Spring cleaning is a time to do a deep cleaning on your home. An extra thorough cleaning a few times a year can really keep dust and grime from building up. This is a guide about spring cleaning the inside of your house.
When you know that you are going to be cleaning all day, start your day by making your dinner first. Find a great crockpot recipe and throw it together and let it cook while you clean. When you're done, the last thing you want to do is cook and you don't always have the money to go out for pizza.
By Stacey
It may seem overwhelming to get started on Spring cleaning but how I started was this: one thing at a time, one room at a time. I started in my bedroom and got rid of clothes I hadn't worn for such a long time. I just took them from the hangers and threw them in a pile. I went through all my dresser drawers and picked through them one thing at a time. If I hadn't used it, it was gone. Looked under the bed, through desk drawers, etc and everything just went in the pile. Now rest. Don't overwhelm yourself.
I went through front closets - shelf to shelf, picked through boxes, did the dusting, vacuuming, etc. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I stuck everything in a big box. You can either take it to your local thrift shop or post the whole lot on a Freecycle site near you - www.freecycle.org - I'm beginning to like that Freecycling, it's very convenient. Someone out there can always use something you're getting rid of. I think that's all I needed to say, lol. Just remember, one thing at a time, one room at a time.
By Stacey from Orem, UT
Wouldn't it be fun to redecorate as you "Spring clean?" Few of us can spare the money for many luxuries, so learn to make do and change things to give your home a new look.
My tip for your spring cleaning is basically simple. Don't do it! Think of the environment and all the chemicals you will not be placing into the environment if you don't do it! What! You think I'm crazy because I'm not indoctrinated by television and the Super Stores into buying their cleaning chemicals! Well, guess again! I want a clean planet! I want clean air and clean drinking water! Your clean house will dirty my planet!
O.K.! If you must clean your house, clean with lemon Juice and cold water. Salt water is also a good alternative to chemicals. The old standbye, Javex Bleach, is basically Salt or Sodium Hyplochlorite to be exact and it kills everything living on floors. If you want to clean your clothes, use Soap Nuts. They are derived from living trees and are less harmful to the environment. You can find them on the Net. Good Luck Spring cleaning your house. I'll just relax and watch!
The mood to clean up and refresh seems to be an annual idea. Perhaps it's the freshness of the outdoors, the signs of new life, or just the need to make changes after months of being cooped indoors. Regardless, some basic financial rules need to be followed when delving into spring cleaning: sell it, donate it, toss it.
The following items resell well on the internet if they are in new or nearly new condition: children's clothes (3T and under), children's toys, baby items, sports collectibles, and hard to find sizes of quality clothing (XXXL, etc.) Anything can sell in an online auction, but timing seems to be everything. Don't list everything; there are items that could be free and they wouldn't attract attention. Shop around the site to explore what's selling, what's over-listed, and what's unique.
Yard sales are a good way of selling items that will not sell well online. Separate your sale items into two categories, yard sale and online sale. Typical strong sellers at yard sales include: items too large to ship from on online sale, furniture, craft items, children's items, electronics and appliances, household fixtures, and decorative items. Don't clutter your yard sale with items such as clothing and glassware; this will deter the "drive-by shoppers."
Items such as clothing, dishes, and books usually find a happy home at these collection areas. Avoid donating items that are damaged, soiled, or outdated. These items actually cost the charity money to dispose of themselves, not to mention the man-hours needed to sort through them. The resale is not worth their time to repair items.
Spring is here and it's time for spring cleaning. Nature does it with spring storms that clear dead branches, and her animals clear their winter bedding from their dens as the days get longer. The feeling of starting anew and freshening up can rejuvenate the entire household after a long winter; do it frugally.
Decide what items can be resold at a yard sale or online and what items should be donated. If anything needs washed or repaired, do so immediately. Likewise, drop off the items at the Good Will immediately; don't let them sit in your basement for weeks.
Clear anything out of your winter closet that was worn once or not at all during the season. Whatever is in the box at the top of your closet, the box that you haven't opened since last spring, doesn't need to stay in your home. Instead, find someone who will enjoy and value it.
Check basic household products like vinegar and baking soda which can be used to clean just about any surface for a fraction of any cleaning product's price. Likewise, consider what you're purchasing. Bleach is bleach whether the bottle says Clorox or All-Purpose Bleach.
Sometimes a little reorganizing makes all the difference. Mix and match items from rooms, using the bed shams on the sofa for the spring months. Switch curtains from one room to another. Spring and summer invite bold color combinations, so be creative and try something different in your home. When you tire of it, return it the way it was and oddly enough it will seem fresh again.
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
"Spring Cleaning" conjures up a mental picture of a warm, sunny day spent airing out bedrooms, washing windows, and thoroughly vacuuming carpets. It signals the passing of winter gray outside and the freshness of a spring transformation inside your heart and home.
Follow these steps and you will have that freshly cleaned look that spring cleaning implies.
Sweep out the garage and wash the cars. Vacuum, wax, and change the oil in your car to get ready for spring and summer trips.
Clean out the basement, donate or throw away items that are taking up space. Have a yard sale!
RELAX and enjoy the feeling of a clean house. Celebrate with a bubble bath, some aromatherapy candles and a glass of wine. Treat yourself to a nice dinner OUT!
* Bonus Tip: Clean out your garage from the center to the walls. Then place items by sections: game, craft, sports equipment, and gardening tool. Visualize garage sale income and beautiful, uncluttered space in these rooms as you proceed.
Source: My own obsessive cleaning nature and some excerpts from "10 Tips to Spring Cleaning" by Marcia Ramsland, "The Organizing Pro".
By Diana from Prospect, KY
I am looking for helpful ideas and frugal at the same time to make Spring cleaning a lot easier and simple.
I use the cheapest off brand of a product like scrubbing bubbles to clean mini blinds. Extend them all the way before removing from the window. Lay them in the bathtub and spray them one set at a time that I stack. Let them lay there while you wipe your windows. fill the tub with enough water to cover them plus a couple of inches and give them a swish. Drain the water and refill the tub adding fabric softener. One cup maybe? Drain that and gather them to stand straight and drip dry. The softener helps prevent dust and grime from settling on them in the future. You get a pretty smell and clean tub in the deal.