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If you're going to do spring cleaning, here's a helpful checklist.
If you're going to do spring cleaning, here's a helpful checklist.
Goodhousekeeping.com recently posted this handy checklist: Easy Spring Cleaning Tips for a Sparkling Home.
1.Clean your doormats; Trap more dirt by using two mats, one outside the door and one inside. To refresh, hose off and air-dry outdoor mats. Vacuum indoor ones on both sides — going over the back will push trapped dirt out onto the floor where it will be easier to pick up.
2. Spray down windows and dust blinds: Wait for an overcast day to clean your windows and start on the shady side of the house.
3. Get grease off your walls: Keeping your walls free of greasy fingerprints, dust and stains is as easy as wiping them with a damp microfiber cloth. Be sure to start from top to bottom, and bonus points if you wipe the door frames and baseboards too!
4. Freshen up musty carpets: Refresh your carpets in between deep cleanings by using a portable carpet cleaner with a rotating brush. To rid your carpet of pet odors, sprinkle baking soda or carpet deodorizer on your carpet. Using a soft brush, work the baking powder into your carpet and let it set for 15 to 30 minutes.
5. De-stink the kitchen sink: Got kitchen stink you just can't kick? Try running a couple of lemon rind slivers through your garbage disposal and follow with cold water to get rid of any unwanted odors.
6. Steam clean the microwave: Clean up those pesky tomato stains once and for all. To clean your microwave, fill a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and a chopped-up lemon, lime, or orange or several tablespoons of vinegar and stick it inside. Turn the appliance on high for several minutes or until the solution boils and the window is steamy, then let it cool for five minutes before opening the door. Remove and wipe the inside and outside with a sponge.
7. Wash those reusable bags: Reusable grocery bags cut down on wasteful plastic, but they can get grimy with time. Look at the care label on your reusable bags to determine the best way to clean them. If they're not machine-wash safe, clean them thoroughly with a sponge or cloth dipped in sudsy water.
8 . Spruce up granite countertops: Dig out the granite polish to restore shine and help repel stains on your kitchen surfaces.
9. Give Your Home a Refresh: Discover brilliant ways to get organized, declutter and make over any room. These downloadable digital guides make it easier than ever to give your home a refresh.
10. Bring stained cutting boards back to life: If you think that nasty mark is permanent, you're wrong. Run the cut side of a lemon over the board to help remove food stains and smells. For an extra oomph, sprinkle it with salt or baking soda first.
11. Deep clean the fridge: In addition to wiping down your fridge's interior shelving on a regular basis, give the removable bins and shelves a deep clean every now and again.
12. Shine up pots and pans: Soften burned-on residue by adding water and dish liquid to your cookware and letting it simmer on the stove. Use a scrub sponge or pad to remove any remaining stuck-on bits. Ketchup (yes, really!) helps dissolve tarnish on copper pots and other copper cooking accessories.
13. De-gunk your oven: Cleaning your oven is an essential part of spring cleaning. Use your appliance's self-cleaning function to remove stubborn, baked-on grime. If your oven doesn't have one, place a hot, wet cloth on top of burned spots to help soften the gunk. Then scrub with a sprinkle of baking powder and a heavy duty pad.
14. Scrub down kitchen cabinets: Unsightly kitchen grime is a mix of dust and grease that builds up over time. Run the exhaust hood over your range every time you cook to keep grease from settling. To de-gunk, use a cabinet cleaner to cut through dirt and leave wood moisturized.
15. DIY a stainless steel cleaner for sparkling appliances: To make your stainless steel surface sparkle again, mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot tap water. Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections, going with the grain. Rinse with clean hot water and dry immediately with a clean cloth.
16. Reorganize the junk drawer: Once you empty out your drawer, suck out dust and crumbs with your vacuum's nozzle. Repurpose pretty plates and bowls to store cords, stamps and other odds and ends. A nonslip liner will help keep everything in place.
17. Machine wash your shower curtain: Stick plastic or vinyl shower curtains along with a few bath towels in your washing machine on the gentle cycle with your favorite laundry detergent. Let it hang dry before showering.
18. Toss expired cosmetics: Getting rid of expired makeup, skin care and hair products is a quick way to declutter. Not all products note an expiration date, but many say how many months the product will last after opening.
19. Clean your makeup brushes: To free makeup brushes of oil-based foundation and concealer, squeeze a few drops of baby shampoo or Dawn dish soap into your palm and rub the bristle tips into the soap, then gently work the suds through them. To rinse, hold the brush (bristles down) under warm running water. Gently shake over the sink to remove excess water, and lay the brush down on a paper towel to finish drying.
20. Brighten up grout: White grout picks up, well, everything. To make grout sparkle again, spray it with a top-tested grout cleaner.
21. Keep drains smelling fresh: To freshen drains and help keep them free-flowing, mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt. Pour the mixture down the drain, followed by 1 cup heated vinegar. Let it stand for 15 minutes tops. Follow by running hot tap water for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
22. Remove hard water buildup from your shower head: Hard water buildup can cause unsightly stains and even affect your shower head’s water flow. If scrubbing with a sponge doesn’t clear the debris from the holes, you can clean your shower head and restore its flow using a few kitchen products you already have in your home. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a plastic bag and tie the bag around the shower head, making sure to immerse the shower head entirely in the mixture. Tie the bag around the shaft for up to an hour, then wipe away any residue left behind and run the hot water of the shower to rinse the vinegar out of your shower.
23. Vacuum soft furniture: Pull furniture away from walls and vacuum behind and under it. Do the woodwork and air vents while you're back there. Then switch the upholstery tool on your machine to go over both sides of cushions and underneath them.
24. Spruce up curtains and throw pillows in the dryer: Put your dryer to work and toss drapes, curtains and even throw pillows in the dryer for 15 minutes on the "air-only" cycle, then rehang immediately to avoid wrinkles.
25. Give bookshelves new life: After all of those cozy winter reading sessions, your library may be in need of a cleanup. Take a few minutes to organize your coffee table books, bedside novels or favorite magazines. Make sure you dust the shelves before putting anything back in its place.
26. Dust those ceiling fixtures: Spring cleaning is all about tackling the areas you forget about during the rest of the year. Grab an extendable duster and attack ceiling fans, hanging and recessed lights, moldings and more. Make sure to start your cleaning here, from top to bottom, so you don’t have to vacuum your floors twice.
27. Replace air conditioner filters: Spring is the perfect time to clean or replace HVAC and window air conditioner filters before you start to use them regularly in the summer months.
28. Sanitize kids' toys: For plastic toys, choose the crystal or quick cycle on your dishwasher and skip the heated dry. For stuffed animals, check the care tag first and then stick them in a mesh bag or pillowcase before throwing in the washing machine on a gentle cycle. A quick once-over with a lint roller can help, too.
29. Wash bulky bedding: It's time to tackle bulky items you typically avoid: Clean those pillows and wash those comforters. But make sure you check the manufacturer's label before tossing 'em into the washing machine.
30. Kill dust mites in your mattress: To clean your mattress, press firmly with your vacuum's upholstery and crevice tools to clean the top and sides. After vacuuming, sanitize your mattress with a disinfectant spray like Lysol. You can also use a garment steamer or iron to kill dust mites near the surface. Vacuum afterward.
31. Toss old clothes: Go through clothes and shoes from the season that’s just ended — and remove anything stained, in need of repair or worn out. Make a second pass through spring and summer clothes as you take them out of storage.
32. Clean your washing machine: Before you start to notice an odor in your appliance, clean your washing machine by adding bleach and turning on the special washer cleaning cycle on your machine, or using a washing machine cleaner.
33. De-fuzz the dryer: Beyond removing the fuzz from your dryer's filter after every load, pull out hard-to-reach lint with the crevice tool on your vacuum to suck up debris. Vacuum under, around and behind the dryer as well.
34. Disinfect your electronics: Your cellphone probably harbors more germs than your toilet seat. To clean your phone, power it down then wipe it with a microfiber cloth followed by a Lysol wipe. Let it air dry for five minutes before wiping it dry with a paper towel or microfiber cloth once more.
35. Empty, organize and clean purses: Take everything out, toss trash and organize items by category. Sort smaller items, like lipsticks, into little pouches or purse organizers, before you put them back inside. Wipe down the exterior with a disinfectant wipe, if it's made with a durable, water-resistant material.
36. Clean your vacuum: Replace the vacuum bag or clean the dust cup and replace or wash the filters. Snip threads snarled in the brush with scissors or a seam ripper.
37. Wash down your broom: Clear any dust bunnies stuck on your broom's bristles by swishing the broom head around in warm, soapy water, or vacuum it with the end of the vacuum hose.
38. Scrub trash cans: Trash bags break and when they do, washing your trash can is the only way to keep odors out of your home. To wash the inside of your trash can, hose it down and scrub the inside with your favorite dish soap and a sponge. Rinse it well and allow it to air dry or dry with a microfiber cloth before returning to your kitchen.
39. Wipe down outdoor furniture: With warmer weather on the horizon, it's time to get your outdoor furniture ready for lounging. To do this, add a squirt of dish detergent to a bowl of warm water, then wipe down tables and chairs. Spray them down with water and then let air dry.
More people incorporate plant-based foods into their diet, even though they do not completely give up meat and other animal products. Click for more.
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