6 On-the-Go Spring Cleaning Hacks

The first official day of spring is only days away, and your home is probably in serious need of refreshing after winter festivity traffic and months of shut windows and doors. 

 

Busy schedules and a never-ending to-do list will easily detour many of us from giving our abode the T.L.C. it really deserves. We think of spring cleaning as an activity you block out an entire day or even a weekend for, but you can break it up into small segments over a week’s time.

 

If your home has an overall dingy cast from dust, animal dander, and pollen from blooming flora from the outside, fret not! The trick is to multitask and choose only one or maybe two short tasks for each day of the week, depending on how much time you can free up. Try these quick and simple ideas for getting your home clean bit by bit:

 

Your curtains will gather dust and cobwebs plus insects, all of which will aggravate allergies or present further problems. On the day you do laundry, slip in the curtains for an extra load or two, making sure you can launder the material first. If you only have blinds, use a shop vac with a brush attachment to suck up the dust while you wait for your laundry to finish. If you can’t wash your curtain material, use an upholstery attachment to vacuum off the dust. 

 

Plan a dinner that can cook fairly unsupervised for about an hour. During that time, you can wipe down those dusty baseboards and molding. Simply use a damp (not wet) cloth to pick up dust and grime buildup. You may need a mild soapy water solution for door facings or areas around light switches.

 

Designate a day of the week to vacuum up pet hair or other debris on your furniture. Lift the cushions and pick up any leavings you find there. This may only take a half hour for an average amount of furniture.

 

Wipe down the handles with hot, soapy water since germy hands regularly come in contact with them. Scan over the contents for spoiled leftovers or food that you just won’t eat and dispose of them immediately. When you have more time, remove the contents of your refrigerator and wipe shelves and drawers clean. Place an open box of baking soda in the back of your refrigerator to ward off the halitosis that accompanies mixtures of cooked foods.

 

If you’ve emptied the trash and cleaned all the dishes but still wonder where the horrid smell is coming from, it’s probably the garbage disposal. A good eco-friendly way to quell those noxious odors is to put a few citrus wedges complete with peels into it and turn it on as you run water or run warm water into it with ½ cup baking soda. If the smell is coming from your sinks, use ¼ cup baking soda and ¼ cup pure vinegar and chase with warm water. This will help keep your pipes free from clogs that will smell up your kitchen.

 

To keep rooms smelling fresh and pleasant and avoid using chemical fragrances, get a spray bottle and fill it with water. Choose an essential oil that you like best and add a few drops of it to the water. Spray a light mist over furniture, rugs, carpets, and even linens.