The age-old tradition of spring cleaning, is age old for a good reason. It can actually be incredibly helpful not only for your health, but also your peace of mind when starting a new season.

In this blog, we will give you plenty of reasons why spring cleaning (and maintaining that cleanliness) can help you as a person, as well as a couple of tips on how to get the best clean, and how to keep it clean.

First let’s start with the reasons you should take a weekend and get your home ready for the care free fun of spring and summer.

1. It can help with many health issues—such as allergies. If you are an allergy sufferer like myself, whether that’s seasonal or dust, cleaning regularly can really help alleviate some of your allergy symptoms (like the itchy eyes, stuffy nose and congestion).
2. De-cluttered homes, means de-cluttered minds—having less clutter around you, and in your environment meant for work or relaxation. The less there is around you to distract your mind, the more productive and at peace you may be able to feel.
3. Deep clean now, relax later—If you are proactive in the beginning of the season, and take a weekend to deep clean now, it will be easier to maintain once the warmer months come around and you want to have fun!

Now that you’ve decided to take on spring cleaning, lets get down to the how, with some tips and tricks on how to get a great clean (and maintain it!)

You’ll want to start by decluttering the room you’re deep cleaning. If it’s a bedroom, start by getting rid of old or unworn clothes in the closet or drawers. You can donate what you are able, and toss what might be too old or ratty! If you’re in the bathroom, declutter any unused or disliked hair, skincare or makeup products and toss them. Clean out anything that hasn’t been used in the last 6 months from the cabinets of your vanity and medicine cabinet. (Be sure to properly dispose of any medication according to your state, county, or city laws or ordinances). If you’re working on an office, shred any old paperwork taking up room in drawers or on the desk, and get organized with a filing cabinet or desk organizers.

Now down to the cleaning! No matter what room you are in, the first thing you will want to do is open all the windows to let the old stale winter air out, and let the fresh air in. It helps if you pick a warmer day (above 55 degrees).

It is helpful regardless what room of your house you’re in, to dust all surfaces (counters, bookshelves, desks) and any décor that sits on them. Next you’ll want to vacuum any carpet to get old dust mites out and make sure the air you’re breathing is allergen free. If you are in a kitchen or bathroom, you’ll want to sweep and mop all flooring. Also in the bathroom and kitchen, you’ll want to clean all faucets and shower heads.  You’ll also want to wash all linens in every room, so they are fresh and do not contain any of the dust or germs you are trying to get rid of.

A major part of deep cleaning, is cleaning not only the obvious things, but also certain things that get dirty but get over looked in routine cleaning, such as air vents and window sills. To start, you can unscrew air vents, dust them off and then allow them to soak in a hot water and a small amount of dish soap.

To clean your window sills, it can be helpful to use a mixture of water, vinegar and baking soda in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture onto the sill and allow to sit there for a few minutes, and then clean off with a damp sponge.

Although this is a small list of things that can help you to deep clean your home, these small tricks can really help benefit your health and mindfulness as we head into spring!

Nicole Aimone

For more information, Check out these sources:

https://www.stayatommom.com/7-reasons-to-keep-a-tidy-house/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/allergies/home-cleaning.aspx

https://www.today.com/series/how-often-should-you/how-clean-vent-covers-t34851