smell?

They might be revived by stripping or it might be time for them to go. If it’s time for new towels, save a couple of the old ones to make cleaning rags if you want, and give the rest to your local animal shelter. They are always in need of towels.

Take great care of your towels on regular basis by washing them after every 2-3 uses. Resist the urge to use fabric softener on your bath towels. It leaves a residue on fibers to which body oils and dirt love to cling. This residue builds up over time, reducing your towels’ softness and absorbency, and can’t really be removed except by laundry stripping. While we are in the bathroom, go ahead and wash your shower curtain. If the liner is washable, then wash it, if not, it’s probably time for a new one.

If you have pets, assess and wash their bedding. Mend or replace as needed.

CURTAINS COLLECT DIRT, TOO

Now we are ready for the window coverings. Blinds and shutters should be cleaned when you clean the window. Dust them with a duster or the vacuum hose and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Shades should be cleaned according to manufacturers instructions. Vinyl or plastic shades usually just need a wipe down with a damp cloth and left extended to air dry. Fabric shades are usually a permanent installation, so you can’t just take them down and throw them in the wash. Gently remove dust with your vacuum hose and a soft brush attachment.

Curtains and sheers will need to be taken down and either dry cleaned or washed and dried according to manufacturer’s directions. Keep in mind that laundering might cause them to shrink, depending on the fabric, so follow the washing instructions carefully. You may not think that your curtains are dirty, but, I promise, if they’ve been up for more than year, they need a wash or at least a vacuum.

TAKE CARE OF LINENS SO THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU

You ask a lot of your linens. They keep you cozy every night, they wash and dry your skin and your dishes. They are an integral part of your daily homemaking. They might look ok at a glance, but they are quietly collecting dirt, oils and bacteria while they serve you day in and day out. You’ve just become blind to the dirt. You don’t notice the build up until your towels become scratchy and the light from the window is dimmed by the dingy curtains left hanging there for years. Not that I know anything about that. Enjoy the following story from an April 2025 newsletter and take care of your linens, so they can continue to take care of you.

Spring Homemaking; Dirt Hiding in Plain Sight

While on a podcast break last month, my husband and I did several home projects. One of those forced me to deal with a much neglected homemaking task; cleaning window coverings. Specifically, the ceiling to floor-length drapes and sheers in our dining room. The window wall was damaged and the drapes had to come down for the repair. Since they had been up there for EIGHT YEARS, I figured this was probably a good time to give them a wash.

The drapes themselves are made of a heavy gray linen with a lining. They require dry cleaning, so I dutifully sent them out. The sheers are an inexpensive poly-blend which can be machine washed. I carried them from the dimly lit dining room into the bright fluorescent lights of the laundry room and I gasped. Those cream-colored sheers did not seem altered in the least as they hung in the large dining room windows. However, in the glaring light of the laundry room, they were not, in fact, cream-colored. They were a dingy, dirty, sooty gray.

Upon reflection I can now see three factors contributing to this disgusting transformation. First, and most obvious, is the fact that I left them up there for years without cleaning. Second, our windows are rather drafty. Small bits of dust and dirt can easily seep in and settle on the curtains. Also, the air vent for that room is just above the window, blowing towards it, providing another steady source of fine dust to settle on the curtains. Lastly, this room is used for dining, generally at night, with low lighting. I don’t really have a reason to visit the room during bright daylight hours. The “out of sight, out of mind” rule certainly applies here.

As I looked down at these filthy curtains, I formulated a plan for restoring them from dark to light. I knew that I would first have to give each panel a good rinse in the sink to remove some of the grime. If I just threw them all in the washer, the water would be quickly contaminated and they likely wouldn’t be any cleaner at then end of the cycle. So, one at a time, I gathered the panels into the utility sink and began to pre-rinse them.

The clean, clear water instantly turned black and continued to do so, rinse after rinse after rinse.

It took multiple rinses and several soakings of each panel before the water ran relatively clear. I could not believe that these curtains, which I passed by every single day thinking they were white, were not white at all. My neglect, their surroundings, and the lack of light all contributed to this buildup of dirt hiding in plain sight. It occurred a little at a time, over a long period of time and I was blind to the alteration. I simply didn’t notice the change until it was revealed by the light.

A SPIRITUAL CLEANING LESSON

The Lord so often uses visual representations like this to teach me spiritual lessons. How could I not see that much dirt?! Because it was subtle; appearing gradually, not suddenly. If someone had splashed a glass of red wine onto the curtains, I would have noticed and attended to that right away. But the level of filth I witnessed running down the sink drain was only able to build up because I neglected regular care and attention.

As the rinse water continued to run black, I thought of God’s cleansing of my soul. I have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11). Praise the Lord! I am a new creation in Christ. However, I still live in the world and in this fleshly body (the leaky window and air vent, if you will). So, while Jesus’ blood has washed me white as snow, I still must contend with the temptation of sin around me and in my flesh. I must regularly submit to God’s care and keeping of my being, lest the dirt build up and I become unrecognizable as one of His children.

But surely I would notice if a pattern of sin was forming in my life! I’m in Christ, so I would see the dirt, right? Yes, we have the capacity to see, but our vision can easily be distracted or diverted. From our limited perspective we can easily identify red-wine sins but we often miss or ignore dust particle sins. There are the obvious, easy to see stains that result from blatant sin; stealing, lying, drunkenness, cheating, etc. As believers we are generally quick to feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction over these, hopefully before we commit them. Like immediately addressing that wine stain, we experience Godly sorrow over them.

But then there is the more subtle dust and debris category of sin, including things like envy, laziness, gossip, anger, discontentment, unbelief or lack of trust in the Lord. These “respectable sins” creep in slowly, a little at a time, altering our spirits without us even noticing. But God notices. He sees our dirt “hiding in plain sight” and it’s His merciful desire to free us from this slow creep of sin. Though we live among all of this dirt, there is grace. We don’t have to allow the dirt to cling to us, building up and choking out abundant life, dimming the light of our witness to the beauty of Christ.

If you have trusted in Christ for salvation, you are His. Nothing will change that. Yet you have not only been saved fromsomething, you’ve been saved to something. He is making all things new, and that includes you (Isaiah 43:19, Romans 6:4, Revelation 21:5). He is constantly calling you further up and further in, to a better way of life; the True and Living Way (John 14:6, Hebrews 10:20).

Go to Him daily and allow Him to reveal the sin you’ve neglected to noticed. Prioritize regular time with Him above all else. His presence and His Word will, with kindness, illuminate your soul and all it’s dusty corners. He will not condemn you. He will gently lead you to repentance and restoration, washing away both the obvious stains and the subtle daily dirt (Romans 2:4, 1 John 1:9), setting your feet firmly on the way of abundant life for your good and His glory.

Also, you might want to clean your curtains.