Ready or not, spring is arriving. Whether it seems the Mother Nature is really cooperating or not, it’s time for spring church maintenance. Previously, we posted a general spring maintenance checklist that covers yard, landscaping, and parking lot maintenance in addition to the church building maintenance itself. Now, we’re expanding on the idea, adding more items to the checklist and suggesting that church cleaning and maintenance be made a communal affair by scheduling a spring-cleaning party.
Deep Cleaning as Part of Church Maintenance
One key to effective church maintenance is periodic deep cleaning. Your church building is a major investment and a good cleaning will help it stay in top shape and full functional order. A great way to ensure a good spring cleaning is to organize a volunteer spring cleaning day, weekend, or series of Saturdays depending on what will work best for your community.
While not all the items on these checklists will apply to your church building, they will be good inspiration for areas to look after. Make certain beforehand that you have enough supplies on hand for your volunteers. If you have a church leader who’s a particularly good organizer, she or he can send out lists of needed tools and invite volunteers to respond with what items they can bring. This will help keep the spring-cleaning costs to a minimum, which is always good stewardship.
Outdoor and Overall Cleaning Checklist
- Reserve a power washer ahead of time
- Clean and power wash patios and outdoor gathering places
- Clean and repair windows and screens
- Power wash the church building siding
- Clean out gutters.
- Check roof for debris that may have damaged flashings, plumbing vents, HVAC equipment during winter storms.
- Check outside lights and replace burnt-out bulbs with high-efficiency, outdoor bulbs
Attic and Basement Cleaning Checklist
- Check basement areas for damp floors or walls
- Check downspouts to make sure they have not pulled away from the drains after the winter or becomes clogged with debris.
- Clean and organize attic and basement storage spaces, making sure that no fire hazards have developed
Painting, Staining, and/or Refinishing Checklist
- Check caulked joints. Remove and replace caulking that has pulled away for the building
- Obtain paints, stains, brushes, tarps, covers, ladders, rollers, and handles ahead of time
- Stain or paint decks, porches, and gathering areas
- Paint, clean, and organize any garages and storage units
- Paint or stain all doors and exposed woodwork
- Paint the church building siding as needed
Indoor Cleaning Checklist
- Obtain the following supplies and tools: bathroom cleaners, kitchen cleaners, rags, sponges, rubber gloves, wood polishers, glass cleaners, wall-cleaning sponges, wall erasers, buckets, large garbage bags, brooms, dust pans, handheld and full-sized vacuums, kitchen shelf lining, and ladders
- Deep-clean restrooms
- Dust light fixtures and remove bugs
- Clean and polish church pews or clean and vacuum chairs
- Wipe down walls
- Clean and straighten any wall hangings
- Sanitize light switches, switch plates, and door handles (consider making this a more regular task during cold and flu seasons)
- Sanitize and organize nursery rooms and children’s areas
- Clean and organize offices and classrooms
- Wash windows and storm windows; clean blinds and curtains
- Clean furniture and repair where needed
- Remove clutter and clean all public areas
- Vacuum and/or scrub or mop floors
Spring cleaning can be a lot of work, but good fellowship and calling it a party helps the work go faster and seem more like fun. Organize a spring-cleaning event to preserve the life of your church building. If you’re looking for more tips and pointers on good stewardship of your church building and more, sign up for our upcoming free i3 webinars.