Hello everyone! Can you feel it? The spring weather is starting to kick in! Don't get me wrong, I love winter and snow and getting cozy with a hot cocoa by the fire watching Netflix, BUT winter has had a good run. Now is the time for puddles, flowers blooming, rain showers, and.... spring cleaning!
Ah yes the dreaded, but also anticipated, annual spring cleaning that feels like pressing a refresh button on your home and private space. If you've never done an official spring cleaning, I'll be mentioning some tips and best ways to go about it so no worries, we've got you covered! Now are you ready to channel your inner Marie Kondo?
1. First make a plan! I know it sounds obvious and cliched but it truly does work. It can feel overwhelming if you just try to jump right into it, especially if your home hasn't been decluttered since last spring. Look around your house and see what areas will take the longest i.e. closet, pantry, storage room. Make plans to clean the largest area during the weekend so that you can have a full day to thoroughly go through it; then smaller things like cleaning out that dreaded junk drawer can be done during the week. Also make a list of every cleaner/product you will need for your mission, it's always the worst when you lose steam once you realize you forgot something.
2. Declutter your wardrobe. Take a look at everything you own and make 3 piles: one for clothes to give to charity, one for old clothes to throw away, and one for clothes that you can put away until next winter. SO! Put away all of those chunky sweaters, thick tights, and snow boots and replace them with your thinner cardigans, blouse's/t-shirts, ballet flats and running shoes! We will be having beautiful "no heavy jacket" weather, and there is no need for thick layers anymore.
3. Clean top-to-bottom. It's always the worst when you swiffer, sweep, and mop the floors only to realize that the dusting you do afterwards completely messes up the floor again. So make sure you clean out the cobwebs, dust every corner of your house, and THEN move onto the floors. And if you do not own a swiffer but you own animals that shed... trust me when I say you need a swiffer, it will make your life a lot easier!
4. Clean your cleaners. I know this one sounds weird but it's a bit difficult to vacuum the carpet with a full and dirty vacuum. Change out the bag, maybe buy a cheap new broom not filled with dust, and get new cloths. These will help your cleaning endeavours much easier.
5. Think green! Essential oils do far more than help with breathing and relaxation. Lemon is a great antibacterial and smells so amazing when used around the house; although when using oils you need to be careful about using them around animals. There are some oils that can be harmful to your pets, but there is lots of information available on the internet just a click away! I also love using hot water, a couple drops of Dawn, and a capful of white vinegar to wipe down surfaces; doesn't smell the greatest but it is a great sterilizer! And as long as you have a good air freshener and/or diffuser you can get rid of that smell quite easily. That vinegar and Dawn mixture works on all surfaces, even the floors and can also kill weeds outside without spraying a bunch of chemicals!
6. Clean essential things in the kitchen and bathroom. I won't mention the obvious like sweeping and dusting but just a couple things people sometimes tend to forget to take care of in these rooms.
Kitchen: Take everything out of the fridge and pantry and first check for expired items. Pantry items especially tend to get away with expiring without someone noticing. Once you have everything out of them wipe down the cupboards and shelves and then you are good to put everything back! This is also a good time to get to know what you have and what you need to stock up on.
Bathroom: First of all for ladies! Check your make-up for when it expires cause it does happen! Usually for mascara you need to throw it away after 2-3 months, and foundation usually goes bad after about 6 months. It can be harmful to put all of this stuff on our faces, and that goes for men too! If you use a moisturizer or cleanser it will eventually go off and will need to be replaced. Another thing- change out your shower curtain. After a while all of that moisture builds up in the curtain and can get a funky smell about it- best to switch it out while you clean.
7. Don't forget about outdoors! I feel like the yard gets overlooked sometimes, I have done this so I know how easy it can be to forget! Start looking around for pesky weeds and spray the vinegar/Dawn on them to kill them, trim any ragged trees and bushes, and maybe get a few new potted flowers to spruce up the place when it gets warmer!
8. Last one- clean your air. You never want to leave your furnace/HVAC filters unchanged, not only does it not clean your air properly if filled, but it can be a fire hazard if it builds up too much in furnaces. As well maybe add a couple air humidifiers/purifiers to help; spring is especially bad for allergies and having these purifiers will help you and your family to cope with them!
If there is anything that I missed please comment either down below or on facebook/instagram to help myself and everyone around. Have a great weekend, and enjoy this weather!
Xoxo,
Callista