10 Neglected Spring Cleaning Spots
We move a lot—that’s a given! But every time you move, you get a new space, a new place to clean in the spring and the fall, and a new environment to deal with. Every year I find myself missing some things in my week of spring cleaning and having to go back and redo those forgotten items that I didn’t have to worry about last year.
Here are 10 neglected spring cleaning spots:
1. The air filter
We have a forced hot air system in our new home, which makes for some serious dust and things being trapped in the house. Most ventilation systems will have a filter to remove some harmful particles and allergens. Check yours and make sure to either wash it (if you can) or replace it as the seasons change so you aren’t breathing in the same yuck from the winter! Better yet, replace these filters every month.
2. Stove grates and ovens
With the warmer weather coming, the doors and windows can finally be thrown open! Make use of the increased airflow and give your oven a clean from all those rich foods you cooked all winter. Give it a hearty spray with some oven cleaner or create a baking soda paste, and get to work without fearing about getting lightheaded. Don’t forget about those stove grates, too. Give them a good soak in a bucket of warm water and dish soap, or set them outside for a few hours with some oven cleaner sprayed on as well for tough stains!
3. The pantry
Go through the pantry and find stale and no-longer-being-eaten items you know won’t move. Stale food is still yummy to pests, even if you’re over it, so remove the temptation!
4. Doors and windows
Our current place has a front door without a storm door to protect it, so it gets pretty beat up during the winter. Be sure to give the door a nice clean down so it’s looking spring-fresh for guests. Same applies for the track in a sliding glass door and windows and sills.
5. The washing machines
Just because the washing machine cleans other things doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be cleaned, too! Give your machine a spin with either a commercial product you can purchase (like the Tide machine cleaner) or give the drum a whirl with very hot water and either the recommended amount of bleach or four cups of vinegar. Interrupt the cycle to allow the washer to sit for a while and remove the built up bacteria and other yuck, then let it finish as normal.
6. The dishwasher
Same goes for the dishwasher, if you have one. Give it a spin with vinegar as well to clean out the dish grime that may have built up.
7. Coffee makers
We have hard water here in New York, so buildup happens pretty frequently in our machines. Even if you don’t have the water issue, gunk happens, so give your coffee machines a cleaning. Pour an entire bottle of vinegar into the water compartment and allow the machine to run through with a filter to catch the yuck. If it looks clean when the cycle is done, great! If not, run the vinegar through again. When it looks clean, be sure to run at least two pots full of clean water through before making any coffee. Oh, and make sure to clean all of the removable parts, too!
8. Paperwork and junk mail
Papers have penchants for getting tucked away in random places, especially when those papers are junk mail. Toss or shread everything you come across that you aren’t using or needing. You’ll be surprised how quickly things start to look cleaner. And don’t forget to get all of the stuff off the fridge and calendar that no longer applies.
9. Curtains
They hang in plain sight, and I often forget about them when I’m going cleaning. Don’t forget to take them down and give them a wash to remove dust. Maybe even change them out for the seasons to give you a visual reminder to give them a clean in the fall.
10. Pillows and cushions
I flip my couch cushions weekly and bang my pillows together outside to remove whatever might be on them. Be sure to get this done at least during spring or fall cleaning to refresh the cushions and allow the couch to wear move evenly (meaning you get to replace it less often!). Oh, and don’t forget about vacuuming in between the couch cracks.
Hope you’re all having a fabulous start to the spring season and enjoying the fresh feeling that comes with spring cleaning!
What’s your favorite spring cleaning tip? Share with us!
