Getting your house ready for the spring is not only cleaning but, unfortunately, the great deal of it is. This is why for most households, spring cleaning is an annual tradition. It is an opportunity for the entire family to clean up after the cold winter. Here are some simple but inexpensive techniques to make spring cleaning easier, as well as prepare your home for the new beautiful season.
1. Use lemon to remove water stains
Having trouble getting rid of the water stains on your mirror or bathroom tiles? The acidity of the lemon’s juice is proven to be effective in removing these stains. Just slice the lemon into wedges, rub them on the affected area and let it sit for five to ten minutes. After that, wipe off the juice using an old towel and then rinse.
2. Take advantage of Coke’s acidity to clean the toilet
There are urban legends about Coke (and all forms of soda in general) being too acidic that it can puncture through the stomach. While this claim has not been proven at all, what people have discovered is that it is acidic enough to clean a toilet. Just pour an entire bottle into the toilet. Leave it for ten minutes and let it do its magic.
3. Bring cotton buds or old toothbrush to scrub dirt off keyboard
Computers must also be part of spring cleaning. To clean the keyboard, use an old cloth to get off the most obvious of the dirt from the surface. To get rid of the dirt in between the keys, use cotton buds. An old toothbrush can also do the trick.
4. Dissolve the grease in your stove burner with ammonia
Cleaning off the stove burner can be such a nightmare especially when the grease has already dried off. To assist in dissolving the grease, remove the burner from the stove. Place it in a Ziploc bag and put in a quarter of a cup of ammonia. Do not do anything to it for a night. When you wake up, you will find that the fumes have taken off the grease without you having to brush it off.
5. Put a few blocks of charcoal in the fridge to get rid of the smell
Charcoal is an effective tool in eliminating the awful smell of refrigerators. This is due to its odor-absorbing properties. Just put the blocks of charcoal in an unused bowl and let it sit in the fridge for a few days.
6. Scrape off scorched marks on iron through salt
If your flat iron has a lot of scorched marks, one way to make them come off would be the use of table salt. Put a cup or so of table salt and spread it a bit on a flat surface. Turn the flat iron on and then put it on the table salt as if you are ironing it. This will help the scorched marks melt off.
7. Eliminate bad odor of shoes through used tea bags
When the insides of the shoes get wet due to sweat or rain and it is not dried off properly, it will start smelling. This can be tough to get rid of by just pure washing. One of the most effective ways to bring the shoes to its original smell would be to put some used teabags inside the shoes for a few days. The tea leaves neutralize the odor, getting rid of it the next time you use the shoes.
8. Use vinegar to clean out windows
If just using water is no longer enough to clean out your windows, you may want to try out mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar in a spray bottle with water. Spray the solution on the glass and then wipe it off using old fabric.
9. Empty out pipes with vinegar
To help prevent pipes from clogging, pour some vinegar into your sink. Let it sit for an hour or so. Follow it up with some hot water to rinse it down. This will help loosen up whatever is stuck in your pipes. You can add some baking soda with the vinegar as well to make it even more foolproof.
10. Clean stainless steel using baby oil
For stainless steel items like pans and pots, you do not need to purchase an extremely expensive steel cleaner. Just take some baby oil and pour some drops into the stainless steel. Take a clean cloth and then wipe carefully. Wash the baby oil off using water. Make sure to pat dry with another clean cloth and then put it in the cabinet.
As you see, these are some very effective spring cleaning tips you can use. But sometimes, as the seasons change, you want your home to change with it, not only become cleaner.
11. Get new furniture – or move the old one
Buying some new furniture and getting rid of the old pieces you’re tired of is always an option, but a pretty expensive one. A great idea would be just to move the furniture within your home. Let’s say, the living room could get the carpet from the sleeping room. At the same time, the sofa and the dining set could switch their places. Here you are – your home looks different! You’ll see how fresh it feels when there’s something new at home!
If you are from Los Angeles, you can hire a professional interior designer Los Angeles has to offer to design every single room in your house. Hiring professional for interior design can save your time, money and efforts and have you the stunning interiors that everybody will love, independent from if you get new furniture or not.
12. Decorate your home for the Spring
Just like we decorate our homes for Christmas, it’s a great idea to do so for the Spring season. You don’t need to spend tons of money on it, just getting a few statement home accessories would do great! These could be some silk flowers, deco pillows or a colorful picture on the wall. If decorating your home isn’t your talent, opt for professionals. If you are from Beverly Hills, for example, look out for an interior designer Beverly Hills and get sparkling designs for your rooms.
