Spring is in the air, which means it's time to open up your windows and smell the...dust ? Here are 21 tips to help kickstart your cleaning that will have you smelling roses in no time.
1. Load up your dishwasher (not with dishes). Don't overlook the convenience of this hardworking appliance. It can clean unusual things like removable cup holders, plastic toys, toothbrush holders or even sponges. Just choose a gentle cycle and skip the heated drying.
2. Wait for a cloudy day to clean your windows so the sunshine won't dry your window cleaner before you can wipe it off. This tip will also help you minimize those ugly window streaks as well.
3. On the other side of the spectrum, wait for a sunny day to do all of your dusting. Natural light illuminates dust particles, making them much easier to see and clean.
4. It's time to whip out the shop-vac, or at least head over to the car wash. Vacuum out all of those tiny rocks and salt particles that have been sitting dormant on your car mats basically the entire winter season. Might as well clean your windows and dust your dashboard while you're at it.
5. Rearranging the living room after (finally) putting away all of the holiday decorations? Get rid of carpet dents with one simple step: spritz water all over the dented area, use a blowdryer on the hottest setting to help the wool and nylon in the carpet rebound, then fluff the carpet and you're done!
6. Rid your heating ducts and air conditioning vents of the dust that is circulating all throughout your home. Grab an old toothbrush or even some q-tips to get the job done.
7. Help your broom help you (yes, you read that correctly), clean the bristles of your broom that are filled with dust and debris. Just swish the broom head around in some soapy water or just vacuum it with a handheld attachment. There you go, you have officially cleaned your cleaning tool.
8. Don't forget to de-lint the dryer, according to national fire protection association more than 10,000 home fires begin in laundry rooms. Make it a habit to remove your fuzz after every single wash, because it's better to be safe than sorry.
9. Accidentally used your favorite cutting board to chop blackberries or strawberries? De-stain your cutting boards with a little bit of lemon and baking soda. Just rub all over and say "stains be gone"!
10. Make this the year of getting rid of plastic bags. Invest in a couple nice reusable grocery bags and store them somewhere in sight...because the worst thing is making an effort to buy reusable bags but forgetting to bring them inside the store.
11. Wash everything on your bed. Though this should probably be happening more than just in the spring, it's a good reminder that things like your pillow cases should be washed on a regular basis, especially if you have issues with oily skin.
12. Banish those "corner crumbs" in your kitchen counters by blowing on the crumbs with a straw and wiping up what you can get out. Though, sometimes you just have to become at ease with the fact that crumbs are inevitably going to stick in every kitchen crevice.
13. Don't forget to switch out your sheets and blankets from your heavy fleece and throws to lighter fabrics that will be much more suitable for the warmer weather.
14. Get rid of the holiday decorations that you kept in storage all season, I promise you that you aren't going to reuse those intricate string lights after realizing how much damn work it is to install those things from the roof.
15. Along with the same theme, do a deep clean in the cabinets...getting rid of items that have no emotional value to you whatsoever. This could be things like magazines, unused hangers, or extra throw pillows.
16. Deep clean closets and dresser drawers by tossing any clothes you didn't wear the previous winter season, because odds are if you didn't wear the sweater Aunt Suzy knitted for you this year, you won't wear it in years to come either.
17. Prep your patio furniture for the warm weather approaching. To do this, add a squirt of dish detergent to a bowl of warm water, then wipe down tables and chairs. Finish it off with a spray of water from the garden hose.
18. If you have vinyl siding on your home, spring is the best time to power wash. Over the winter seasons, dirt and grime build up under the flaps, so by taking a quick trip around your home with a power washer, your siding will instantly go from drab to fab.
19. Your grass has probably seen better days than after the winter months. Take a weekend to give your grass the full treatment. For full revitalization, we suggest to aerate the soil, get rid of dead grass and then add seeds and nutrients to bring your grass back to life in no time.
20. New seasons call for new purses...right? Okay maybe this is just another one of my excuses to go shopping. But in reality, no matter if your switching purses or not, decluttering your purse from bacteria and junk is always a good idea no matter what season it is.
21. Sometimes they are hard to reach, but necessary to clean: were talking about the blades of your ceiling fans. Find a ladder or a tall person to spray the blades with some furniture polish and with one swipe of a dust rag your ceiling fans are clean!
Now it's time to sit, reflect and just remind yourself how happy you are that your home is clean and it's finally spring.