It seems I’ve got the dirt on spring cleaning tips and hints. My last blog post dealt with digging the spring garden scene, and today’s post deals with spring cleaning scene.
Spring cleaning may not be your idea of fun, but it definitely puts a spic and span spin on things.
Spring comes but once a year as does the spring cleaning cleanapalooza we participate in.
This time of year is synonymous with all things fresh and new, refreshed and updated and spring cleaning tips and hints.
Dirty jobs come with the life lived within our homes territory, and house cleaning is a necessary part of all things house that make a home.
Spring cleaning tips and hints lend a helping hand to the ritualistic spring fling cleaning machine.
It’s those helpful spring cleaning tips and hints help me cut through the muck, gunk and grime left over from winter and rockin’ tunes to spring clean by help me clean and cut a rug.
Spring Cleaning Tips And Hints
Boost the cleaning advantage of a less expensive dishwasher soap by adding two teaspoons of white vinegar to your dishwasher.
Boost liquid dish soap by adding two tablespoons baking soda to hot dish water.
For those of you who own sterling silver:
(I’m a Southerner. Owning at least one piece of sterling silver is a qualification of membership and retains one’s active status in the Southern ladies who lunch and their daughters who entertain club.)
Reed & Barton Francis I 5 Piece Dinner Flatware Set
I advise against washing sterling silver in the dishwasher.
The ingredients in dishwasher soaps prove too harsh and the heat will result in whitening the silver.
If your silver sees a lot of use it usually will not need polishing.
High humidity accelerates the tarnishing process.
Hand wash sterling flatware with a non-lemon-scented liquid dish soap. Lemon-scented dish soaps cause pitting, discoloration and darkening.
Rinse well with hot water and hand dry with a soft towel.
Place your sterling silver and stainless steel flatware in separate dish rack compartments in order to avoid an electrolytic reaction.
I wrap my silver pieces in acid-free tissue and pop them into a Ziplock slider storage bag to prevent tarnishing.
Spring is messy and delicious.
Spring clean it up.
While we are on the subject of dish soaps and how fabulous some brands smell, can you guess which scent is my favorite?
This stuff smells so good!
The dish soap and the room spray are the two products in the line I use, and the clean and the scent delivers.
A fireplace is a wonderful source of comfort and heat on cold winter nights, and the proof of use is left behind on tile floors, mantels, ceiling fans, air conditioning and heat grilles and vent floor covers and surrounding walls.
Enlist the help of your vacuum cleaner attachments to remove the film left behind from winter usage.
Discard the vacuum bag after use and begin anew.
To add a fresh scent to an otherwise not so fresh cleaning ritual, add a generous pour of Fresh Scents Scent Packet in White Cotton to a clean vacuum cleaner bag before placing the bag in the vacuum.
Fresh Scents Scent Packets in White Cotton
I keep a lightweight mop from the dollar store on hand strictly for spring cleaning times like these.
The basic, easy and get the job done cleaning power of warm water and a couple of drops of Dawn is still the best and most gentle household cleaner.
Use a clean mop slightly dampened in a mixture of warm water and Dawn to clean door casings, A/C return air grilles and vents, light fixtures, moldings- all havens of dust and dirt.
Work from the top to bottom of the surfaces to wipe away the dirt.
Rinse mop with clean warm water and repeat steps to rinse.
Freshen up decorative throw pillows and seat cushions using the upholstery brush and crevice tool vacuum attachments to remove seasonal dust.
I treat my medium-sized decorative throw pillows to an air-only cycle run in the dryer for 10 minutes to further freshen.
Spring cleaning presents the perfect opportunity to change out china patterns and update displays.
An open cupboard or one lined with wallpaper is a personal style statement waiting to be admired.
Warmer temps tend to not mix well with the flannel sheets and heavy blankets that kept us warm and cozy all winter long.
Begin by flipping the mattress and giving it a good vacuuming.
Lose the winter blues in favor of crisp cotton linens heavy on seasonal comfort.
The spring fling frame of decorative mind we find ourselves in is ready to lighten things up in pattern, texture and color.
Victoria Magazine
Don’t forget a spritz or two of linen spray.
A light and lovely scent sets the tone for a good night’s slumber.
Linen Spray
1 ½ teaspoon essential oil of your choice
2 Tablespoons witch hazel or vodka
4 cups distilled water
32 oz. spritz bottle
Mix witch hazel or vodka and desired oils in a bottle. Add the distilled water and shake to combine. The witch hazel or vodka aids in dispersing the oil evenly throughout the liquid. Shake bottle gently before each use.
I wish I could replicate the exact scent of line-dried linens on a spring afternoon in a linen spray.
White clouds, the color blue, a warm breeze and the feel of soft cotton.
Aroma therapy perfection!
One of the best ways to experience spring is to open the windows and doors to let the light and fresh air in.
Traditional Home
There is no substitute for naturally airing out the house with fresh spring air post pollen season.
Washing windows can be a pane (forgive me, I couldn’t resist) to keep clean.
Although not a spring cleaning favorite, once the decision is made to meet and master the task at hand the result is so worth it!
Coming soon to a clean window near you!
The now, that’s better spring cleaners breaking out into song with the window cleaning hit I can see clearly now the windows are clean.
Window Cleaner
32 ounce spray bottle
2 cups distilled white vinegar
8 Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or concentrate
2 cups water
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice and water together in a spray bottle. Use crumbled newspaper to wipe the windows for the simple reason it keeps streaks to a minimum. If the sun is hot and shining on the window it will promote quick drying resulting in streaks.
Spring cleaning tips and hints lagniappe~ a little something extra:
To keep windows sliding up and down with ease rub a bar of soap across the track. A quick fix for a small hole in a window screen is clear nail polish. Apply a few layers of polish and allow to dry.
Spring cleaning is a dirty job, but one that nets big let the sunshine in rewards.
Apartment Therapy