Spring is finally here! After a long winter, it’s time to shake off the cobwebs and air out the house (or apartment, or condo…)! Not sure where to start your spring cleaning? Use our handy checklist to help you clean and organize your personal spaces!
Dust
First and foremost, dusting is probably one of the most important steps to your spring cleaning routine. Depending on where you live, your windows and doors may have been shut to fresh air for almost half of a year! Without proper air circulation or ventilation, it’s very easy for dust to build up on everyday objects.
What exactly is dust? It essentially is fine particles of matter, and in a human environment, it can contain many things, including (but not limited to) plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, human skin cells, burnt meteorite particles, and many other materials. YUCK!
If any item in your house looks this dusty, then you definitely need to do a spring cleaning!
The best way to dust is to start from the top down. You can use an old pillowcase to clean your ceiling fans with. Make sure the fan is off, surround the blade with the pillowcase, and capture the dust inside of the pillowcase. You can then easily empty the dust into the trash and wash the pillowcase. This method prevents dust from going everywhere and makes your cleaning efforts not go to waste!
Don’t forget to also dust in lower traffic areas, such as the top of your cabinets or bookshelves, as well as the tops of your baseboards.
Make your own cleaning product
Did you know you can make your own all-purpose cleaner quite easily that will cost a fraction of the price of conventional store-bought cleansers (and probably smell better)? Well, you can, and it’s easy! Just mix a half a cup of distilled white vinegar with two cups of water and add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil. Blend well, and pour into a spray bottle and boom! Inexpensive cleaner in a snap!
Make your own inexpensive household cleaner with the added benefit of aromatherapy!
In aromatherapy, lavender is considered to be a soothing and calming scent, and lemon or other citrus smells are considered to be more energizing. You can add drops of whatever you like. This will help mask the smell of the vinegar, and give you the added benefit of some aromatherapy while you get your clean on!
Don’t be afraid to throw things out
A spring cleaning list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of throwing out items you no longer need. Although modern advertising may have us thinking otherwise, we actually don’t need very much to live on. You don’t have to embrace the whole minimalist lifestyle if that’s not your thing, but you could probably find a few things you no longer need, or an area that could use some organizing and uncluttering.
A spring cleaning should extend to your wardrobe. Do you really need 20 pairs of sneakers, or could you live without some old beat-up pairs?
Go through your winter wardrobe and weed it out before you put it away for the season–you should generally only keep clothing that is in good condition, and by getting rid of stained or damaged pieces, you make room for new items!
Do you have a pile of paper mail that keeps growing larger and larger? Set aside some time to sort through your mail, throwing out what you no longer need. You may need to also deal with items that require a phone call or payment. But once you finish, you will feel much better checking some items off of your to-do list! Not to mention less clutter in your home can make you feel calmer.
If you did a spring cleaning without tackling your pile of mail, did you really even do a spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning extends past your home
If you really want to start the season off with a bang, don’t forget to also clean other areas you inhabit often. This includes your car and your office. Just like you did to your home, make sure to dust, throw out things you no longer need and give everything a thorough cleaning. And don’t forget to clean out your digital files as well! Make sure to backup all of your items before you go through and delete anything. Archive old emails that are clogging up your inbox, delete apps or programs you no longer use, and don’t forget to clear your user history, clear the cache, and delete cookies from your electronic device.
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