Spring time: trees are budding, birds are singing, flowers bloom.
It’s time to start freshening our homes… and that’s when the fun ends.
Or does it? I sheepishly admit that I haven’t done much spring cleaning in my time, but, this year may be different.
Why not roll up my sleeves and give the house a good going over?
1. Pace Yourself
Remember, you don’t have to clean you entire home in one day.
Take one hour (or 30 minutes) a day to clean.
Cleaning could become a small part of your daily routine.
There is joy to be found in consistent productivity. (Or see our hacks to clean your home in under an hour here)
2. Declutter
Before we get into the deep cleaning tips, it’s important we first learn the importance of clearing some space.
Clutter keeps our homes feeling messy, even after we straighten up.
That’s why cleaning a home can feel so overwhelming and endless.
Good news! There is a simple solution to managing the cleanliness of your home.
Get rid of clutter!
When you get rid of clutter, your home naturally becomes clean and satisfyingly functional. Give it a try.
Systematically go through your home; Pick up things and ask yourself this question: “Does this item add function to my life?”
If the answer is, “No,” then throw it away or donate it.
A clean home is a functional home.
Once you clear some space, your home will feel open and inviting.
And you will discover that your decluttered home is much easier to clean.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
3. Begin in the Least-Used Room First
By starting with this room first, your whole house will get the thorough cleaning you have set out to do.
If you start somewhere else, you may run out of steam.
You are more likely to give yourself a pass from cleaning some rooms because “no one ever goes in there anyways.”
4. Work From the Top Down
That means get the cobwebs off the ceiling before you sweep the floor. My mom used to have an actual cobweb cleaner.
5. Start with the Thing you Hate Most to Clean
This is to give you a psychological advantage.
If you start with what you hate to clean first, you’ll get it done and won’t wimp out.
6. Start in the Corner
After getting the cobwebs down from the entire room, you start in one corner and work around the room.
This would be the corner where the thing you hate to clean is.
7. Clean Every Surface
That means walls, picture frames, knick-knacks, desks, computers and on and on. If it has a surface, it can accumulate dirt and dust.
Therefore, it is part of your mission to make it sparkle.
When you clean surfaces, it is helpful to have cleaning wipes.
Use these to clean and disinfect those surfaces.
8. Move the Furniture
By moving the furniture you can vacuum little touched areas that have accumulated much debris.
You’ll be amazed at what you find when you move your furniture away from the wall!
These will help you slide your furniture easier on all surfaces.
9. Vacuum Your Way out of a Room
If you have worked hard to clean the room, you want to enjoy the finished product.
Start at the farthest end of the room and vacuum backwards until you have gotten over the threshold.
Carpet that is freshly vacuumed and untouched by footsteps gives you a real sense of satisfaction.
Whether you have a pet or not, the pet hair attachments will achieve a deeper clean.
10. Dusting Hacks
When my mother had her cleaning business, microfiber cleaning products were not a thing. However, you might want to consider microfiber dusting slippers.
11. Kitchen Cleaning Hack
To clean out your drain, use 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar and boiling water.
Pour baking soda into the drain, followed by vinegar.
Let it bubble for several minutes. Follow up with boiling water.
Dollar Tree is a great place to get inexpensive cleaning supplies. You can create an account, order online and have your items shipped free to your local Dollar Tree store.
Use Bar Keepers Friend brand cleanser for cleaning stainless steel or porcelain sinks. It is also good for counters.
Be sure to clean the window sill by sink and wash the window using Windex.
12. Stove Top Cleaning Hack
Have an electric stove top? Did you know you can lift up the top to clean the drip pan and burners?
Try it now. Just lift it up.
13. Microwave Cleaning Hack
Wet a cloth and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
The rag will be hot so be careful, but use the cloth to clean the microwave out.
The moisture will make it easier to clean.
14. Natural Glass Cleaner Hack
Windex is a popular glass cleaner, however, you can make your own cleaner if you prefer to avoid chemicals.
When cleaning windows, you can use your cleaning cloths, paper towels or a squeegee (this works great if you have glass shower doors).
15. Bathroom Cleaning Hack
Clean the mirror first, then move everything off the counter and clean the surface with clorox wipes or comet cleaner.
Shine the faucet of the sink. Make sure to get the back of the faucet, an area that is often neglected.
16. Bathtub Cleaning Hack
Use a crevice cleaner to get into the edges where the tile and tub meet. Use it to help clean out the grout.
17. Shower Cleaning Hack
Keep ahead of cleaning by wiping down your shower/bathtub after each time you use it. Use the crevice cleaner to get the edges.
Make sure to clean the faucet and knobs, too.
18. Showerhead Cleaning Hack
Have you noticed your showerhead getting a little crusty? What you are seeing are likely mineral or lime deposits from the water.
Watch this video for an easy solution to clean your showerhead and get the water flow back to normal.
19. Toilet Cleaning Hack
Nobody wants to do this, but it is important.
- Work from the back to front and top to bottom of the toilet. Make sure to wipe down the back of the toilet, then the lid, sides, handle and front of the tank. Use Clorox to spray all the areas, including inside and outside of the bowl and seat. Wipe down the porcelain behind the seat. Make sure to get all the little crevices clean, too.
- Inside the bowl you’ll want to clean under the rim first, so the debris can fall into the water. You can use a toilet brush for the bowl, but to get it really clean, using your hands works best for the rim. Flush the toilet and then spray again with the cleaner. Use the toilet brush to clean the bowl as far into the bowl as possible. Then flush the toilet again, rinsing the brush as the water flows.
- Use the toilet cleaner and spray the receptacle for the toilet brush and use the brush to clean out the inside of it. Pour the dirty water into the toilet and flush one last time, again rinsing the brush in the water flow.
20. Laundry Hacks
One thing I do is to rub a little Dawn dish detergent whenever my husband gets grease on his shirt.
Dawn is great for cutting grease.
21. Cleaning Starter Kit
Whether you choose to go old school and do a deep clean or just address those areas needing attention, I hope these hacks helped.
Here are my mom’s recommendations to build a thorough cleaning kit for spring and every other season:
Essential Must-Have Cleaning Items
- Cleaning cloths or paper towels
- Broom
- Libman Wonder Mop
- Vacuum cleaner
- Cordless, handheld vacuum
- Toilet brush
- Windex
- Dusting spray
- Furniture polish
- Comet
- Crevice cleaner
- Cobweb cleaner
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
