10 Spring Cleaning Tips

10 Spring Cleaning Tips

The term spring cleaning is a bit outdated since cleaning is important for your family’s health year-round. But while you maintain overall cleanliness throughout the year, it’s a good idea to give your home a good scrubbing and to spend some time de-cluttering at least once a year. Here are ten tips to get you started:

• Work smarter, not harder: Multitasking is key for every big job. Start a load of laundry while you scrub the shower. Or apply carpet cleaner and it let it soak while you clean out your pantry. You’ll be surprised how much faster the chores get done this way.
• Clean in layers: You don’t have to dress in layers anymore, but it still helps to clean in layers. Work from top to bottom. Dust cabinets and shelves, scrub countertops and then do the floors. This prevents you from having to redo lower tasks if they get dirtied by residue from higher tasks. It may also help to work room by room, which gives a satisfying sense of accomplishment as each room is completed.
• Everything including the kitchen sink: The average kitchen sink contains more bacteria than your toilet seat! And that’s where you prepare food. If you prefer not to use harsh commercial cleaners, scrub your sink with soap and water, then spray a mist of white vinegar and then a mist of hydrogen peroxide for a more natural disinfectant. Don’t forget the disposal! Grind up some lemon wedges, salt and ice cubes to clear away residue and remove odors.
• Scrub-a-dub in the…shower: To prevent hard water buildup from clouding glass shower doors, use Rain-X auto glass products twice a year, which causes water to bead up and roll right down. Or, if you prefer a natural method, rub in a teaspoon of lemon oil twice a month for a similar effect. Icky shower curtain? If it’s cloth you can toss it in the washing machine with a few towels.
• Live clutter-free: Now is the perfect time to de-clutter your home. Donate any clothing that you haven’t worn in a year. Bonus: that makes room for new clothing! Clear away the piles of “important” papers and mail that you’ve been meaning to deal with. Throw out expired/old food, medicine, cleaners, paints etc.
• But prepare for future clutter: Let’s face it, clutter will always happen. To get a better handle on it for next year, create a lost and found bin. This is where you can drop stray buttons, brochures, game pieces and various other odds and ends. Keeping the clutter in one place keeps your home tidier all year.
• Sweep away your problems: Choosing the right broom makes the task easier. A broom with soft, fine bristles is better for indoor jobs where it must collect dust and other small particles on hardwood or tile. A broom with coarse, stiff bristles is better for outdoor jobs where it must collect dead leaves and other larger objects on porous surfaces.
• Stick to it: Ever lose the TV remote or a game controller? Use Velcro to attach controllers to their console and TV remotes to the coffee table. This eliminates the element of searching.
• Dusting and sneezing: With pollen filling the springtime air, many people succumb to allergies and sneezing. Keep your home free of allergens with regular dusting of surfaces and air vents. Remember to change your air filters at least every six months.
• Freshen up the dishwasher: Dishwashers can get dingy over time and if you start seeing water spots on your clean dishes, it’s time to clean out the dishwasher. There are a number of commercially sold dishwasher cleaners, but there’s a natural method as well. Run the dishwasher though a hot cycle with nothing but a measuring cup full of white vinegar and a cupful of baking soda at the bottom of the tub. This cuts through the grime and eliminates odors for fresh dishes.