10 Tips For Spring Cleaning
Spring is here, so that means it’s time for spring cleaning. Whether you dread this annual undertaking or relish the thought of giving your home a good deep-clean, spring cleaning is a must, especially for those who suffer from allergies.
Allergens build up over the winter months inside your home and the air is actually 5-10 times dirtier inside your house than it is outside. Millions of people find their allergies are exacerbated by the accumulation of dust inside their homes, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. You are already at the mercy of pollen season outside so a strong bout of spring cleaning will give you a refuge from the sniffles when you remain indoors.
Here’s a list of our top ten spring cleaning tips, including which neglected areas to tackle first and easy DIY methods using baking soda and white vinegar to improve the cleaning process. Bonus tip: make a “cleaning” playlist of some upbeat tunes that will keep you going while you scrub.
- Refrigerator Start by throwing out all expired food and condiments. Then, remove all shelving and racks and rinse those with soap and water. Sponge the entirety of the refrigerator including the outside, floor, wall, and ceiling. Repeat the process with your freezer.
- Windows Though you might clean the inside of your windows as part of your usual routine, now’s a great time to concentrate on the outside. Use a commercial product like Windex or mix together a simple solution of one part white vinegar, two parts water. Spritz the surface with the cleanser and using a lint-free towel (balled-up newspapers works too!), wipe down the windows and frames. Make sure to do this task on an overcast day so the sun won’t prematurely dry the cleaning solution.
- Dishwasher & Washing Machine Time to clean the machines that well, usually clean for you. For the dishwater, scrub the inside and remove all food build-up with a paper towel. Then throw a cup of white vinegar on the bottom and run a hot-wash You can also use white vinegar to clean your washer. First, set your washer to run using hot water with the largest load setting and add 3-4 cups of white vinegar to the water. Then add a ½ cup of baking soda and run again. Stop the washer and let the water sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Wipe down the inside with a cloth and drain.
- Cabinets Get rid of the grime and grease that has built up on your cabinets by applying cabinet cream or oil soap with a clean cloth and scrub hard.
- Ovens First, remove the racks. Then use steel wool to eradicate any gunk and loose pieces of old food. Mix together ½ cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Coat the inside of the oven with this mixture and leave overnight. After wiping with a clean cloth, spray the inside with white vinegar and wipe again.
- Carpets & Rugs For carpets, areas with less traffic only need to be cleaned once or twice a year, so now it is a good time to bring in the professionals for a thorough clean. Spot-clean rugs with a high-powered stain remover like Folex or a mixture of baking soda, water, white vinegar, and a little dish soap.
- Walls For painted walls, make a paste of baking soda and water and gently rub over stains. Rinse off with a clean cloth dipped in water and dry. For tiled walls, combine ½ cup baking soda with 2 gallons of water and use a string mop to apply the mixture to the walls.
- Closet Get rid of what you aren’t wearing. Be ruthless! If you haven’t worn an item of clothing in years, set it aside for donation. Dust the inside walls of your closet and clean off scuff marks with the Magic Eraser. Then reorganize your clothes by type and color.
- Bedding/Mattress Throw your comforter and pillows into the washing machine but be careful to read the manufacturers’ instructions first since some comforters and pillows must be dry-cleaned. Combine hydrogen peroxide, liquid dish soap, and baking soda into a spritz bottle. Spray onto stains in your mattress and spot-clean with a cloth.
- Bookshelves Bookshelves are infamous for their dust accumulation so clear your books off the shelves and polish the exposed surfaces. Dust each book individually and then organize them back on the shelves.
Stave off those pesky allergies and unleash your inner neat freak this spring.
