Spring Cleaning Hacks {Tips for a Cleaner House in Half the Time!}

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fellowes Brands. All opinions are 100% mine.

Well, it’s that time of year again! Time to scrub down the house, deep-clean everything, and freshen up the indoors after a long, gray winter. And while I dread the actual process of cleaning my house, I do appreciate the organized interior once the job is done! That’s why I love these Spring Cleaning Hacks, which get me the results I want in about half the time!

Ugh, I have SUCH a love-hate relationship with cleaning up my house. On one hand it’s completely overwhelming (hello, 3 dirty little boys and all of their STUFF!), but on the other hand it brings me a great sense of accomplishment and clarity when I am surrounded by a well-organized, decluttered home.

Since we routinely keep our house relatively clean throughout the year, I look at Spring Cleaning as a reminder to touch those often-overlooked areas that have been neglected for a few months (or years!!). I’ve already tackled my linen closet this season, which was a HUGE deal. I don’t think that thing had been touched in about 4 years, so it was LONG overdue for some attention.

Now that I’ve got that task under my belt, I’m at least a bit more motivated to tackle the rest of my to-do list. In addition to sorting through the kids’ warm weather clothes (and packing away the winter gear!!), these are the other areas that I will be focused on in the coming weeks. And since I’m the Queen of Shortcuts, I’m sharing some strategies that I’ve found to make these particular tasks MUCH more manageable. Here we go…

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CLEAN THE BASEBOARDS:

• HACK: wipe the baseboards down with dryer sheets! The dryer sheets remove the gunk, but their residue also helps to repel hair and dust in the future…leaving the baseboards cleaner for longer!

CLEAN REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER:

• HACK: use refrigerator bins or even just plastic containers from the Dollar Store (as I showed you in this post) to store your food. The bins keep the items in your refrigerator organized, but they also make clean up SUPER fast. If I notice that something has leaked, spilled, or become sticky in one of my bins, I don’t have to sanitize and clean the entire fridge. Instead, I just toss the plastic bin in the dishwasher and I’m done!

• I know that a lot of folks use disposable contact paper as a shelf liner in the refrigerator, too. This makes it easy to peel and toss when the liner gets dirty!

CLEAN THE WALLS:

• HACK: Rinse a washcloth in a bucket of soapy water (you can use the cleaner of your choice, but something like Pine Sol works well). Wring it out so that it’s just damp, and then secure the washcloth onto the head of a Swiffer floor cleaner (you can easily secure the washcloth by tucking the corners into the holes). Then use the Swiffer with the attached washcloth to clean your walls and reach those high areas, such as the crown molding and the upper corners. You will need to rinse the washcloth in the soapy water periodically.

• For small, dark, hard-to-remove spots (and oh-so-many fingerprints), I like to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. They literally erase it all!

CLEAR COUNTERS/DESKS OF PAPER CLUTTER:

• HACK: the piles of bills, school papers, magazines, junk mail, children’s artwork, etc. all add up quickly! And since a cluttered desk or counter space is incredibly distracting for me, there’s no better feeling than finding an appropriate spot for the most important items. Take some time to sit down and really sort through it all. I keep a folder for each child where I store my favorite pieces of artwork and school projects. The rest get tossed! I also have designated, labeled files in my home office file cabinets for important hard copy paperwork that I need to save. Filing isn’t fun, but it’s necessary – so set aside the time to just get it done! And when you have these established places already set up to keep the papers that you do need, it makes the clean up process much faster and easier.

• • And finally, for the paperwork that you do NOT need to keep, there’s no more efficient and safe way to properly destroy the documents than with the stylish Fellowes 79Ci shredder. I’ve mentioned my love for this piece of equipment before, but it really is fantastic, and it makes keeping a clean and organized home SO much easier! The shredder is great for those balancing busy schedules and seeking time-saving solutions (me! and you?!). The 79Ci features a sleek design and advanced technologies such as:
  • Patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs

• • Heavy-duty Cross-Cut blades that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper per pass in addition to staples, paper clips, credit cards, junk mail and CDs

• • An extended 20 minute run time for increased productivity

• • Patented SafeSense® Technology which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening

• • Energy Savings System that maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use

• • SilentShred™ Technology that offers ultra-quiet shredder performance

• The 79Ci is available at Amazon and Office Superstores.

CLEAN WINDOWS:

• HACK: for the window sills and tracks, which tend to collect the most gunk, sprinkle with baking soda and then splash some white vinegar over top. It’s like a science experiment! It will bubble and fizz, but allow it to sit like that for a few minutes. Then come back to it and use a toothbrush or a Q-tip to scrape out all of the dirt from the small, hard-to-reach corners and grooves. Give it a final wipe down and you’re done!

• For the outside of large glass windows, use Rain X 2-In-1 Glass Cleaner Plus Rain Repellent for windows that stay clean for months! Sure, it’s made for car windshields, but the effects are the same on your home, as it keeps away water stains and other debris that might otherwise accumulate on the outside of the glass.

CLEAN GARBAGE CANS:

• HACK: put some liquid dish detergent in the bottom of the can. Use a sprayer attachment on a hose to “power wash” the inside of your cans. Dump out any excess water and allow them to sit in the sun to fully dry! This works for both kitchen trashcans as well as the larger outdoor cans.

WIPE DOWN KITCHEN CABINETS:

• HACK: I always use a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge to scrub away the marks and dirt on my white cabinets, and then wipe them off again with a dry cloth. It’s quick, easy, and very effective!

And there you have it! What’s on your Spring Cleaning list? Have I missed anything important? I’d love to hear the shortcuts or “hacks” that you love, as well!