Now that the holidays are over and spring is approaching, it’s time to start focusing on spring cleaning. You should start planning your house cleaning schedule now, so that you will be ready to clean up the gunk, grime, and clutter that plagues your home.
We’ve create a list of our top spring cleaning tips to deeply clean and declutter your house after a long winter. Your Salt Lake City home will not only look better but it will feel better too. So, get ready to open those windows, let some fresh air in, and chase those winter blues away.
Here’s how you can efficiently tackle your spring-cleaning session to get the job done faster and better than ever before.
1. Declutter Your Home with the KonMari Method
The first thing you should do before beginning to clean your home is to declutter the space. You’ve probably heard of the magic of the KonMari Method, a revolutionary approach to tackling clutter in the home. In her #1 New York Times best-selling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Marie took tidying to a whole new level. In fact, she teaches that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again.
The KonMari method focuses on the question, “does it spark joy?”, as a means to guide to decluttering your spaces. As you pick up various items throughout your home, ask yourself the question “does it spark joy”, if the answer is yes, then you keep it. If it does not currently spark joy, then you should remove it. Rather than throwing the item out, try to find a use for it elsewhere, either by giving it to a friend, or by donating it. just because the item no longer fits in your life, does not mean that it can’t serve another.
2. Focus on Categories Rather Than on Specific Rooms
The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, miscellaneous items, and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that do not. Thank the items for their service – then let them go.
The general rule is to toss or donate anything you haven’t used over the past year, which makes spring cleaning the perfect time for this task. Separate items into “throw away,” “donate”, or “keep” piles – you’re likely to end up with more space and a cleaner look even before you get into the actual house cleaning.
Related: 20 Dirtiest Places in Your Home You Don’t Know About
3. Wipe Down the Walls and Cabinets
Walls and cabinets can get surprisingly dirty. Despite being a slanted surface, a good portion of the built-up dust will continue to cling to the surfaces of the cabinets and walls, instead of falling to the floor. This issue warrants a good dusting throughout every season. All it takes to clean these surfaces is a sponge and dishwashing detergent, though you may want a mop to reach those higher, out of the way spots. Afterwards, dry the surfaces using a clean cloth.
4. Get Rid of Soap Scum in the Bathroom
That grey or white film covering your bathroom tile, fixtures, floors, sink, tub, toilet and/or shower curtain is caused by built-up soap and dirt residue that combines with hard minerals in the water. To eliminate this grime from the tub and tiles, you can simply use a lemon that’s been cut in half and rub it across the surfaces. Its high citric acid content helps to break down bacteria and dirt in the soap scum.
5. Work Clockwise Around Your Kitchen Ending with the Stove
When it’s time to tackle the kitchen, start on the right side of your stove and work clockwise around your kitchen. This way you’ll end up at what’s usually the dirtiest part of the room, which will prevent that grease and grime from getting spread around. Along the way, be sure to sanitize your sink, as it has been found to contain more bacteria than even a toilet seat. Scrub it with dishwashing detergent and water, then spray a mist of vinegar followed by a mist of hydrogen peroxide.
Related: 15 Tips & Tricks for a Super Clean Home
6. Refresh Your Humidifier
Now is a good time to refresh your humidifier if you have one too. Even if you change the water out regularly, the dampness makes it a veritable petri dish of bacteria that can start to smell bad. To prevent an unpleasant odor, add two or three tablespoons of lemon juice to the water. Aim to repeat this process once a week and you’ll never have to worry about it again.
7. Clean the Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals tend to build up unwanted odors quickly, so they shouldn’t be neglected either. All you have to do is drop in a little salt, a few ice cubes, a lemon that’s cut up into eighths and flip it on while running the hot water to rid your sink of unwanted smells.
8. Don’t Forget About Hallways
Plenty of people throw things in the hallway when they don’t know where else to put them. Doing this impairs your home’s ability to flow and represents your life’s path of not being well thought out. Do a sweep of your hallways for any miscellaneous, random items that do not belong there, and remove them. Give the hallways a good vacuuming or scrubbing to freshen them up.
Related: How To Remove Bad Odors At Home
9. Tackle the Attic or Garage in Small Chunks
These two spots tend to be where we squirrel items away for a rainy day, saving them for special occasions, future events, or just for posterity. Start small by organizing one portion at a time. If your attic is full of boxes of old clothes, perhaps focus on tackling that one particular issue first in your spring-cleaning routine. Take a look at what you have in either spot and determine if that’s the right “home” for that object. Can your lawnmower or shovel be moved to the shed? Can Christmas decorations be moved to a closet?
The secret to an effective spring cleaning? Break everything into small, manageable chunks. Don’t overwhelm yourself and thwart your house cleaning progress by trying to do everything at once. Celebrate small victories when you’ve removed clutter from your home and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done. Use this guide as motivation to tackle spring cleaning and make your home feel more fresh and organized.
