As the weather gets warmer, homeowners around the country turn their attention toward spring cleaning. It’s a chance to freshen up your space, a process that can be quite invigorating once it’s done.
The trick is, spring cleaning can be a real chore. Luckily, with a few spring cleaning hacks at your fingertips, you can make it much more manageable. If you want to tackle your spring clean checklist faster than ever before, here are some spring cleaning tips that can help.
12 Spring Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Home Sparkle
1. Find a Multipurpose Cleaning Product You Adore
If you’re looking for spring cleaning hacks that are all about efficiency, finding a multipurpose cleaner that you adore is likely the most important. When you have an amazing all-purpose cleaner, you don’t have to switch products to handle different tasks. Plus, you don’t have to worry about whether it’s safe to use two or more cleaners in the same area since you’ll be using just one.
For some people, a traditional cleaning product is going to fit the bill. However, if you’re concerned about chemicals, you usually can’t go wrong with a simple white vinegar and water mixture.
Just be aware that white vinegar shouldn’t be used on stone surfaces – like granite or marble countertops – because it can dull the surface. The same goes for natural wood floors and furniture.
2. Steam Your Microwave Before Cleaning
If you need to get stuck-on food off of your microwave interior, you can make the job easier with the help of some steam. Place a small dish of water, vinegar, and lemon juice inside. Next, run the microwave for two minutes.
After that, carefully remove the bowl. Then, use a soft cloth to wipe down the inside of the microwave. In the end, you’ll typically end up with a spotless microwave interior that also smells fresh, making it the perfect approach.
3. Start at the Top
If you are giving your home a thorough once over, one of the most important spring cleaning tips is to start at the top. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, picture rails, and even tall shelving units can get incredibly dusty, especially since they aren’t cleaned as often as many other home surfaces.
The trick is, when you do dust these items, the dust is going to fall down. That’s why you want to clean these surfaces first and work your way down, ensuring you don’t end up covering an item you worked hard to clean, covered in dust again.
4. Make Your Blinds Repel Dust
Blinds are a part of your home that don’t get cleaned as often as frequently used surfaces. Luckily, by using the right approach, you can get all of the dust off of your blinds and make them less dust-prone moving forward.
Begin this part of your spring clean checklist by using an electrostatic duster on your blinds. Next, take a microfiber cloth and a water and vinegar solution to remove the rest.
After letting your blinds dry, grab a dryer sheet. Often, static plays a big role in dust collection. By running a dryer sheet over your blinds, you make the surface less staticky, preventing dust from accumulating as quickly.
5. Get an Extendable Scrubber for Hard-to-Reach Spots
A spring clean house means tackling even hard-to-reach spots. Often, getting to certain areas, like behind and under the toilet, isn’t the most comfortable experience.
With an extendable scrubber, you don’t have to strain to reach tricky locations. You’ll be able to hit every potentially germy surface, all without having to bother your knees, back, or arms.
6. Wash Windows When It’s Cloudy
Did you know that a sunny day can lead to window streaks when you clean? It’s true. By waiting for an overcast day, you’ll end up with fewer spots, ensuring your spring cleaning efforts aren’t for naught.
When you wash your windows, you can use a traditional glass cleaner or a vinegar and water mix, as both can be effective. If you want to make cleaning your window exteriors easier, considering getting an extendable squeegee with a scrubbing side to tackle the task.
7. Bring Your Stainless Sink Back to Life
Stainless steel sinks can lose their shine over time. Luckily, you don’t need harsh cleaners to get the sparkle back, thanks to this handy spring cleaning hack.
Take a lemon and cut it in half. Next, sprinkle coarse salt into the sink. Then, scrub the surface using the lemon and salt.
8. Freshen Your Sink Drains
Over time, sink drains can get a bit stinky. Luckily, refreshing your drains is pretty simple. If you have a garbage disposal, send some lemon rinds (or that lemon you used to clean your stainless sink in the step above), ice cubes, and cold water through to battle odors and sharpen the blades.
If your sink is disposal-free, sprinkle in 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Then, slowly add in a cup of white vinegar. Use short pours, adding a little vinegar, and then pausing before pouring in more to let the bubbles do some work against pipe grim. Once all of the vinegar has gone through and the bubbling has stopped, rinse with hot water.
9. Get a Magic Eraser for Wall Scuffs
If you need to get some scuffs off of your walls, a Magic Eraser is the go-to solution. You don’t need anything extra (aside from a bit of water) to get rid of many common marks if you have a Magic Eraser in hand. Plus, you can use it to tackle spots on other surfaces, like doors, trim, and cabinets.
Just be aware that a Magic Eraser essentially works like very fine sandpaper. That means it will dull glossy finishes, so you only want to use it on matte finishes.
Additionally, it’s wise to do a test spot before cleaning a highly visible area. That way, you can see what the Magic Eraser does to the surface’s finish before you commit.
10. Conquer Showerhead Buildup with Vinegar
If you want to demolish showerhead buildup, here’s a hack to add to your spring clean checklist. White vinegar has serious grime-fighting power, making it perfect for the job.
All you need to do is fill a quart-sized storage bag with vinegar. Next, secure the bag to your showerhead with a rubber band. Leave it soaking overnight. Then, remove the bag and turn the shower on, letting it run for several minutes.
11. Squeegee Pet Hair Away
If you’re constantly battling pet hair on your carpet or furniture, a squeegee might be just what you need. By applying firm pressure and pulling it toward you, you can gather up pet hair with only a few strokes.
Just make sure to toss out the pet hair you gather as you go. That way, you aren’t battling a giant ball of fluff while you’re trying to clean.
12. Declutter as You Go
Here is one of the most important spring cleaning tips for you if you want to take your spring cleaning to the next level. Since you’ll be touching essentially every part of your home, it’s the perfect time to declutter.
When you begin working on a room, put three boxes in the doorway. Use one to gather items you want to put back in the room after cleaning the surface they sit on. Dedicate the second box to donations (or garage sale items), giving you a place to put things in good shape that you no longer want.
The third box can hold items that aren’t in good shape and you don’t want to keep. That way, when you’re done cleaning, you can throw out or recycle the contents with ease.
