It’s time to start thinking about spring cleaning your house, believe it or not. Nothing like returning home to a house that is so spotless it virtually glows. Spring cleaning is essential for everyone, but especially for allergy sufferers. And it’s much more critical in the age of COVID-19. You owe it to yourself and your family to experience a cleaning that goes beyond the surface. But, before you begin, make certain that you have all of the finest cleaning supplies on hand to remove stains, vacuum debris, shine floors, and more. As a consequence, the room is now more habitable, just in time for summer. Take this as your official spring cleaning checklist.
Create a list –
Spring cleaning may be difficult whether your home is little or large. Spring cleaning entails doing more than your regular dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and scouring. And how can you even begin if you’ve never done it before? It’s a good idea to establish a strategy for every major effort. Yes, it entails putting pen to paper. If you like, you could make a spreadsheet. Begin by listing every room in your home, including the utility room, laundry room, garage, and closets. Consider cleaning the baseboards, walls, windows, and window treatments, as well as moving and cleaning behind and under furniture (and the furniture itself). Things that you probably don’t clean on a daily basis. Walk around your home or apartment while compiling the list if it helps.
Figure 1 – Creating a list. Source – Google
Declutter the home –
You can tidy your house by following a simple guideline. If you haven’t used anything in the last six months, consider getting rid of it. Seasonal commodities and apparel are the only exceptions to this rule. Separate the ‘keep,’ ‘give,’ and ‘throw away’ objects and properly mark them to prevent treasures from being thrown away by accident. By using this brutal approach, you’ll quickly realize how many extra goods you have around your house and how much more space you’ll have if you toss a few things away.
Figure 2 – Decluttering the home. Source – Google
Deep cleaning the carpets –
You’d be astonished at how much dirt, dust, and hair accumulate in your carpet. This is particularly problematic in bedrooms and dining areas because you are less likely to move large furniture while cleaning. A thorough cleaning will aid in the restoration of the carpet’s colour and texture. You may revitalize your carpets by using a high-performance vacuum cleaner or hiring a professional. While your furniture is out of its typical location for cleaning, you might begin to consider moving specific pieces. You don’t have to buy new furniture, but rearranging your furniture might give a space a new purpose or just a new aesthetic.
Figure 3 – Deep cleaning the carpet. Source – Google
Microwave steam cleaning –
Eliminate those annoying tomato stains for good. To clean your microwave, place a big microwave-safe dish inside and add 1 cup of water, a sliced lemon, lime, or orange, or several teaspoons of vinegar. Turn the appliance on high for several minutes, or until the solution boils and the window becomes steamy, then turn it off and allow it to cool for five minutes before opening the door. Remove the sponge and clean the interior and exterior with it.
Figure 4 – Steam cleaning microwave. Source – Google
Rubber gloves are useful for removing pet fur –
Pets are a joy to have around, but they can be a nuisance when it comes to keeping your house tidy. Cats and dogs, in particular, will shed their hair all over the place. That is when a pair of rubber gloves will be useful. Hairs will naturally attach to them due to the substance they’re constructed of and the friction it causes. So, whether you need to de-hair your couch, drapes, or bedding, your trusted rubber gloves will come in handy. If that fails, a lint roller works wonderfully for removing pet hair from textiles.
Figure 5 – Rubber gloves. Source – Google
Get your refrigerator gleaming clean –
We’re all guilty of not cleaning our refrigerators as often as we should. This means that stains, food particles, and water may accumulate. To combat this, a few common home things are required. A toothbrush and toothpaste are the first two items. The chemicals in toothpaste make it easier to erase stains, while the toothbrush provides the friction and precision required for the process. After you’ve thoroughly cleaned your fridge, it’s time to address any lingering odors. Cut a lemon in half and put one half on the top shelf and the other on the bottom level of your refrigerator. The lemon will naturally absorb any odors, leaving your refrigerator feeling fresh.
Figure 6 – Refrigerator cleaning. Source – Google
The dishwasher is your best buddy –
Your dishwasher is a superhero disguised as a dishwasher. Its use does not end with washing the dishes: you can put children’s plastic toys (without batteries) into the dishwasher with your regular detergent or tablet to get them clean again. Not only that, but it also helps to disinfect the toys so that they may be used again and again. The convenience of using your dishwasher to wash toys is that you can just turn it on and let it do its thing. In essence, you get a comprehensive cleaning with little effort.
Figure 7 – Dishwasher cleaning. Source – Google
Makeover your clothing –
You may have a fantastic collection of clothing, but chances are you don’t wear them all year. So it’s time to spruce up your closet. To begin, categorize your clothing by season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Then test on your clothes. Are they still a good fit? Do you still like them? If the response is a resounding ‘no,’ then get rid of them. You may give them to charity, sell them on eBay, or have a swap meet with friends and relatives. Bag up out-of-season garments and put them in your attic or closet if you chose to retain them. Another useful tip for saving time in the morning is to organize your clothing by color, so you can put ensembles together in half the time without having to seek around your favorite top.
Figure 8 – Wardrobe cleaning. Source – Google
Bring new life to your bedsheets –
We’ve all had a favorite duvet set that we keep coming back to. However, colors fade with time, leaving you with drab-looking bed linens. Rather than throwing them away, soak them in bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar to bring life back into your bed linens and remove any remaining odors. Before usage, be sure to completely rinse them to remove the vinegar smell. You may also deodorize your mattress with bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle evenly over your mattress and leave for up to eight hours. After that, vacuum up any extra powder and your mattress will be as good as new.
Figure 9 – Bed sheet cleaning. Source – Google
Before you sleep, clean your bathroom –
No, we don’t mean physically clean while sleeping: you deserve your rest, after all! We’ve devised a method for you to leave your bathroom clean overnight. Limescale removal is notoriously tough. This is when white vinegar might come in handy. It’s wonderful for breaking down molecules and eliminating limescale buildup. In fact, it is effective in removing stains from the toilet, shower, and sink. All you have to do is spritz it on and let it do its thing. Fill a sack with white vinegar and wrap it over the showerhead; allow it overnight to break down the limescale. Wear protective hands and ventilate your bathroom as much as possible to prevent smelling strongly of vinegar.
Figure 10 – Bathroom cleaning. Source – Pexels
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
