The first day of spring brings out the ambitious do-gooder in us all. Finally paint the guest room? Go through the kids’ toys? Clean out the attic? Of course we will!
But when push comes to shove, are you really going to spend 12 hours elbow-deep in Christmas lights? Neither are we. Here, are our top ten spring cleaning tips for focusing your spring cleaning energy.
The most overlooked dirt-catcher in your home, these guys rarely get any cleaning love. Take a rag with some soap and water (and a Magic Eraser, perhaps?) to get ’em squeaky clean.
We know you haven’t really noticed your ceiling fans for the past five months. But they’re there, and they’re disgusting. Since you’ll probably be using those puppies a lot more now that temps are rising, here’s the easy way to clean them using only a pillowcase. (Prepare to be repulsed by what you find.)
Finally clear out some space for that new midi skirt you’ve been eying by putting winter coats, scarves, gloves and boots into storage. And while you’re at it, get down low and clean underneath all your shoe racks. (God only knows what you tracked in on those running sneaks.)
It’s scary, but it’s true: Giant mutant dust bunnies are thriving in the dark corners underneath your bedframe. Time to say sayonara.
Crumbs, crumbs everywhere. Begin by taking out all your dishes and servingware and wiping down the drawers and cabinets. Next, go through and get rid of any broken dishes, mismatched silverware and Tupperware that’s lost its lid. Feels good, doesn’t it?
Look, we all need a catchall place to toss errant matchbooks and business cards. But if you don’t clean it out a couple times a year, you risk turning into a candidate for Hoarders.
Aspirin from 1998 is no longer safe, sweetie. This bathroom staple deserves some spring-cleaning love, especially when it comes to tossing old products and empty pill bottles.
Oh my God, what is caked on the bottom of there?! Here’s how to clean it once and for all. (Oh and, BTW, you should be doing this twice a year.)
Made nachos in the microwave? Got cheese on the walls of the microwave? Time to use some good old-fashioned elbow grease and get scrubbing. Same goes for your coffeemaker, which should really be cleaned once a month. (Yeah, news to us, too.)
Expiration dates are your worst enemy but also your best friend. Remove everything, shelf by shelf, and wipe completely clean. Then put back the stuff that’s A) still good and B) something you’ve actively used in the past few months. Otherwise…buh-bye, weird salad dressing packets!
