It’s Spring, which means it’s spring cleaning time! Perhaps it’s not that exciting, but it is necessary. As much as most of us don’t like to spring clean, there’s nothing better than the fresh feel your apartment has when you’re done.
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to take an entire day if you do it right. Follow these cleaning tips and you’ll get it done faster:
Stock Up on What You Need
You can’t start spring cleaning if you don’t have the proper tools. Consider picking the following items up from a local store, or borrowing them from a friend:
- Microfiber cloths
- Vacuum with attachments
- All-purpose cleaner (e.g., Lysol)
- Rubber gloves
- Dry mop
- Bathroom cleaner (e.g., Clorox, OxiClean)
Use a Squeegee to Remove Pet Hair
If you have a dog or cat in your apartment, chances are your floors have some fur on them. Save your poor vacuum from getting instantly clogged with pet hair by turning to your shower squeegee for help.
This will remove the large clumps of hair from the carpet. Go through a second time with the vacuum to finish the job.
Go Room by Room
Even if your apartment isn’t huge, it’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed when you’re cleaning. Don’t try to tackle the entire space all at once. Instead, try cleaning one room at a time. You’ll feel better when you can cross a whole room off of your list and move onto the next.
You may want to start with your least favorite room or the space that will require the most effort. Leaving that room until the end isn’t the best idea, because you’ll be exhausted by the time you reach it. You’ll be happy you left the easy spaces for last.
Get Rid of the Clutter
It’s going to be very difficult to vacuum your floors and dust your tables if there’s clutter everywhere. Before you even break out the cleaning supplies, go through each room to either put away, recycle, donate or throw away items.
Organize your belongings into those four piles until everything has been put into its place. If you haven’t used something in the last year, chances are you can get rid of it.
Use a Shower Caddy
Gather all of your cleaning tools and place them into a shower caddy. This way, you won’t have to keep walking back and forth to your cleaning supply closet to retrieve what you’re looking for. You’ll have everything you need right at your feet.
Recruit Help
If you live with roommates, they should definitely be joining in to help. But if you live in your apartment alone, you can turn to friends or family for assistance. Having a few people help you out can turn a full day of cleaning into only a half day. Try offering them something in in return for the help. Free lunch, a free drink or promising to help them clean their apartment can go a long way.
Dust Ceiling and Wall Fixtures First
No matter what room you’re in, always dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, and wall art first. If you leave this task for last, you may end up cleaning your floors twice thanks to the flying dust. Use a microfiber dust cloth or the soft nozzle attachment on your vacuum to dust those dirty areas on your walls and ceiling.
Microwave Sponges
Chances are, you’ll be using a sponge to wipe down your kitchen and bathroom, but your sponges may be covered in bacteria from previous use. Germs and bacteria tend to grow there, so you’ll only be spreading dirt around your apartment if you don’t clean them first.
Wring all of the water out of your sponge and put it in the microwave for about one minute. Of course, if it’s is all torn up and stained, it’s probably time to just buy a new one.
Clean Screens
TV screens tend to accumulate lots of dust, but when you use an all-purpose cleaner on them, streaks appear. Forget the spray cleaner and reach for a coffee filter instead. This will wipe off all of the lint and dust without messing with your viewing experience.
Let Solutions Sit
When sterilizing your tub, sink, and shower, you’re going to have to apply a cleaning solution. Instead of instantly scrubbing after the solution is sprayed on, let it go to work on tackling grime and stains. Wait 10 minutes before rinsing—this way, you won’t have to do as much scrubbing.
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