6 Spring Cleaning Hacks That Will Save Your Life
The Rustic Ember High Cotton fragrance is the perfect scent to represent Spring! A time for new beginnings, to start fresh and feel good after those cold winter blues. It's the perfect season to clean out all of that unwanted clutter, dust, and build up in your home. It's said that spring cleaning has many health benefits and I believe it! Having a clean home instantly lifts your mood and reduces stress. It also strengthens your immune system, helping avoid illnesses. Because spring cleaning is probably on your long to-do list right now, I’ve shared a few tips and tricks that will make it easier!
Stripping Laundry
Washing machines are amazing things but sadly they don’t always clean our clothes as good as we think they do. That’s why it’s super important to find time to strip them every now and then. It gets all of the sweat and oils that the washing machine can’t get. One of the best ways to strip your laundry is to use:
-¼ cup borax
-¼ cup Arm and Hammer washing soda
-¼ cup Calgon (optional but recommended)
-1 generous scoop of tide
Fill your bathtub up with HOT (make sure it’s hot or it won't be as effective) water and add the laundry you wish to strip.
Add in the detergent mix and stir the clothes every hour (4-6 hours).
Drain and wash in a normal wash cycle in your machine.
Dusting Ceiling Fans
The easiest way to clean a ceiling fan without making a huge mess is to simply slip a pillowcase over the blade and use the case to wipe off the sides as well as the top and bottom. Use a clean cloth to wipe down the pull chain and motor housing. Make sure to shake out the pillowcase before washing it in warm water.
Deep Cleaning Window Sills
One of the best methods to use when cleaning window sills is the top-down method. Before you start dusting the window sill, make sure the drapes and blinds are dusted. The last thing you want is to have to redo the whole process because more dust fell. After you’ve collected all the dust, now it’s time to remove the dirt and grime!
-Mix ¼ cup Pine Sol (or other all purpose cleaner) in a bucket with a gallon of warm water.
-Dampen microfiber cloth in solution and simply wipe sill. (Tip: Make sure the cloth is damp rather than soaking wet so that you don’t have dirty water runoff!)
-Dry with a separate microfiber cloth.
ADDITIONAL STEPS:
If there is still grime and dirt:
-use a small toothbrush to get the corners and edges
-wet a magic eraser and use it on surface
For window sills with MOLD:
-Create a solution of ½ cup Borax, ½ cup plain white vinegar, and 2 cups warm water (you can either mix this in a bucket or put in a spray bottle depending on your preference)
-Apply over the affected area and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
-Scrub the sill with a magic eraser and use a toothbrush to get in the corners and crevices.
-If necessary, repeat the process until clean.
Baseboards
When cleaning your baseboards, all you need is a pile of Mr. Clean magic erasers and warm water!
Simply dip the eraser in water, wring it out, and wipe down the baseboard!
For painted baseboards add dish soap to water.
For stained wood baseboards add distilled white vinegar to water.
TIP: A great way to protect your baseboards is to rub a dryer sheet over them. This protects them from hair and dust.
Cleaning/Organizing Freezer
Let’s be real.. when was the last time you cleaned your fridge? Cleaning out our refrigerators & freezers can be super easy to forget about amongst our busy day to day lives but it’s something that seriously needs to be done (you’ll be so so grateful after you do it). The popular Netflix series The Home Edit suggests 5 ways that make cleaning and organizing the freezer an easy task:
-Edit your items: First and foremost, pull everything out and go through those items that you know are just taking up space (That includes those freezer burnt popsicles that you’ve had in there for years)
-Designate your Zones: Group your categories. For example, meal prep, breakfast, frozen fruit and veggies, meat, etc. The great thing is you can totally customize it to your liking, it doesn’t have to be any particular way! Freezer storage bins (preferably clear) are a perfect way to organize each of your categories and make things much easier to find.
-Customize your System: Keep in mind your routine and figure out if there is any specific item that should have its own category. Remember, it’s totally YOUR call on how you categorize your items.
-Label your Categories: having a labeling system makes things so much easier on your part! It lets people know where to find an item as well as guides them to put it back in the right place. Say goodbye to a messy freezer!!!
-Plan your Meals: planning your meals ahead of time may seem like a lot of work but it is so well worth it in the long run. Freezer items are less perishable, lasting longer, so you have an advantage when it comes to meal prepping. You can stock up weeks and even months in advance and you can be sure that you’ll have a certain place for them in the freezer!
TIP: Newspapers can be used to absorb bad odors in your refrigerator/freezer!
Getting Rid of Sink Stains
One of the best ways to get rid of those sink stains is to use baking soda and white vinegar.
-Apply a layer of baking soda all over the sink, especially on the stains.
-Using a sponge or rag, gently rub the sink with the baking soda.
-Spray with white vinegar and let it sit for a couple minutes (White vinegar is a natural disinfectant and tends to work well when paired with baking soda).
-Rub the sink with sponge or rag and rinse off baking soda and vinegar.
-Use a citrus peel to deodorize the sink by rubbing it all over the surface.
TIP: To leave your garbage disposal smelling fresh, sprinkle some baking soda and white vinegar down there followed by hot water.