With spring just around the corner, now is the time to start making plans to clear your home of the stuffiness that is inevitable after a long winter. Once those daytime temperatures are warm enough to open the windows and let in a bit of fresh air, you can start to think about other ways to give your home a bit of brilliance and sparkle to accompany the arrival of spring. Below, we outline a few of the top spring cleaning tips to help your home say goodbye to winter.
Make a Checklist
Trying to deep-clean a home that has housed a large family over the long months of winter can be a challenge. In some cases, it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of cleaning and decluttering that needs to be done. To stay organized and on track, start by making a brainstormed list of all the things you would like to get cleaned over the period of a couple of days or a long weekend. Instead of simply starting at the top of the list, rate each task by urgency, thus giving you a list of priorities to help you start where cleaning is most needed. This helpful spring cleaning checklist can also help you stay organized and on task.
Prioritize Healthy Indoor Air Quality
After having your home closed up for most of the winter, chances are that your interior air quality is less than ideal. Dust, particulate matter, allergens, molds, and potentially dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are likely floating around the air that you have been breathing. Opening up the windows is a good start, though people who are allergic might be sensitive to the pollen and other allergens that are common during springtime. To make a quick improvement to your indoor air quality, change out the air filters on your HVAC system. Also, when vacuuming, consider using a high-quality HEPA vacuum. This type of vacuum will be able to catch micro-particles that are negatively affecting your indoor air quality, including pet dander, allergens, and even some mold spores.
Use Green Cleaners
When deep cleaning your home, using heavily scented cleaners might give your home a fresh smell, which could be a welcome change from the smell of dirty socks emanating from your teenager’s bedroom. Unfortunately, many strong, chemical cleansers and sanitizers can also fill your home with VOCs that can lead to potentially serious respiratory health problems. Consider using environmentally friendly green cleaners that are made from natural ingredients. Better yet, make your own cleaning agents from combining white distilled vinegar, baking soda, and water. A simple steam cleaner is another great investment that can be used for cleaning everything from your microwave, tile floors, bathrooms, and even your outdoor patio. Steam cleaners rely on hot water vapor for deep cleansing, thus offering a completely natural and chemical-free cleaning solution.
Save Money on Concentrates
Walking through the cleaning aisle at your local grocery store will most likely reveal dozens of different products. It might seem that you’d have to invest a small fortune to purchase spray bottles of highly specialized cleaners that are supposedly best-suited for each individual room. Instead of buying one spray cleaner for your bathroom sink, one for your toilet, one for your windows, etc., purchasing concentrate can save you money and time. When deciding between concentrate vs. spray bottle cleaners, it is important to understand that most concentrated cleaners are less expensive and more effective on a variety of surfaces in the home. To name just one example, Branch Basics’ natural cleaner is a concentrated solution that can be used on windows, mirrors, in the laundry, on countertops, in the bathroom, and even as a foaming body soap.
Deep Clean the Bathroom
Every spring cleaning routine should focus special attention on the bathroom. Besides getting rid of unpleasant odors that might be caused by molds and mildews, cleaning up sinks, toilets, and showers can help to rejuvenate your bathroom area. Whinks Rust Remover can help you get rid of those unsightly stains in your sink, bathtub and toilet that might be caused by water with high iron content or low pH balance. This rust remover product will not only get rid of those unattractive stains, but can also be used for removing rust in pipes and septic systems as well.
Hire an Expert
Lastly, if you are working around the clock and your spring cleaning list only seems to continue to grow, consider hiring the help of dedicated cleaning professionals.
Spring cleaning is often a daunting task. These six simple tips can help you stay organized and get your house clean in a timely and efficient manner.
