Spring Cleaning Tips 2022


Spring is officially here so it's time to get some spring cleaning into gear! I love opening my windows in the springtime, because I can really only do that twice a year in spring and fall. Opening windows to circulate the air is the easiest way to freshen the air in your home. My mother was always big about having open windows at home, I don't know if that's a European thing? It ventilates your home and gets rid of stale air.  Since we're still in a panini, its even more important now to have fresh air circulating in your home when guests come over. 

I'm still working from home as I think many others are as well, so as we're still spending more time at home, nothing feels more satisfying than having a clean and organized home. Step one is to declutter, that's the biggest part of spring cleaning as you can't actually clean until everything is tided up. A disorganized home will only add to your stress levels. 

Limit your to do list to 3 items maximum, then you'll always feel successful as that list is doable. I've made a couple lists of things to toss:

List 1

List 2

I went through my shoe closet and decluttered out all the shoes I don't wear. Now I can really see what I have and shoes are easy to find. Then I also reorganized my kitchen junk drawer and found all kinds of things in there. I recommend to set a schedule to clean room by room to deep clean it. When you're done, treat yourself with some flowers. I love having fresh flowers in my home and buy them regularly. 

Replace your air conditioner filters and Brita filters if you haven't been diligent about it.  Wash your pillows. Disinfect your phone; I use a Phonesoap in addition to a lysol wipe. Have your dryer professionally cleaned. I do this every other year as dryers are the number one cause of house fires. What they do is vacuum all of the dust out of the pipes. 

I wanted to share my favorite cleaning supplies. 

First is White Distilled Vinegar which is a pantry staple. I add one cup to laundry to make my towels smell fresh. It can also be used as a glass cleaner, faucet cleaner, it removes soap scum and mildew from showers, you can soak a couple cups of it in the toilet to eliminate rings, it removes stains inside a microwave, and has many more uses. Everyone needs to have this at home. I go through a lot of bottles of it. 

Windows

The exterior of my windows get professionally cleaned twice a year, but I noticed since I started using candles that the interior of the windows were getting dirty. For the mesh screen, I take it out and wash in my shower twice a year when the exterior of my window is being cleaned. I decided to do a deep clean of my interior windows since I ordered new window blinds and wanted the windows to be sparkling clean when they arrive. I got cellular shades which have a honeycomb cell design that traps air in pockets that help with temperature control. 

Window Cleaning Microfiber  1 cleaning cloth + 1 polishing cloth.

A glass microfiber cleaning cloth has a flat weave so it won't hang on to debris and scratch the surface. First I spray the window with  Mrs. Meyer's Glass Cleaner, then I fold the cloth into quarters so I have 8 separate clean sides to use, then I wipe the window down in an S shape. 

My windows have a metal frame and depending on the weather outside, it will get condensation on it which can build up and lead to mold. Borax is an all-natural mineral, all-purpose household cleaner that removes soap scum, hard water deposits, and dirt. I apply it to the moldy surface of my window seal with a toothbrush, then wait 5 minutes and rinse clean. Afterwards I spray with a mold treatment spray. Mold Control is an EPA-registered formula that eliminates mold, mildew and musty odors and prevents mold regrowth leaving an invisible barrier. 


Bathroom

It's time to machine wash your shower curtain and change out the plastic liner. Clean your makeup brushes and toss out expired cosmetics. Put some drops of essential oil inside your toilet paper roll.

Sink Shroom I have one of those fancy waterfall faucets in my bathroom that would always clog with hair so I started using this sink drain strainer.  It has a chrome top and catch all the hair, but I do have to replace it every 6 months because of toothpaste buildup.

Zep Wall Cleaner Foam cleaner that is safe for painted walls that keeps your walls free of greasy fingerprints, dust and stains. I wear a face mask when using because the fumes are strong and since you're spraying the ceiling it does mist all around.

Scrub Daddy Power Paste   PowerPaste is effective with water alone, its biodegradable and non-toxic. Use it in conjunction with Scrub Mommy, a two-sided sponge that resists mold and odors. Use the FlexTexture side to scrub without scratching and the ResoFoam side to absorb liquids quickly and wipe surfaces dry.

Scrub Daddy Eraser Sponge A dual-sided scrubber specially formulated to last ten times longer than ordinary melamine erasers. One pad can tackle an entire house full of jobs like cleaning baseboards, door frames, handrails, white sneaker gums, and bathtubs.  No need to use any cleaning products. Much better than a magic eraser that disintegrates on you.

Kitchen

Remove hard water from the underside of your kitchen faucet. After scrubbing it, soak it in a bag of half parts white vinegar and half water. Put the liquid in a ziplock bag and tie it to your faucet and let it sit overnight. Change out your box of baking soda in the fridge 4x a year. Clean your stainless steel fridge with just some olive oil, all the streaks and smudges will disappear! Freezer Organization Hack 

Blueapple  Produce freshness saver balls extend the life of fruits and vegetables in the fridge by absorbing ethylene gas to keep produce fresher longer.

Trash can - To de-stink your kitchen trash can spray the interior with a mixture of water and a tablespoon of dish soap. Then toss in half a cup of baking soda and scrub inside with a sponge. Hose it down then dry with a towel. Then line the bottom of the can with a newspaper because it helps to keep odors at bay. Put 15 drops of peppermint or lavender essential oil on a cotton ball and place it at the bottom of your can. Replace every couple weeks. Your trash can should get a deep clean twice a year in the fall and spring, as no one wants to do that in the hot summer. If you use dryer sheets, you can put one at the bottom of your can as well. Another option is the Odorsorb Filter Kit  which is a natural charcoal for your trash can. 

Biokleen A natural, blend of live enzyme cultures in a foam spray that breakdown and absorb organic material. It's a more natural way to remove buildup and stinky odors. It melted away very stubborn grease from my white kitchen cabinets! People also use it for cat urine smell, diaper explosions and greasy stoves.  To use, spray liberally and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then wipe clean. It's life changer and reduces the amount of scrub time as the enzyme cleaner attacks and break down odors and grease.

Mrs. Meyer's Vinegar Gel No-Rinse Cleaner tackles hard-water stains and makes your stainless sink sparkle.

Angry Mama Just add vinegar and water then microwave for 7 minutes. Hot steam comes out of Steaming Mama's head to soften and release microwave dirt and stains for fast and easy cleaning. Cuts cleaning time in half as no one wants to use a dirty microwave, it's just gross! 

Dawn Powerwash 5X FASTER Grease Cleaning Power vs. Dawn Non-Concentrated. It has no scent and is incredible in cleaning dishes.

Zep Drain Defense  is a biodegradable enzyme based formula made up of bacterial strains that break down the minerals in your drain. After 3 days of treatment, my clog was gone! Now I make sure not put much food scraps/vegetable peels down the drain. I'm no longer using my garbage disposal as much.

Bissell PowerFresh 
 A steam mop with a washable microfiber pad that is hot enough to kill bacteria and refreshes floor tiles.

Easy-Off  I've always been told by professionals not to use the self-cleaning function on an oven. Easy-off is a low fume oven cleaner that cleans tough baked-on spills. Spray inside your stove, let it sit for awhile, then watch as everything easily just wipes off.

I could never get the grout around my kitchen floor tiles as clean as I would have liked. It wasn't until I bought this Grout Cleaner with Tile Brushes and got on my knees and scrubbed like crazy did the grout look perfect. Then I dried the floor with reusable Nano Towels which are a great alternative to paper towels.  


Dusting glove  picks up dust, pollen, pet hair, and more from places handheld dusters can’t reach. Slip it on to clean window blinds, cabinets, furniture legs, picture frames, and any other surface you can get your fingers on. The extralong fibers on the glove, 1000x finer than cotton, traps it all instead of pushing the dust around. I toss it in the laundry to refresh.


Related links:

6 Easy Ways to Declutter Your Home

Reorganizing My Kitchen and Taming Clutter

Closet Purge

Medicine Cabinet Makeover

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