Rainy days are not only good for spring cleaning, says WiseBread, they’re good for pursuing larger goals, too. You might choose to start a savings fund, for example, or get to work on an all-encompassing five-year life plan. You might start a new hobby, or revisit an old one. A dreary day can lend itself to writing, so you might make a journal entry or catch up on correspondence. Hungry? Try a new recipe or better still, make a big batch of meals for the days and weeks ahead. Or just sleep, the story says: “If you’re the type of person who’s chronically under-rested, a rainy weekend day is the perfect time to sleep in.”
Tag: cleaning
It’s Finally Spring (Cleaning) Time
Spring begins — officially, at least — tomorrow, March 20. And the news couldn’t be more welcome for people in many parts of the country after enduring what turned out to be an unexpectedly severe and snowy winter.
As the temperatures warm and the days lengthen, however, you might discover that a few things on your late-winter to-do list have gone undone. After another cold, snowy day, you may have decided the couch was too comfy to leave and binged Netflix instead of starting a new project.
Now’s the time to shake off those winter doldrums and snap into action. There is no time like right now — the very start of spring — to begin a spring-cleaning plan. Wait, and you might miss a perfect summer day.
The weather is just getting good enough for you to begin a thorough, whole-house deep-cleaning. Start with the windows; recipes for a cleaning solution vary (dish soap or vinegar and water are two good options), but authorities including Clean Mama agree that using a squeegee and lots of rags is the best plan of attack.
Once the windows are clean, the spring sunlight will reveal just what else might need a deep-cleaning. Pick a mild day and fling open those windows, then go room by room and dust from the top down, clearing cobwebs, moving to flat surfaces such as shelves and tables, and finally, vacuuming.
Once you’ve dusted and vacuumed, wash all of the linens that have been busy catching winter dirt, including throw rugs, bed linens and blankets. Vacuum and/or shampoo any upholstered furniture that has gotten dingy and dirty during the darkest nights.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff that has piled up in the last six months, set aside some time to #declutter as you clean, the Sylvane blog says. “Clutter has psychological influences. It signals to your brain that work isn’t done.”
Put that decluttered extra stuff in boxes and bags and contact ClothingDonations.org for a donation pickup. It only takes a few minutes to arrange, and takes most of the hassles out of decluttering. Plus, the donation is tax-deductible.
Finally, wash and wipe all of the hard surfaces inside your home: backsplashes, counters, cabinets and appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms, wood and tile floors, and utility shelves. Feeling ambitious? Powerwash the garage floor and deck.
Starting is the hard part, but the beginning of spring provides a fantastic reminder that a deep-clean may be in order. Once you begin, you’ll be able to shake off the winter doldrums and enjoy a fresh, decluttered space all season long.
Keep the Shower Clean Naturally
Vinegar, baking soda and salt are your all-natural friends when it comes to bathroom cleanup, says Expert Home Tips. To deep-clean a crusty shower head, for example, put two teaspoons of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar in a sandwich bag and secure it over the shower head using a rubber band. Let the shower head soak overnight, and the following day, that buildup will wipe away effortlessly. And if your bathroom is prone to mildew, soak your shower curtain in salt water before you hang it up— the salt will absorb excess moisture and keep the space odor-free.
Make Your Own All-Natural Cleaning Products
You can make your own all-natural cleaning products, Apartment Therapy says, using only a handful of basic ingredients. For example, an all-purpose tub and tile cleaner can be made from baking soda, liquid soap, vinegar and water. A toilet bowl cleaner is simply borax, baking soda and vinegar, while floor cleaner is borax and water. Glass cleaner? Vinegar and water. Drain cleaner? Baking soda and vinegar. And if you want to add a bit of scent to your homemade cleaning concoctions, simple add a drop of fresh-smelling essential oil such as lemon, mint or lavender.
There’s No Dirt Like Winter Dirt
Many parts of the country that don’t get a lot of snow and ice did earlier this month, and it looks like there’s more to come. Readers who live in the North know how easy it is to bring mud, moisture and salt into the house, and have strategies to keep tracked-in dirt at bay. But some of these strategies bear repeating.
First, encourage everyone who enters your home to remove their shoes. This is the No. 1 way for winter dirt to enter your living space, and even the freshest, whitest snow likely contains salt, sand and other contaminants that will dirty the floors. Place trays or washable throw rugs by all exterior doors to catch the muck melting from footwear.
Throw rugs are often the best defense for high-traffic areas; they catch winter dirt and can be shaken out or thrown into the wash easily. Use them even on top of wall-to-wall carpet, since it’s difficult to get carpeting to look clean and bright again once people track dirty snow onto it.
Leave a towel by the door to wipe down your pets following a walk or romp in the snow, says the Vivint Smart Home blog. Many dogs and cats also develop thicker coats in cold weather, and ultimately shed more. Brush and groom them regularly to prevent that fur from flying everywhere and attaching itself to furniture and clothing.
If you haven’t already, change out the furnace filters, dust the ceiling fan blades, and vacuum refrigerator coils and blinds to keep allergens to a minimum while the house is closed up against the cold, House Logic says. Sheets, blankets and comforters also catch a lot of dust and dirt, so be sure to so wash them frequently.
Be vigilant. You can’t keep every speck of dust and dirt out of your house in winter, but you can keep it from building up, aggravating allergies and causing permanent damage to floors, carpets and other surfaces. Sweep, vacuum and mop frequently to get any dirt that’s brought into the house out quickly.
If the weather forecasts are correct, you’ll be spending lots of time indoors for a few more weeks, so take the appropriate steps to make sure your environment is clean and healthy. Then, count down the days until spring!