‘Tis the season for Spring Cleaning projects! As much as we all hate trudging into the office every day, working from home can get tiring, too. And after weeks of staring at the same dirty kitchens and drab living rooms, crossing a few Spring Cleaning tasks off your list can really improve your mood.
We’ve compiled a list of the best Spring Cleaning projects to complete while you’re at home. These tasks will brighten up your home and help you feel like spring is really here, and all can be completed without any unnecessary trips to the store.
Cleaning the kitchen
The Fridge
This is a big one. Cleaning your refrigerator is pretty straightforward and easy to do, but it makes a huge difference in how clean your kitchen feels. Having spare room in a sparkling clean fridge is an instant de-stresser.
Take everything out of your fridge. Get rid of any expired food and start wiping everything down. Removable trays and lids can be washed in the sink.
Here’s a helpful Business Insider article on how to tell if food past its expiration date is still safe to eat.
The Sink
This one might not make your kitchen look much cleaner, but you’ll certainly feel better every time you have to wash the dishes.
If your sink’s been draining a little sluggishly, its pipes are probably nursing a growing clog. Deal with it now to save yourself a massive hassle later by pouring a mixture of water and vinegar down the drain. To make your kitchen sparkle just a bit more, you can even take a vinegar-soaked toothbrush to the faucet and handles.
Sprucing up the bathroom
The shower (or bathtub)
Here’s another one you don’t need any special cleaning supplies for, just vinegar and baking soda. Mix the two together, spray it all over the tub or shower and let it sit. After a good few minutes, you can go at it with a scrubber and watch years of discoloration and water damage wipe away. Be sure to crack a window if you can unless you want your bathroom to smell like vinegar for a good few hours.
Revamping the living room
Banishing the dust
If you’re anything like the rest of us, then you’ve probably got a whole year’s worth of dust built up around the less frequently touched areas of your living room. The edges of picture frames, fans and vent grates, and of course the never-ending dust storm that is the entertainment center. Microfiber cloth is your best bet here. If you choose to use a cleaning solution with it, remember not to soak the rag, “lightly damp” is plenty.
Updating the bedroom
The mattress
Do you have any idea how filthy your mattress gets? Fortunately cleaning it is pretty simple.
Step one: Deodorize
After stripping your mattress bare, give it a good vacuuming. Then sprinkle baking soda over the top of the mattress and let it sit for about one full day. Now vacuum up the baking soda.
Step two: Disinfect
To kill the germs nestled inside your mattress, fill a spray bottle with a bleach/water mixture (you don’t need a lot of bleach, as little as two ounces per gallon is plenty). Spray your mattress well and then allow it to completely dry in a well-ventilated area.
Remember that your mattress must be completely dry before you put your sheets back on it!
The wardrobe
Hands down, the most satisfying Spring Cleaning experience is reorganizing. Now’s the time to go through your closet and dressers and donate or recycle any old clothes you’re not using. Clearing up space is a huge mood-booster (and now you just may have the room to justify getting tha new outfit you’ve been eyeing).
Revitalizing your windows
You’ve got windows in every room of your house, so make sure they shine! Clean windows are easier to open and close, look better and let in more of that natural springtime light.
Step one: Get rid of dust
Make sure you vacuum or sweep away all the dust on the windows and in the sliding trays first. This will help you avoid a huge sticky mess of dirt mixed with window cleaner.
Step two: Use your cleaner of choice
Spray away with your preferred window cleaner. If you don’t have any name brand cleaners around the house or you’re looking for a natural alternative, vinegar mixed with water usually does a pretty good job.
Microfiber cloth is a great way to remove window cleaner for a streak-free shine.
Step three: Bask in the glow of your newly cleaned windows!
Reward yourself
That’s a lot of cleaning, so definitely reward yourself with the pizza or movie marathon of your choice. Now’s the time to kick up your feet, relax and let yourself be lazy for the next few days.