There’s nothing quite like the scent of fresh air in a clean house on the first real sunny week of the year, is there?

It feels like a new beginning.  While not many of us love getting down on our hands-and-knees to scrub all the nooks and crannies, there’s something to be said for how accomplished you might feel after chasing all the dust bunnies out of your home. Spring, with its colorful crocuses and daffodils poking their heads out to greet the sunshine, is like a long lost friend reunion, especially after a dreary winter. 

It’s hard not to want to match that friendly, fresh feeling inside. It’s that time again – spring cleaning time! Let’s check out some of the ways to perk up your home, and visit some of the oft-forgotten chores that make a living space feel cheerful and clean.

Floors

If you’ve had a wet, cold winter, it’s likely your carpets, wood flooring, or tiles have taken a bit of a beating! While you may have vacuumed and swept, it’s time to pull out the big guns! Hire a carpet cleaning service to avoid needing to purchase a whole carpet cleaning machine. As mentioned in an earlier blog, there’s no reason you need to perform carpet cleaning more than once a year, so might as well make it part of the spring-cleaning routine. 

For your wood floors, take the time to polish them with some cleaning oils. You may want to do this several times a year. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how far a little shine goes on wood floors, and it will feel like brand new floors!

Closets and Pantries

Now is the time to take inventory of what lurks in the darkest corners of your closets and pantries. If you’re up to it, take the KonMari method, created by Marie Kondo. She approaches organization with the idea that if something is not useful and does not bring you joy, toss it out! 

One way to bring a little life to your closet is by color coordinating the hanging clothes. It brings a little rainbow to your eye every morning when you choose your outfit. 

Appliances

Now, it’s time to tackle some of the appliances These are often forgotten when cleaning, especially the ones that help you clean throughout the year. 

The inside of a microwave can be cleaned by putting a wet sponge the microwave and turning it on for a few seconds, then letting it sit. Now, you can use the sponge to wipe down the walls of the microwave. Any newer oven will have a self-cleaning option that you can turn on. But be mindful that usually when it begins, there is no way to shut it off so be prepared to not use your oven for several hours.

As for your dishwasher and washing machine, you can run empty loads and substitute vinegar instead of detergent to remove any funky smells. 

When you’re finished, make sure to pour yourself a glass of lemonade, the perfect afternoon celebratory drink to cheers a spring-cleaned home.