Overlooked Spring Cleaning Tasks That Will Energize You And Your Home - Page 2

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Having a clean home isn’t just for show. While many of us frantically clean in the 20 minutes leading up to having house guests and only then, we should really consider how having a tidy home benefits us all day, every day. Studies have found many connections between the cleanliness of our living environments and our wellbeing. One study found that those who describe their home as being in disarray report higher levels of stress overall. Another study found that having a clean home might motivate us to do more physical activity, improving our heart health. All of that said, there has been a drop in Americans who say they plan on spring cleaning as compared to last year. And 10 percent of individuals in this survey reported that they never clean for spring.

COVID-19 has changed our relationship to cleanliness. While on the one hand, we’re obsessed with cleaning habits that can prevent the spread of the virus like sanitizing our hands often and running disinfectant wipes over surfaces regularly, on the other hand, we aren’t having many houseguests over, so we aren’t as concerned with the appearance of our places and the overall cleanliness of them. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be. Here are overlooked spring cleaning tips that will really make you and your home feel refreshed.

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Wash your reusable bags

Do you bring your own bags to the grocery store and farmer’s market? That’s excellent! You’re doing your part to save the environment, and you’re saving yourself a few bucks over time since you don’t need to pay for bags at the store. That being said, you take those bags and fill them with items that hundreds of grubby hands touched before you did. Think of how many people feel 15 avocados, just like you do, before picking one out. You take yours and put it in your washable bag. You do this with dozens of things every week. Now that bag has grime on it. Germs continue to pile onto new groceries you bring home. Check the label, and if you can put your reusable bag in the washing machine, do so. Otherwise, simply turn it inside out and wash it in the sink with soap and water, and let it air dry.

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Wash your shower curtains

The fact that anything in the shower gets dirty seems counterintuitive. All that happens in there involves soap and water. Aren’t you constantly cleaning the place? Well, unfortunately, you know that there is a thick buildup on your shower curtains. With all the product you use in the shower, and all of the humidity, this thick layer cakes onto the curtain. Fortunately, you can put vinyl and plastic shower curtains in the washing machine – just remove the grommet hooks. If you aren’t comfortable with this, take them outside, soap them up, and hose them off. You’ll feel extra clean bathing in a clean shower.

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Clear out the fridge

How often do you allow your refrigerator to be empty? You’re constantly cycling out some old food and cycling in new food. And no matter how good you are at putting things in Tupperware, foil, and plastic baggies, there somehow exists this sticky, slimy matter on the shelves and walls, and in the drawers. Take a half-hour to take every single item out of the fridge. While you’re at it, see if you still need to keep that four-year-old ketchup bottle or jar of pickles. Once it’s empty, wipe down every surface. A recommended cleanser that is safe to use in spaces that hold food is some baking soda.

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Vacuum your couch

Do you ever use those attachments that are holstered onto the back of your vacuum? Once you do, you’ll fall in love. They’re perfect for getting into the crevices of your couch. If your cushions are fully removable and their covers are removable and washable, throw the covers in the washing machine. While the cushions are off, use the long, thin, angled attachment on your vacuum cleaner and really get in the couch (pick up the pennies and bobby pins that fell down there first). There are crumbs, human hair, possible hair, lint, and dust that have been there for who knows how long. You’ll really feel like you have your life together if you do this task.

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Reach upper windows

If you have a multi-story home, there’s a chance that the outside of the windows on the top floors haven’t received much love. You can easily Windex the insides from within your home, but you need a ladder to get to the outsides. All that effort has led you to putting it off. Meanwhile, the windows are foggy. The light coming in has begun to look cloudy. You’re literally getting less light into those rooms because of the layer of grime on the outside of the windows. Invest in a power washer that reaches those, and fill it with window cleaner. Or, if you can do so safely, get a tall ladder, go up there, and clean the windows. Know that low levels of light in a home can increase the risk of depression, so this is an especially important step to take to make sure you don’t miss out on spring sunshine (which lasts longer).

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Clean children’s toys

Your children’s toys go through a lot. No matter how many times you pick them up and put them back in their bins and cubbies, they wind up back on the floor – where people put their feet, and where the dog scoots his butt. Your kids don’t wash their hands as much as you’d like, and they play with those toys with dirty fingers. They’re essentially infested at this point. Take plastic toys like Legos and put these in the dishwasher. Meanwhile, you can look at the tag on stuffed animals, and put those that can handle it in the washing machine.

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Clean out your purses

If they are soft, really turn them inside out. If they have soft inner pockets, turn these inside out, too. You’ll want to do this over a trash can because a lot of stuff will come out. Expired chapsticks, dried up, broken protein bars, old receipts, crumbs, dust, coins, and hair pins. It will feel really good to empty these out completely. Bags with water-resistant liners can be wiped down with Lysol wipes. For those that can’t be wiped down, stick the small attachment of your vacuum cleaner in there to suck up all of the particles.

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Wash off outdoor furniture

It’s hard to get motivated to wash off outdoor furniture because, well, it is outdoors. How clean can it stay? You know between the elements, pollen, sprinkler spray, and bird poop, they will continue to get dirty. So before even doing this task, order some weather-resistant, sturdy, strap-down furniture covers. These will motivate you to get these items clean. Now get to work on that outdoor furniture. Take Lysol wipes to finished wood furniture. Windex glass tabletops. Pressure wash plastic or fiberglass furniture. Clear out cobwebs. Once it looks nice and clean, you may actually want to sit out there.

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Clean out your car

Don’t forget your car! Your car is essentially your giant purse. You likely have old receipts from grocery store runs and gas stations in every compartment. You might have fast food napkins and empty plastic bottles everywhere. Maybe the center divider contains bags of nuts you kept on hand for times you needed protein in traffic, but they’re dissolved into dust now. You may even use your trunk to store things you can’t find another place for, like a beach umbrella or sleeping bag. But all of this makes your car a cluttered place that gives you anxiety. Clean the inside – take a vacuum to the upholstery – and then get busy cleaning the outside on your own, or pay someone at the car wash.

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Do one room at a time

The best way to feel like you’re actually making headway is to do one room at a time. If you do little by little on several rooms each day, you’ll wind up looking around and feeling like you made almost no progress, but worked hard. That can leave you feeling defeated. Commit to tackling one room, entirely, one day. Take a picture of the before and after, as witnessing that change will motivate you to move onto another room the next day, and then another, and then another until you’re finished. If your rooms are really out of control and doing a full home makeover one day isn’t possible, then do one corner a day.