So, if you’ve been following along on my Instagram you know that quarantine made me crazy enough to paint 800 square feet of our home… considering it’s only 950 total… it was a big project. And it left a lot of dust. I’ve been wanting to do a good spring cleaning but with that project, I knew it would be a waste beforehand. So, here’s my late start to Spring Cleaning 2020! I broke this down for 5 tasks per week. Personally, I like to take a break from all work and chores (if possible) on Saturday and Sunday. So, I break down all of my challenges and organizing/cleaning calendars taking into account a break on these days. But, you could also take multiple days for one task. I realize most homes are much larger than mine, and it may take a few days to clean the baseboards in a 5,600 square foot home.
Anyways… let’s dive in….
BASEBOARDS
I like to clean my baseboards with soap and water. Get a bucket of water and add a little squirt of dish soap. Make sure that you don’t have too much soap so it doesn’t leave a residue. I noticed that behind my furniture the baseboards were extra gross… make sure you check there too!
I also loved this post from Frugally Blonde.
UNDER FURNITURE
Later in the list I mention changing filters… turns out that’s important. As a first time home owner, I honestly have not prioritized changing the filters as often as I should (p.s. if you don’t know either… it’s every three months). I think this explains the obscene amounts of dust in my home… especially under our bed! Gross. I frequently pull my bed out and vacuum using our Dyson V10 which i LOVEEE. It conquers dust like a pro and I could not recommend it more. If you have furniture you haven’t moved and swept/vacuumed recently.. this is a worthy task.
SMALL APPLIANCES
Ok, let’s talk Instant Pot, Rice Cooker, Slow Cooker, Microwave, and Toaster. Some of these I know how to clean well, some I have turned to the experts on.
Instant Pot: I have heard a lot of good tips on cleaning your Instant Pot, but this is my favorite resource from One Good Thing. I do have one good tip of my own though: store the sealing ring in the freezer… I find mine gets so gross and smelly… the cold kills the bacteria and subsequently the smell.
Rice Cooker: I use a similar method to the Instant Pot, but mostly I just try to deep clean and make sure there is no residue on the lid, or rice stuck anywhere… My rice cooker has a non-stick pan and so it is much easier to clean than the Instant Pot. And yes, I do have both… and I use them at the same time a lot. We eat a lot of brown rice…
Slow Cooker: Again, I defer to the experts.
Microwave: I have found the best way to clean my microwave is to place a mug of water and dish soap on the turntable and microwave for 5 minutes. I like to use a mug so it’s easier to grab when you pull it out, it will be hot… Then I pull out the turntable and clean in the sink and wipe down the microwave, the steam and soap make it very easy to clean.
Toaster: Make sure the toaster is unplugged, pull out the crumb catcher, and clean it out, shake the toaster upside down to clean out, and take a q-tip to the top rim to clean. I have a stainless steel toaster, so I like to use a stainless steel cleaner to clean it and it looks like new!
WINDOWS
Hands down the best cleaner is, World’s Best Glass Cleaner- here’s an Amazon link. It smells amazing and works much better than Windex.
TOILET BASE
Every once in a while I just like to check around the base of my toilets. I find they get missed when I do my weekly bathroom clean… Just take some bleach and make sure you get it all cleaned really good…
DISHWASHER
I have found that running a cycle with no dishes and a cup of vinegar in a cup on the top rack works wonders! If yours is stainless steel, I also love the glass cleaner for this too.
LIGHT SWITCHES
If you’ve ever done a DIY paint job, you know alll about pulling off the covers to paint. I realized when I was putting them back on how dirty they were. So, I decided to deep clean the switches with some water on a q-tip and wash the plate covers before putting them back on. It makes a huge difference for something you may not notice every day.
DEEP DUSTING
Let’s talk dusting. I learned from my mom how to dust properly as a child. I never use a spray dusting cleaner… or a traditional duster. It works best, and is safest for your furniture to just use water on a rag! Cleaning the rag out frequently. We often miss things like the top of picture frames, and forget to lift decorative items off tables before cleaning. So try looking for areas you might have previously missed.
BEHIND APPLIANCES
Again, while painting our kitchen I had to pull out our stove and fridge. It was bad… Pull them out, sweep, and mop!
CHANGE FILTERS
Here’s another plug to change your furnace filters. Just order some from Amazon, or pick them up on your next Target run. Your air quality, and furnace will thank you.
Alright… well I think that’ll do it for me. Happy Spring Cleaning!
XOXO, MCELLE
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