Top 10 Tips for Spring Cleaning

We know, it’s February—isn’t it a bit early for Spring Cleaning? But you see, getting into the mood is half the battle. You need time to psych yourself.

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Clean Gangnam Style

There’s nothing quite like perky music to rev up your blood and get you moving. Get out of those winter doldrums with upbeat songs—you know, the kind of music that makes you move and sing at the top of your lungs! That’s the kind of music that helps take the blah out of cleaning and turn it into an aerobic dance session. Scrub to the rhythm and sing your heart out. South Korean singer PSY’s Gangnam Style is all the rage. Why not do some cleaning gangnam style?

When in Doubt, Throw it Out!

Begin by neatening up and getting rid of anything you no longer need. Stubs of paper with phone numbers you can no longer connect to a living being? Ditch ‘em. That dress you bought on sale that will fit you only in a different lifetime? “Give it away to charity —it’s less for you to clean and maintain. “Stuff” takes up room and collects dust. Who needs “stuff?”” says Entrepreneur Chris Burch.

Exploit Gravity

Work from the top down and let gravity work its own special magic on your home. Think of it this way: Dust falls. Climb up there and get that stuff done first, working your way down from the highest to the lowest objects in the room (the floor, natch?).

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Sweeping Considerations

Did you know that the most important place to start your cleaning is your ceiling and walls? Yup. Dust sticks there, making it that much harder for you to breathe and leaving these surfaces, well, dingy. Take an old white t-shirt, put it over the end of a broom and sweep the ceiling and then the walls with long sweeps of the brush. You’ll be surprised how much dust has collected over the course of the year.

Wax on Wax off

Remember that great scene from the first Karate Kid movie? Think of cleaning as the ultimate workout and use some elbow grease. It’ll help you take off the pounds you put on over the long winter months of forced inactivity. You’ll have a sparkling home and a smaller circumference!

Resuscitate Your Wardrobe

No need to buy new clothes. Just remove everything from your closets and drawers and give those now-empty spaces a good going over with the vacuum. Next, wipe everything down with soapy water and dry. Shake out your clothes and put them back. Moths breed in dim, dusty, uninhabited corners. Your clothes will smell and look that much better and be safe from moths, to boot.

Upside Down Vacuuming

The most powerful vacuum can’t remove all the dust that collects in area rugs over the course of the year, even with regular vacuuming. Turn those rugs over and vacuum them upside down, turn over and vacuum right-side up. You’ll be amazed at the way the color comes out and how soft and velvety the fibers appear.

Degunk You Crystal Vases

No matter how carefully you clean your favorite crystal vases, they can get discolored, especially in those hard-to-reach bottom corners. Give your crystal new life by pouring in some frozen peas, followed by cold water to cover, and then do some gentle but vigorous swirling. Pour out the peas and water and prepare to be amazed at the sparkling results.

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Old and Moldy

The bathroom is prime breeding ground for mold because of the damp, airless quality of this space. If your grout looks black and moldy, don’t automatically rush to scrape it out and re-grout. First try a high quality mold spray, which you can buy at any good home supplies store. Spray, leave it sit for a good hour and a half (leave the windows open—the fumes can be overpowering), and say hello to grout that looks like new.

Old Yeller

Your old appliances may be in perfect working order, but have a yellow, dreary appearance. Here’s a quick fix that can help make your kitchen a brighter, Spring-like space. Fill a bucket with 4 cups of hot water. Add ¼ cup of baking soda, and ½ cup of bleach. Mix well. Apply to yellowed appliance surfaces with a sponge and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry well. If you like, you can fill in any scratches, plus add shine and luster with some car wax. Rub it in a circular motion. Then stand back and admire your work.

Junk That Old Clunker

You know that old rusty tin can parker in your driveway leaking fluids all over the place and killing your flowers? Donate it to a reputable car donation charity for a tax deduction. Your front lawn will thank you.