For many people, spring is their favorite season because it represents a time of renewal, cleanliness, and the return of warm weather after a long winter. If you take pride in cleaning your home, spring also means the much-anticipated spring cleaning ritual. Whether you’re a young adult just starting out or a neat freak veteran looking to upgrade your spring cleaning efforts, everyone should incorporate some life-changing essentials into their spring cleaning routines. Keep reading for the must-haves for your spring shopping list to keep your home sparkling and healthy for everyone there.
Cleaning Checklist
Even if the idea of organization makes your head spin and your stomach turn, a checklist is a must when tackling your spring cleaning. Nothing is worse than a house that looks dirty even after cleaning it, so having a checklist that includes all the nooks and crannies, floorboards, and anything in between will be the foundation for your spring cleaning success.
Natural Cleansers
Whether you opt for an essential oil-based cleanser or DIY your own with baking soda and vinegar, a healthy home is happy, so ditch the chemical-laden conventional cleaners for healthier alternatives. Not only are these products healthier for you, your family, and even your pets, they’re better for the environment, so spring clean as sustainably as possible.
Defuzzers
Sometimes when you look around your home at your furniture, especially armchairs, and sofas, you daydream about purchasing new pieces that aren’t in the budget because your existing furniture looks dingy. Instead of taking out your credit card, invest in an affordable fabric defuzzer that instantly removes any pilling and unsightly fabric strings on your furniture. You’ll save a lot of money and breathe new spring life into your favorite pieces. The best part? You can use these on your winter sweaters before you box them up until next season.
Steam Cleaners
Is your bathroom needing a serious deep clean, but you dread the backbreaking process? A steam cleaner can rescue you and remove mold and mildew in minutes. You can also use steam cleaners throughout the home, but bathrooms and kitchens benefit the most. You’ll find yourself reaching for a steam cleaner well after your spring cleaning is complete and throughout the year for their ease of use and how much cleaning power they possess. You can even steam clean your microwave!
Upright Vacuums
Growing up, you probably witnessed your mother carting around a bulky, horizontal rolling vacuum cleaner, and you may have even had the pleasure of trying to clean with one yourself. Nowadays, it’s essential to consider investing in the highest quality upright vacuums for their portability and convenience. Vacuums have evolved significantly over time, and upright models are particularly beneficial due to their easy-to-move design. Whether you want something lightweight, something that promises to banish pet hair, or anything in between, go upright and never look back. Today’s upright vacuums come with the same attachments as their bulkier, older counterparts and get the job done with a lot less effort on your end.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Vinegar and baking soda have been used for cleaning for centuries, but one of their most crucial roles in spring deep cleaning is cleaning the thing that keeps you smelling and looking fresh and clean – your washing machine. You can deep clean your washing machine and disinfect it by running it with hot water and adding white vinegar and baking soda – let it sit for at least an hour, and then restart the cycle, let your machine drain and wipe it dry – voila! Clean washing machine and cleaner clothes in under two hours.
Decluttering
Before you even pick up a broom or a Swiffer, decluttering your home is the first step to making your spring cleaning efforts go the furthest. From overstuffed closets, too many children’s toys that no longer get played with, or even broken items you’ve been hanging on to “just in case,” there’s a good chance there are plenty of items you can donate to charity or toss in the recycling bin. While no one says you need to become a minimalist, it’s a good idea to routinely go through your home and declutter items that no longer serve you. Spring cleaning is the perfect time to start if you’ve never done this before, or it’s been a long time. This benefits your mental health more than anything, but a healthy home is happy.
There are essential spring cleaning essentials that will vary from person to person, like dusting ceiling fans if you have them, swapping out air vents if you’re a homeowner but likely not if you’re in an apartment, but the above items should be on everyone’s list no matter where they live or the size of their living space. Here’s to your spring cleaning success and healthier home!