Finally, spring has sprung — and nothing puts people in a sunny mood like clearing away the cobwebs winter left behind. Even if you aren’t as excited about cleaning as you are about the warm weather, giving your apartment a refresh can have a lasting positive impact on your home life. However, spring cleaning is much easier said than done.
Start your chore list with this all-inclusive guide to spring cleaning your apartment with ease and efficiency this season.
This season is one of the best in Pennsylvania. As the weather transitions from cold, snowy days to warm sunny skies, you may have the urge to hike a few nature trails or take a quick day trip so you can enjoy the next few months outside. However, you may want to take a weekend to tackle your spring cleaning beforehand.
If you dedicate a few hours to each room, you’ll be able to clean up and declutter, something that positively impacts your physical and mental health. For example, even taking time to wash the dishes can help reduce your anxiety, resulting in a calmer lifestyle. Additionally, you can help your community by donating used items you no longer need.
Let’s look at the benefits of spring cleaning and tips you can use to make spring cleaning as straightforward as possible.
Doing spring cleaning allows you to start the season off with a clean slate. It allows you to declutter your apartment of things you no longer need or want, allowing you to start fresh with a new state of mind. If you have items that create bad memories, you can finally remove them from your space. As a result, you can introduce new items to your space that bring joy.
When it’s all said and done, you’ll have a clearer head and environment.
Decluttering your home comes with the additional benefit of giving back to those in need. From the unused kitchenware sitting in your cabinet to the gently worn shirts in your dresser, you can donate items to organizations in your community. This effort helps the planet, as well. With more than 11.3 million tons of clothing items going to landfills each year, you can do your part in minimizing your carbon footprint.
Suddenly, spring cleaning becomes a win-win for you, your community and the environment.
Balancing work, social engagements, healthy habits, home life and chores can be challenging. With so many obligations requiring your attention, cleaning becomes the last task you want to complete in your spare time. Let’s face it — by the time Sunday rolls around again, you’ve only just physically and mentally recovered from the last work week.
Consider spring cleaning as giving yourself permission to stop everything else in life to put your house in order. At the end of the day, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and peace knowing cleaning your home isn’t on your to-do list any longer.
It’s no surprise that the state of your home can have a significant effect on your mental and physical health. But did you know that cluttered spaces can make you feel fatigued and depressed — and even raise your cortisol levels? The presence of dust, pollen, bacteria and germs also creates a hazardous environment that can contribute to the spread of disease and infection.
A messy space creates additional stress and anxiety. Fortunately, decluttering is an active form of therapy that removes dirt and negative feelings. A well-kept space allows you to take control of your environment and create an area that allows you to unwind.
Remember that spring cleaning isn’t like your typical cleaning day. It’s not the time to just catch up on laundry or dishes. Instead, you’re preparing to refresh your space from top to bottom. While you’re completing some tasks that are regular chores, spring cleaning takes it two steps further. One of the most common mistakes people make when gearing up for the big day is being unprepared. Your multipurpose cleaning spray and broom won’t get the job done by themselves.
Here’s a list of items you’ll need to efficiently give your home the spring cleaning treatment:
After you gather your supplies, you may want to set a schedule. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself to accomplish everything in one day. If you want to tackle your bathroom on Monday, you can work on your living room on Tuesday. Adjust your schedule to accommodate your spring cleaning so you don’t find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Some people like to set aside an entire weekend for spring cleaning, but it’s up to you.
Then, get your spring cleaning playlist in order, turn up the volume and get started.
Now, where do you begin? Rather than looking at your apartment as a vast space to tackle, you should break down your spring cleaning routine room-by-room. This way, you can take a more methodical approach.
Before you dive into more significant spring cleaning activities in your kitchen, you’ll want to tackle everyday tasks like running the dishwasher and wiping the countertops. Then, you can dive into more meticulous duties, as follows:
In many homes, the living room is where most people spend their time. It’s a gathering place for friends and family and is often the coziest room in the house. While regular maintenance provides enough upkeep, your couch cushions may be long overdue for a thorough cleaning.
The bathroom isn’t the most fun to clean, but its frequent use shoots it up to the top of the spring cleaning list. The toilet, shower, sink and floors are the most obvious surfaces to wipe down. However, there are a few more areas that require attention.
Nothing says “welcome home” like a clean bedroom. It sets the pace of each morning and comforts you every night. A cluttered room can make falling asleep tougher since your mind can feel a bit frazzled thinking about everything around you. Giving your bedroom a once-over will improve your sleeping habits and provide you with peace of mind.
In the effort of spring cleaning your apartment, it’s easy to forget one or two smaller tasks. Unless you’re a professional housekeeper, you’re likely to miss something along the way. While you don’t have to tackle every nook and cranny, you may want to put in the extra effort to tackle a few extra details. As a result, your space will be much cleaner for longer.
Here’s a reminder not to throw in the towel until you’ve double-checked these last couple of pointers.
Your apartment likely has vents in every room. But if these features aren’t located down by the floor where you’ve already swept and mopped, there’s a good chance you’ve skipped the vent in that room. Unfortunately, a dusty, dirty vent means the air in your room isn’t as clean as it could be. Remember to wipe down the outside of the vents to ensure they don’t have any debris on them.
Additionally, your baseboards can collect dust and dirt over time. Tackling this area will also aid in keeping the air in your rooms clean. If you have allergies, you may find that keeping this area clean helps improve your health.
You can tell how well someone cares for a room by checking out neglected areas. This point goes for any space — from restaurants to offices to your apartment. For instance, the corners can tell you how often and how well a person cleans the floors. If you skip the dusty corners of your space, you may have missed other important, hard-to-reach areas that are just as important.
These small nooks are usually the most common home for spiders, cobwebs and dust bunnies. A regular vacuum won’t clean these places. However, you can use a hose extension or even just a cloth or duster to get the job done.
While blinds and curtains provide shade and privacy, they’re also huge attractors of dirt, grime and dust. Often, cleaning your blinds is as simple as using a duster. But if there’s a thick layer coating each slat, it’s best to use a multipurpose spray. Be sure to leave the blinds open to dry so you don’t accidentally damage them once you’ve finished cleaning.
Care for your fabric curtains by putting them in the washing machine inside a delicate bag and hanging them to dry. When you hang them back up, you should remember to open the windows to allow fresh air into the room. If your curtains are made of a special type of material, you’ll want to use the right laundry detergent to ensure proper cleaning.
Did you know your phone screen can contain more than 17,000 germs at any given moment? All of those germs and dirt are then transferred to your skin every time you answer the phone or scroll through apps. Note that spring cleaning isn’t limited to just the rooms inside your apartment. Take an extra 10 minutes to disinfect your screens and other devices to create a safer home environment. Don’t forget to declutter your phone, too! Delete old pictures, screenshots and apps you don’t use.
Now that you have everything you need to make the most of your spring cleaning venture, here are a few tips to help you along the way:
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