Things to Spring Clean

It is no secret that I have a love for organizing and cleaning. We hired a cleaning service at the beginning of 2020. They stopped coming when the pandemic began and I just never re-hired them. They did a great job, but I missed cleaning! 

There are a few chores that I loathe, but for example, I cannot stand unloading the dishwasher or hand washing dishes. I would rather clean a toilet than unload the dishwasher, ha!! Luckily, my fiancé does not mind doing that at all, so he usually takes care of that. Otherwise, I actually enjoy it all! Is there a chore that you just cannot stand doing?! 

With spring here (yay!) I thought I would share my top 5 things to prioritize with spring cleaning! 

Car Interior

This is something I think a lot more people outsource than do themselves, which is totally fine. We have a lot of services here in Pittsburgh that will even come to your house or office and detail your car. I just really enjoy doing my own car's interior cleaning. I vacuum it out, scrub the weather mats, wipe everything down, etc. etc. I am someone that has to have a clean car, but even with regular upkeep, the gross snow, slush, and salt residue can build up. Gross. I deep cleaned my car last weekend and it's been so enjoyable to ride around in a very clean car! 

Refrigerator/Pantry

This is a good one. I take everything out and make sure I get rid of expired items and disinfect the shelves and all of that. It helps to do this one when you're low on groceries so you don't have to pull out a freshly stocked fridge and pantry. I also find that it helps because then you can do a full audit of things you need from the store. 

Clothing/Shoes

Ok this isn't really a 'cleaning item' but whenever there is a change in season, I pull out all of the shoes that are showing a lot of wear and put them in a tote and right into my car. That way, I remember to take them to our cobbler so he is able to repair them, clean them up, etc. You don't want your shoes, especially winter shoes, to sit in your closet unworn for months without cleaning them up. This is because salt and grime from snow/rain can damage your shoes! 

Besides shoes, I always take my coats to the dry cleaner and have them cleaned and then leave them in the plastic (swap out the wire hangers they use first for nice hangers so coats keep their shape) to store until I need them next fall/winter. This way, you are starting your seasons with clean, well-kept things! 

Another tip in terms of clothing (this is really more for men) is to get formal items that you don't regularly wear dry cleaned quickly after you have worn them. My fiancé has forgotten to dry clean his tux after an event and then has to quickly scramble to get his tux dry cleaned right before the event! Ever since, he has always been good about getting his tux dry cleaned immediately so he can just pull it out right before the event knowing it's ready to go. 

Laundry

Wash anything that you don't on a regular basis. If your curtains can be washed, do it. Bed skirts, mattress pad covers, throw pillow covers, euro shams, throw blankets, cushions, etc., etc. 

Rugs

This one is so satisfying. Take your rugs outdoors and scrub/power wash your rugs. Let them dry and bring them back in fresh and clean. If you don't have a power washer, you can rent one from somewhere like Home Depot/Lowe's. They're actually not all that expensive to purchase, though, I find it more of a pain to have to store it if anything. Be careful, though, pay attention to the weave of your rug and what it is made of. You could end up ruining something if you don't make sure what to use on your specific rug! This is when you can also do your car's mats, too! 

Replace Items

Get a new toothbrush, toss your toilet brushes, if your hairbrush is overly worn with missing bristles, get a new one and toss the old. Get rid of expired makeup, cleaning products, medications, etc. Replace overly worn towels, bath mats, sheets, etc. Toss old workout shoes, bras, etc. I don't know about you but sometimes I save these things but still never use them again and I don't know why I end up saving them in the first place! The key here is not to be wasteful, but be real with yourself and if it's overly worn and no longer serving a purpose for you, get rid of it! 

There are a million and one things to clean and organize but I wanted to start with these! I will share more in another post in the near future! Do you have any spring cleaning tips to share?!