With spring quickly approaching, plans for cleaning the house grow increasingly more stress-inducing. However, even if your house is filled with dauntingly dusty drawers and horrifyingly hairy drains, this list of tips will help you tackle spring cleaning with a healthy, productive mindset.
1. Begin with Smaller Tasks
If you try to tackle a bigger task, such as cleaning the garage or building a table, it is easy to become overwhelmed and just give up entirely. Instead, start with chores that are easier to accomplish. Ensure that the tasks gradually increase in size as the season progresses to keep your motivation up.
2. Allow Brain Breaks
It is also important to carve out planned breaks to avoid burnout. Many use the spring-cleaning 20-minute rule, which suggests you clean for 20 focused minutes, then take a 10-minute break. This allows your brain to relax, whether you’re reading, dancing, or taking a walk. While it might seem counterproductive at times, the breaks will greatly benefit your overall spring-cleaning experience once you’re done.
3. Incorporate A Form of Sensory Joy
Creating a long Spotify playlist full of your favorite jams can help you enter a flow state while also bringing joy during what can otherwise be a dull experience. Maybe even put on your favorite podcast to help you stay focused.
4. Using Aromatherapy
Have a candle you’ve been meaning to light? Aromatherapy can help mask odors produced during cleaning with a more pleasant fragrance. Natural beeswax candles, in particular, release negative ions that bind to dust and pollutants in the air, thus causing them to settle.
5. Create a Homemade All-Purpose Cleaning Solution
Stressed about store-bought cleaners being filled with harmful chemicals and pollutants? There is no simpler or safer solution than creating your own cleaner at home. All you need is one part water, one part white vinegar, some rosemary sprigs, and a lemon rind, all combined into a spray bottle. Shake up these ingredients and allow them to infuse for 1 week before your cleaner is ready to use. This natural solution is effective for cleaning dirty trash cans, removing hard water stains, and ridding surfaces of pesky smudges. It is important to keep in mind, though, that vinegar can be dangerous on surfaces such as finished wood and natural stone.
6. Washing Bedroom Pillows
It is essential to keep your bedroom neat and tidy to ensure a good night’s sleep. If you want an easy task to begin your spring cleaning with, washing your pillows might just be the way to go. In fact, most bed pillows can be placed straight into the washing machine as is, but be sure to check the manufacturer’s label for washing instructions first. These items only require cleaning two or three times each year, making them a simple chore to check off your spring cleaning list.
7. Steam the Microwave
If you’re constantly making popcorn and getting grease all over the inside of your microwave, you’ll want to pay close attention to this tip. Fill a large bowl with one cup of water and thin slices of an orange, lemon, or lime. Then place this bowl in the appliance and set it to high until the window is steamy. Let the bowl cool for five minutes, open the door, and wipe the inside and outside of the microwave with a sponge. That’s all it takes for a spick and span microwave!
8. Create Your Own Stainless Steel Cleaner
Who doesn’t want sparkling clean appliances? With this simple DIY stainless steel cleaner, your surfaces will be left spotless enough to admire your reflection in. Mix together one teaspoon of dish detergent and one quart of hot tap water, then get to wiping!
9. Clean Your Oven
Whether you’re a fan of baking cookies or broiling salmon, no one wants to make their meals in a gunky oven. To ensure its cleanliness, it is essential to remove baked-on, stubborn grime from your oven. Place a hot, wet cloth over the burned spots to soften the grime. You can then apply an oven cleaner and see the difference each time you use your oven.
10. Use Vinegar to Clean Your Showerhead
Build-up of hard water can create gross stains and impede the flow of your showerhead. It is possible to restore the flow of your showerhead with an easy, quick home solution. Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a plastic bag, then tie the bag around the showerhead. Allow the bag to stay around the shaft for around an hour, then wipe away residue and run hot water in the shower to flush out the remaining vinegar. This trick is sure to clean out even the most stubborn of dirt.
Each year when the flowery season comes around, the thought of spring cleaning rears its head like a mighty beast—causing many to leave their floors dusty and mops untouched. Nonetheless, these tips are essential for creating a productive mindset while also allowing homemade cleaning remedies and easy chores that will keep your mind motivated and your house clean.
Featured image via RDNE Stock project on Pexels
I especially love the idea of decluttering one area at a time – makes spring cleaning feel way less overwhelming. This year I also tackled my car windows and added window tinting for a cleaner, cooler ride – perfect finishing touch after a deep clean.