6 ways to kick your spring cleaning into high gear
Spring is here, so open the windows and shake out the rugs. The annual ritual of spring cleaning is the time to give your home a refresh and tackle all the cleaning jobs that you never seem to get to. This is also a great time to edit and clean out the garage, basement and overcrowded drawers.
“Spring cleaning is a time when we focus on deep cleaning and areas we don’t generally prioritize throughout the year — we like to think of it as a reset,” said Andy Telatnik, director of marketing at Swedish floor care company Bona.
The 2021 Bona Spring Cleaning Poll survey conducted by Harris Poll, showed that 9 of 10 Americans feel more relaxed when their home is clean, and the same number of people agree that having a clean home makes them feel better about spending more time at home.
Beyond spring cleaning, more than half of the people surveyed said that they are planning to renovate or upgrade some aspect of their home in the next 12 months, with top priorities being painting a room, replacing or refinishing floors or carpet, and renovating a bathroom.
If the idea of deep cleaning the entire house sounds overwhelming, simplify the process by focusing on one room at a time for a thorough deep clean and edit. Once you see the progress that you have made, it will be easier to keep the momentum going and move to the next room.
Here are a few tips and tools to get started on cleaning the areas that tend to get overlooked.
1. Consider switching to green cleaners
Try an all-natural substitute for paper towels. Most sponges are made from plastic or other materials that are harmful to the environment. Five Two’s reusable, compostable Sponge Cloths are a cross between a paper towel and a sponge. A cloth can be used up to 300 times before you’ll need a new one. Sponge Cloths are made from plant fibers and are printed with water-based ink. After using them, just rinse, dry and reuse. The cloths will decompose within six weeks in a home compost. 10 cloths, $25, food52.com. Eleusis organic household cleaner and bathroom tile cleaner are made from all-natural, plant-derived ingredients. Each of the nontoxic and hypoallergenic cleaners comes in a reusable glass bottle for which you purchase refills. $22, for a set of both cleaners, food52.com
2. Deep clean overlooked areas
If it’s been more than a year since you have deep cleaned under the bed, it’s time to take the mattresses off, move the bed, and deep clean the rug or floor. Use the handheld vacuum attachment to vacuum the bottom of the mattress and the headboard if it’s upholstered. Dyson’s new V15 Detect cordless vacuum is the company’s most powerful cordless model. The slim, lightweight vacuum is engineered for deep cleaning with two cleaning heads equipped with a laser that detects microscopic dust on hard floors. $699, dyson.com
Next, move to the fridge. Empty it and wash it with hot, soapy water. Wipe it clean with fresh water to remove any soap and dry it with a towel.
3. Make frequently touched areas a priority
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers will quickly become your go-to cleaning tool. Go through the entire house and clean all of the light switches, door handles and the surrounding wall or door areas. These are the things that you touch the most, but can easily overlook when cleaning. Magic Erasers get them sparkling clean. $11.99 for a 10-pack, amazon.com
4. Edit. Purge. Donate.
Be ruthless when it comes to editing out the stuff that has accumulated in your home. Don’t overthink each item, and don’t obsess over what you paid for it. If you haven’t worn it or used it in a few years, chances are you never will; so let it go. Start with old sneakers and other shoes since they take up space. Next up, single socks and old T-shirts. Continue on to the kitchen junk drawer, then tackle the bathroom medicine cabinet. Cosmetics and medications have expiration dates, so do a survey of what’s usable and toss the rest.
5. Clean the carpets
Your carpet may not look dirty but just wait to see what Bissell’s Turboclean Powerbrush brings out of it. Dirt, pet hair and crumbs get embedded in carpets unless you vacuum on a regular basis. Bissell’s lightweight, easy-to-use carpet cleaner and shampooer makes cleaning a breeze. The vacuum and shampooer have four rows of brushes to lift dirt and powerful suction to remove embedded deep-down particles and scrub stains even in high traffic areas. $98.97, amazon.com
6. Spruce up your cleaning tools
Make doing the dirty work a little more pleasant with beautiful cleaning tools. Andrée Jardin’s ostrich feather duster reaches all of the hard to get to spots like ceiling fans, high shelves and blinds. $36, food52.com. Hawkins New York beech wood Cleaning Essentials kitchen brushes set includes one for dishes, one for glasses, and one everyday brush with a replacement head. $48, food52.com
