Spring Cleaning Tips To Make This Year’s Cleaning More Fun

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Open the windows, air out your home; it’s spring cleaning time! Some people might think spring cleaning is just another boring day of vacuuming and dusting, or an excuse to get your loved one(s) to pick up after themselves, but these annual festivities can be so much more!

The following list goes above and beyond the everyday cleaning and highlights some of the more overlooked and neglected things in the home that could use a once-annual overhaul. Ready? Begin!

1. Bathroom:

Clean and reseal tile grout. The grout behind and between wall, floor, ceiling and kitchen tiles, is very porous and needs to be well-maintained for appearance and for health purposes. In damp areas, this grout can be a feeding ground for bacteria and molds that could be potentially harmful. To prepare the grout, use a bleach-based cleaner such as Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner. Spray and leave on the grout for up to 15 minutes, and rinse with lukewarm water. Certain areas with staining will likely be stubborn, and, painful as it will be – they need special attention. Use an old toothbrush (not your significant other’s) or nail brush to scrub these areas. The mold/dirt/stains will eventually fade and disappear. Once the tile and grout have been cleaned, rinsed, and are dry, they are ready to be resealed using a penetrating grout sealer. This sealer is commonly found at hardware stores and can be applied with a small foam brush.
Discard expired medicine, first aid products and beauty products. Contact your local pharmacy for options regarding expired prescription pills. Do not discard these in the trash or flush down the toilet. Make a checklist of items that need to be restocked, and purchase on your next trip to the pharmacy

2. Kitchen

Defrost the freezer. Turn the kitchen power off at the circuit breaker, and afterwards, unplug the refrigerator from the wall. If possible, put freezer food in an alternate ice-chest or small coolors to keep from spoiling. Use warm water to rinse out the inside of the freezer and to speed the process. Some freezers have removable panels at the sides and back. By removing these, the coils will be exposed. Oftentimes, bits of food and ice can creep into these inner-workings over the course of the year. Cleaning out this area will ensure the maximum life of your freezer and prevent odors from surfacing. Use a cleaning solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda per quart of water to wipe down all surfaces.

3. Bedroom

Flip or rotate your mattress so that the coils wear evenly over time. Store the down comforter in airtight and moth-proof containers for the summer months. Replace other cool weather bedding with warm weather linens.

Wash pillows. Check the tags on your pillows for washing instructions. Typically, all pillows are machine washable (and air-dryable). Washing them annual or biannually rids them of mold, bacteria and odors.

Swap the winter clothes for the summer clothes. This is an excellent time to pay attention to clothes that could be donated. If you are folding and storing a winter item that hung in your closet for six months without a single wear, donate it.

4. Office

Organize files. Once a year, clean out old files that are no longer needed. It’s typical to hold on to receipts or statements for up to seven years, but you’ll find that after a year, there are a significant number of records that you will no longer need to reference. The following list includes typical rules for how long to keep records:

Bank statements – Go through your checks each year and keep those related to taxes, business expenses, home improvements and mortgage payments. Shred information with no long-term importance.
Bills – Go through your bills once a year. In most cases, when the canceled check from a paid bill has been returned, you can shred the bill. However, bills for big purchases — such as jewelry, rugs, appliances, antiques, cars, collectibles, furniture, computers, etc. — should be kept in an insurance file for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.

Credit card statements – Keep your original receipts until you get your monthly statement; shred the receipts if the two match up. Keep the statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented.
Paycheck stubs – When you receive your annual W-2 form from your employer, make sure the information on your stubs matches. If it does, shred the stubs. If it doesn’t, demand a corrected form, known as a W-2c.
House records – Keep all records documenting the purchase price and the cost of all permanent improvements — such as remodeling, additions and installations. Keep records of expenses incurred in selling and buying the property, such as legal fees and your real estate agent’s commission, for six years after you sell your home. Holding on to these records is important because any improvements you make on your house, as well as expenses in selling it, are added to the original purchase price or cost basis. This adds up to a greater profit (also known as capital gains) when you sell your house. Therefore, you lower your capital gains tax.

Retirement plan statements – Keep the quarterly statements from your 401(k) or other plans until you receive the annual summary; if everything matches up, then shred the quarterlies. Keep the annual summaries until you retire or close the account.

5. Storage, attic, basement

Clean out storage areas such as your attic or basement. Use the same method used in the closet swap/cleanout. Be liberal with the amount of items you donate. Don’t get emotionally attached to your belongings. If you haven’t used it, get rid of it. Make space, not clutter. We have all seen the nauseating wave of “hoarding” reality shows that have suddenly crept out of dirty homes across America. Don’t let your storage closet, attic, or basement leave any guessing as to whether a deceased member of your family might have met their fate in your pile of stuff. Sort. Take inventory. Donate. Throw away.

Most importantly, remember this:
Spring cleaning can be fun if you allow it to be! Take the time to enjoy and take pride in those belongings that you work so hard for every day by giving them the TLC they deserve.

Resource by A.Evans

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