Spring cleaning is an activity that many people rush through just to check a box. Rather than routine chores, consider it a way to make your home clean for more guests this season. Here are some tips to help you clean places that are often overlooked, ensuring you get to every corner of your house.
Make a List
Image via Flickr by wuestenigel
Making a list of the places and things you want to clean in your house can help you prioritize your items. You might brainstorm what tools you might need to clean and how long you expect each task to take. A list can help you maintain an organized space when cleaning, and it can help you stay on task. Plus, each time you finish cleaning an item or area, having a visual reminder can motivate you to keep going.
Some commonly overlooked areas of the house you might add to your spring cleaning list include:
- Blinds and shades.
- Washers and dryers.
- Under-sink cabinets.
- The tops of cabinets.
- Heating and air conditioning vents.
Try New Cleaning Supplies
People often have the same old cleaning supplies lying around in their closets and standard paper towels and other materials. Alternative supplies can help you target specific areas, and they sometimes offer more environmentally friendly cleaning. For example, you can remove dust from surfaces using dryer sheets rather than using expensive dusters. Similarly, you might use coffee filters to wipe down surfaces, including your TVs, which you skip in a standard clean. If you want to use cloths, microfiber cloths can help you trap dust and clean surfaces.
You can also use other everyday household items to clean up different areas. Pillowcases are great for ceiling fans, another commonly forgotten area to clean, as you can wipe them off and keep any dust contained. Grapefruit can help you cut through soap scum when working through hard-to-clean messes, and microwaving lemon juice and vinegar can help you quickly freshen your microwave.
Use the Dishwasher for Overlooked Items
A dishwasher is excellent for keeping your plates, glasses, and silverware clean regularly, but you can also use it for spring cleaning. For instance, you might wash commonly neglected items in the dishwasher, such as vases, glass globes, and light covers. The dishwasher can give these items a shine while you’re changing lightbulbs and cleaning other parts of the house. This is also a great way to clean any plastic, dishwasher-safe toys if you have kids around.
When you’re done using the dishwasher for dirtier items, clean the dishwasher itself. First, run the empty dishwasher with hot water and a cup of vinegar on the top rack. After that, one more hot wash with baking soda distributed evenly around the appliance can make it feel brand new.
Don’t Forget Your Windows.
It’s often best to clean your windows on an overcast day when you can see the streaks more visibly. Sunlight can also cause windows to dry too quickly, leaving behind more streaks. You might take your windows out from the pane and dust or vacuum the screens to get them fresh. You can also dust the blinds and vacuum your curtains and drapes for clean window decor using dryer sheets.
Find New Angles
Since spring cleaning is usually a deeper clean than routine chores, you can explore what else might need to be tidied. Getting high and low can help you identify new areas of clutter or dirt that you might not have considered. You can stand on a chair to evaluate the tops of cabinets or move furniture around to estimate what else you might spend time on.
Deep Clean the Oven
Although you typically use your oven to cook food throughout the year, it can be easier to remember to clean your pans than the oven itself. You can clean the oven with a mixture of standard household items like baking soda, white vinegar, and water rather than harsh chemicals that can damage the interior or other parts of the oven. Spreading this mixture around the oven and then baking at 220 degrees for 45 minutes helps get some of the tough greases out. When the oven cools, you can wipe it down with a sponge.
Consider Making Donations
Spring cleaning often comes with getting rid of items around the house. Creating a donation pile is one way to feel less guilty about throwing things away, like gifts or other memorable items. Some experts recommend a five-bin method where you use containers for trash, recyclables, donations, resale items, and items for reorganization. This can help you stay organized and discard excess or unwanted items. Donations can also encourage you to declutter because you’re giving up your belongings for a good cause.
Clean Your Washing Machine and Trash Bins
Similar to the oven, cleaning your washing machine can be an overlooked task. This appliance keeps your clothes fresh, and a once-a-year refresh can help. You can simply run an empty load with bleach to clean the washer.
Even if you use trash bags, the garbage bin can also collect dirt over time. Cleaning your trash bins can help you avoid excessive grime or odors during your spring cleaning.
Take Preventative Measures
Taking preventative measures can help you protect those easy-to-forget spaces. For example, freezers can be a pain to clean, but lining them with wax paper after spring cleaning can help you easily remove any stuck-on food in the future. Even organizing items like spices, toys, books, and bathroom items, can help you manage your clutter throughout the year and make next year’s spring cleaning a little easier.
Have Fun
There are many ways to make spring cleaning more fun. Consider putting on an upbeat playlist and dance throughout your house as you clean and organize each room. To make your tasks more enjoyable, you can break them into smaller half-hour chunks to ease the burden.
These tips can help you feel more accomplished when spring cleaning your house this year. Once you look around and find that your house is ready for spring and summer company, you’ll feel a million times better. When you find your home clean, reward yourself by checking out the new inventory from Huffines Chevrolet Plano. Our certified professionals are ready to discuss financing options and trade-in values to help you find the right car for cruising this springtime.