Winter is over. Finally, some sunshine! The bright light of springtime cascades into our home… illuminating the dust bunnies, streaked windows, and floors that have not seen a mop in months.
It’s time for spring cleaning!
I love cleaning. I know, you can say it…what a freak. It’s oddly satisfying to use the vacuum and conquer the dirt. Feels so good!
But no matter how good it feels to shed all that winter grime, I don’t have a ton of extra time to get it done. Thankfully I’ve gathered a few tricks over the years to make it possible.
As you get ready to give your home a big scrub, consider these spring cleaning hacks to make your job easier.
17 Spring Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Home Ready for Home & Gardens
(Or at least ready to invite your clean freak friend over for lunch. You know that friend, the one who has 5 kids and yet her house is always sparkling clean? She must have house elves…)
1 – Reach Cobwebs with a Towel Broom
What’s a towel broom? A towel tied to the end of a broom. This simple trick will let you reach cobwebs or anything else lurking in the too-high-to-reach corners.
2 – Disinfect Your Sponge
Get more use out of your sponge by soaking it in water and zapping it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Bacteria (and horrible smell) gone.
3 – Remove Hard Water with Lemon or Fabric Softener Sheets
Hard water stains are annoying and a pain to scrub off. Cut a lemon in half and rub directly on hard water in your shower. Rinse and buff. For hard water stains on sinks or handles put a few drops of water on a dryer sheet and scrub off.
4 – Catch the Ceiling Fan Dust with a Pillow Case
Slip the pillowcase over the fan blade and gently wipe off. All of the dust will be trapped inside the pillowcase instead of back on the floor or floating in the air.
5 – Dust Your Blinds with the Vacuum
Close the blinds and use one of your vacuum attachments to remove dust. Flip the blinds closed in the opposite direction and run the vacuum on the other side.
6 – Buff Everything for Some Sparkle
Ever wonder how professionals get everything so dang sparkly? They buff everything. After every wipe-down, they have a microfiber dry cloth that adds the finishing touch and removes any residue.
7 – Remove Marks on Your Floor or Walls with a Tennis Ball
Gently rub any scuff marks or dings with a fresh tennis ball, then give it to the dog.
8 – Make Your Own Cleaning Products
No need to run to the store for cleaning supplies to try these spring cleaning hacks. Try making some of your own products from items in your pantry.
9 – Sharpen Up Your Disposal
Put several ice cubes and a lemon or orange wedge down the disposal. Run it. Smell the goodness.
10 – Steam the Microwave with Apple Cider Vinegar
Put a bowl of apple cider vinegar in the microwave and heat for several minutes. Let it steam. Then take a rag and wipe it out, everything will come off in seconds.
11 – Eliminate Water Rings on Wood with a Hair Dryer
Turn your hair dryer on high heat directly above the water ring. After, wipe the surface with some olive oil to recondition the wood.
12 – Use a Window Squeegee to Remove Pet Hair
Using a window squeegee is a great way to pick up pet hair from a carpet or furniture. The rubber will grip and remove hair from textured fabrics. For hard to reach places, throw on some rubber gloves.
13 – Clean Your Window Frames with a Butter Knife
Wrap the butter knife in a soft and very thin rag. Spray with a nonabrasive cleanser. Run in the groove of your window frames to remove the black icky bits.
14 – Absorb Carpet Odors and Funk with Baking Soda
Baking soda absorbs odors and helps dry up residue. Sprinkle this on your carpets and rugs. Spread it around, then vacuum it up 5-10 minutes later.
15 – Purify Your Air with a Beeswax Candle
The air can get stale, and a natural, mild-smelling beeswax candle will help to clear it up…along with a fresh spring breeze.
16 – Get in the Cracks with a Toothbrush
The shower and even some countertops can have grooves, cracks, or grout lines. Using a toothbrush and an all-purpose cleaner is a perfect way to get in there and scrub it out.
17 – Clean Your Showerhead & Faucets
Pour some vinegar in a ziplock bag and secure it around your showerhead or faucet with a rubber band. Let it soak overnight. Take off the bag in the morning and rinse the faucet with water.
Get Control of Your Home with Our Free Cleaning Schedule!
Cleaning is a never ending battle (especially with kids) but you can break it down into small daily steps with this schedule!
In all reality, a clean home never lasts. For this reason, I typically spread out the spring cleaning over a few weeks instead of one big day. I feel accomplished and slowly work through parts of the home that haven’t seen a rag in awhile.
Breaking cleaning into smaller chunks is how I simplify my regular cleaning schedule, so it made sense to try it for deeper cleaning as well. These spring cleaning hacks have helped me freshen up my home in less time and get back to living life.
Do you have any spring cleaning hacks you love? Share with us in the comments!
Instead of #11, use an iron over a soft t-shirt to heat out water rings. I had tried the hairdryer, olive oil and mayonnaise methods as the stains were old, but only the iron let the heat penetrate deep enough to drive out the water. I kept moving the iron around because I was afraid of burning the wood but it was clear that it was working after 5 minutes or so and completely gone after about 15 minutes.
Remove limescale from a kettle by filling with lemon juice diluted with water
Bring to a boil (pay attention because the lemon juice might boil over) and leave for a few minutes (or longer, depending on how bad the limescale is).