Springtime is here! One of my favorite things about the spring is the garage and yard sales. Everyone decides to KonMari their lives, and I gladly take their unwanted items. My second favorite thing about springtime is SPRING CLEANING! I am not a clean freak, but I do pay attention to detail. Each spring I do a super deep clean of our home, and I’m always left refreshed by the outcome. In the spirit of figuring out what I’m probably missing, I wanted to compile a list of the top seven places we tend to forget while spring cleaning.
1. Small Kitchen Appliances
Toasters, can openers, coffee machines, and waffle makers all get quite neglected. They serve us our goods and get quickly moved to the side (at least in our home). MarthaStewart.com has some great tips for cleaning these small appliances.
2. The Dreaded Garbage Disposal
It’s no secret that there’s always something left behind in the garbage disposal. Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of old food left in the garbage disposal. If you want to make sure you don’t attract any extra fruit flies, try these methods!
3. Toothbrush Holders
Bacteria can form and build up from the excess water and residue left on the toothbrush after brushing. You don’t want bacteria traveling back into your mouth. Be sure to clean the bottom of your current toothbrush holder, or try one of these cool toothbrush holder/dispensers to kick the risk!
4. Mattresses
This can take up a solid hour or two of your time but the reward is well worth your efforts. In addition to flipping our mattress, you should clean and vacuum it. Here’s how to properly clean your mattress.
5. Behind Large Appliances
Food particles and dust are sure to collect behind your refrigerator and washing machine and dryer. We like to pull ours out and clean under and behind them at least every spring.
6. The Vacuum
This poor machine is often stuck cleaning everything else and gets a beating. Show your vacuum some TLC this spring! Again, this isn’t a fun or effortless thing to do and of course will take some time, BUT it is worth it. Go to the expert herself, Clean Mama, and learn how to properly clean your vacuum.
7. Your Trashcan
Last, but certainly not least, the trash can. Most of us neglect cleaning the inside and outside of our trash can because it’s the trashcan and always has trash in it. The trashcan is easily the grossest thing in our home. Food splatters everywhere each day as we try to train our littles to dump their own plates. I usually wipe down the outside of the trash can, but I avoid cleaning the inside like the plague. Well, spring cleaning calls for getting down and dirty. I recommend using a hose if you can. If you can’t, I recommend using your shower. If those aren’t options for you, then you’ll need to use a bucket to rinse out the can after you scrub it or spray the cleaner inside of it.
Hopefully, this list has been a help to you as you begin your spring cleaning! Our family personally loves to use non-toxic cleaners; click here for tips on how to spring clean the non-toxic way! Happy cleaning!
