Spring is my favorite time of year. Why? Because the flowers are blooming, the days are getting longer, and I’ve got the motivation to clean up. Since cleaning can feel like a task that can be hard to tackle, I like to have a plan in place. Which is why I’ve compiled some of the best spring cleaning tips for spring cleaning that are guaranteed to make your home sparkle from head to toe. In this article you are going to learn 8 easy Spring cleaning tips you can use today to get your home nice and clean.
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8 Spring Cleaning Tips
Create a checklist and schedule
First, you’ll want to create a checklist and schedule. If you’re anything like me and have a difficult time getting started when it comes to cleaning, this step is essential. Create a list of all the areas you want to clean (don’t forget places like your oven or baseboards), then devise a system for organizing these tasks that works for you. You may decide to prioritize your list by importance and urgency, or by which areas will be the easiest to clean. Whatever method works best!
Here’s an example of what I did:
- Living Room
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Bathroom (sink/tub/shower)
- Bathroom (floor, toilet)
- Floors throughout house
- Baseboards
Then I made a schedule using my calendar app (phone or tablet). This way I had set times that I would complete certain tasks each day so they’d get done without slipping through the cracks.
Declutter your home
After creating a schedule, I like to look around my home and get rid of a bunch of stuff. And I’m not talking about organizing a junk drawer. I’m talking about really decluttering and getting rid of things that I don’t use or need. You see, the more stuff you have out and in plain sight, the harder it is to focus and feel peaceful in your space. According to Kristin Miller, clutter (physical, mental, and emotional) can make it difficult to think properly, leading to tension and exhaustion. So take some time sorting through all your belongings, with a plan to toss, donate, recycle or sell everything that doesn’t fit into one of these categories:
- Things you love and use regularly
- Things that are broken that you are planning on fixing
- Things that belong somewhere else
Clean bit by bit
One of my favorite Spring cleaning tips I find helpful is to break up the chore of cleaning your home into smaller, more manageable sizes. If you devote an hour or two each day to a different room, you’ll have the entire place spotless in no time—and you won’t have had to spend half a day just doing one room.
Don’t feel like you have to be perfect. It’s OK if some rooms will require more than one hour of work. And don’t feel like you have to tackle everything yourself either: it’s totally fine to ask family members and friends for help with certain aspects of Spring cleaning (especially those that may be unpleasant).
Make sure your cleaning products are not hazardous to your health
Please remember to put your health first, regardless of any Spring cleaning tips I give you. It’s easy to forget that cleaning products can pose a risk to your health. I’m not suggesting that you should be terrified of scrubbing your baseboards, but it’s important to put some thought into what chemicals you’re using on a regular basis. If you’re concerned about the ingredients in your cleaning supplies, look for products that are non-toxic, natural and environmentally friendly. A good rule of thumb is to scan the label for any harsh sounding words—if they sound dangerous, they probably are!
Another tip: use a mask while cleaning. This is especially important if you’re mixing up some vinegar to clean your countertops or taking out the bleach when scrubbing the toilet bowl. While many people like opening their windows before they spring clean in order to air out their homes, breathing fumes from cleaners is still something that needs to be done with caution—better safe than sorry! Finally, make sure you store your cleaning products away from food items and make sure children understand that these chemicals are not toys!
Clean with baking soda and vinegar
There are a few reasons why baking soda and vinegar are the most effective natural cleaning products. First and foremost, they’re inexpensive and easy to find at any grocery store. Moreover, baking soda and vinegar (especially when combined in a solution) are nontoxic, biodegradable green cleaning products that get the job done without harming anything but bacteria and dirt. And finally, because these ingredients have myriad uses—they can be used as deodorizers, clothes whiteners, drain openers, surface cleaners—they are essentially everything you need for Spring cleaning in one place.
Use microfiber clothes for cleaning mirrors and glass surfaces
Microfiber cloths are a key item in your Spring cleaning kit. They’re super easy to find and much more effective than paper towels!
As you probably know if you’ve used one of these items, microfiber is softer than it looks and can help you clean any surface without scratching it. In addition to being gentler on the surfaces in your home, they’re also better at picking up dirt and dust than paper towels. If your microfiber cloths get grimy from all that cleaning, throw them into the washing machine on a regular cycle with warm water.
If you want to take things one step further, consider using eco-friendly window cleaner for glass surfaces that need some extra shine—you’ll be rewarded with streak-less windows in no time!
In fact, there are several other ways to use microfiber cloths around the house to make spring cleaning easier:
- Dry mopping hard floors instead of using a broom (microfiber picks up dust better than bristles)
- Cleaning stainless steel or chrome appliances (no streaks!)
- Polishing wood furniture (after dusting)
Clean and organize your fridge
Perhaps the biggest task you’ll tackle in your Spring cleaning is organizing your fridge. While it may be a chore, it’s a necessary one: Nothing will gross out your dinner guests faster than a moldy strawberry that’s been hiding under the ice tray for a month.
To start, pull everything out of the fridge and make sure you’re throwing out anything that’s expired or has gone bad (yes, it happens). From there, make sure you are storing raw meat and vegetables on the bottom shelf to prevent any dripping from contaminating other foods.
Put things like milk and eggs in their designated compartments for easier access later on. Put condiments together in an easy-to-reach drawer so they won’t get lost at the back of the fridge. When you’re done with all that, make sure your refrigerator is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit—this is ideal to ensure food safety and freshness.
Leave no surface untouched
The key to having a truly clean home is leaving no surface untouched. Here are some ideas for areas you might have forgotten about:
- Wipe down the baseboards and moldings
- Clean the ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Dust the crown molding and picture rails
- Clean the windowsills, blinds, curtains, or shades
- Wash the windows themselves (both inside and out!)
- Wash all doors (especially if you’re in a dusty area)
- Clean your walls (for more on that, read our article here)
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading 8 Easy Spring Cleaning Tips for a Beautiful Home! Cleaning isn’t always fun but I hope by providing you with actionable Spring cleaning tips, it’ll make cleaning easier for you. Spring cleaning improves the health of both your home and its inhabitants, which in turn has been shown to reduce stress levels. And, of course, a spotless house (or apartment!) just feels better.
