There’s something wonderful about spring-cleaning. It’s hard work, but somehow it lifts the spirit.
This is a time for renewal and fresh starts, and sprucing up your home is a wonderful way to visualize the better days ahead. Here are five tips to help with this year’s spring-cleaning.
For those who prefer natural cleaning solutions to those at the store, it’s hard to top white vinegar (as opposed to apple cider vinegar, which is also awesome but has other uses). Pour a cup of it in your dishwasher and run it through one cycle, and your dishwasher is clean. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and submerge your showerhead in it, and it will get rid of the dirt and mineral deposits – no scrubbing necessary.
Remember the sitcom Home Improvement? There was no job that couldn’t be achieved with the right high-powered equipment. If the usual mops and cloths won’t cut it, get to a grocery store and rent a wet-dry vacuum that will clean your floors quickly and thoroughly.
A big part of spring-cleaning is eliminating clutter – and that means getting rid of stuff in your closets and drawers that is just taking up space. Donate any clothing items you won’t be wearing anymore, along with that exercise equipment that’s now being used as a coat rack. And when you start opening drawers in your kitchen, consider the likelihood that you don’t need the five spatulas you’ve acquired over the years. One or two is enough.
You’ll probably wipe down the keyboard and screen as part of the home office phase of your work, but why not do some spring cleaning in cyberspace as well? Clear your cache so your computer runs faster, back up your data so you won’t lose it if there’s a crash, and change your passwords to keep hackers out of your bank account.
There’s no rule that says spring-cleaning has to be completed in a day or a weekend. Do a room at a time over the course of a week or more. Or do the floors on one day and the countertops later. Coordinate tasks with whatever works with your schedule and your energy level.
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