Contributed by Info Guru Jennifer Andrews
Spring is the season of rebirth and renewal, a time when the winter cold and snow gives way to sunshine and green grass. By summer, your seasonal cleaning frenzy may seem ages away.
It’s time to get at it again — start cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing your household. Set aside an empty weekend and make a plan to attack spring or summer cleaning in an efficient and productive manner. Enlist the help of family members or friends to help with the cleaning process and even make a fun day of it with breaks for snacks.
Follow the below top ten clean your house fast tips to help you started.
10. One at a time
One of the top household facts is to tackle planned cleaning tasks one at a time. Avoid starting one task and leaving it unfinished while starting another. This will only lead to confusion, discontent and an overwhelming feeling that you’ve accomplished nothing. Instead, start and finish one task such as dusting off all the living room furniture at once for increased satisfaction and organization.
9. Dust first
When in doubt, dust first. This tip is important to follow before you start vacuuming or cleaning floors. Dusting after you’ve cleaned floors will only lead to messy floors again as dirt particles will re-settle on lower surfaces.
8. Rubber gloves
Buy a good pair of rubber gloves prior to starting your household projects to help protect your hands and nails. Certain cleaning products may be rough on skin and submerging your hands in water can lead to irritated, wrinkly skin over time.
7. Swiffer
The Swiffer is a handy household tool to use for spring cleaning. Swiffer’s are multipurpose and can be used to dust, sweep or mop floors as well as hard to reach counter tops or even ceilings. Purchase a Swiffer and cleaning products for sweeping and wet sheets for mopping.
6. Cornered out
Avoid getting cornered in when scrubbing by working from the inside out. This is particularly useful when you are mopping floors in bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces. Working from the inside out means you won’t have to walk back over wet floors leaving dirty tracks – and prevents you from getting wet feet!
5. Go green
Among the top tips is that of being environmentally conscious when it comes to household products. Look for natural cleansers such as air fresheners, soaps, tile sprays and scrubbing oils that are toxin-free and not harmful to your health or home.
4. Laundry
Organize your laundry room with products that make every task more efficient. Separate laundry into two laundering baskets, one designated for whites and the other for colors. This will help prevent mixing colors that can lead to pink underwear and socks! Furthermore, it decreases the time to sort through laundry and can be used year-round.
3. Throw it out
Another decluttering slogan to follow may be: when in doubt, throw it out. Cleaning is the perfect opportunity to go through your closets and get rid of clothing and shoes that you haven’t worn in a while, don’t intend to wear or are the wrong size, shape and color.
2. Take a break
Housekeeping can be overwhelming especially if you have a long to-do list full of tasks that you want to get done. Avoid burn-out by scheduling a short break every hour to take a short walk outdoors, grab a snack or re-evaluate your list. Be realistic in scheduling your to-do list and spread it out for a matter of days or couple of weekends instead of trying to cram it all into one day.
1. Waste not
Be prepared with the proper tools to avoid wasting everyday household items. For instance, do not use paper towels for dusting and wiping purposes as this can lead to an excessive waste; instead, purchase microfiber cloths that are streak-free, inexpensive and can be used for several cleaning purposes.