Summer is here! This is the perfect time to clean out your home, and give your family a clean and clutter free place to have fun. A study in 2009 found that women with cluttered homes had a higher tendency toward depression. In another article, Psychology Today says that an increase in clutter “bombards our minds with excessive stimuli”, and “makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.” To protect your mental health as well as the overall health of your home, begin the process of rejuvenating your living spaces by decluttering!
Step 1: Get rid of unnecessary things
- Start with one room at a time, and get the whole family involved! Decide how long it’s been since you’ve used something, and if it’s been over a month, donate it.
- If you can’t part with something, give the item designated space out of the commonly used areas.
- Go through piled up papers or old bills, and recycle anything you don’t absolutely need.
Step 2: Give everything a place
When everything has a designated space, it’s less likely that your home will become cluttered again. With the right organization products, you can make everything fit perfectly in an organized way. Take something out of its space, and put it back when you are done!
Step 3: Get ready to clean
Make sure that you have all the right products for all the right jobs and surfaces! Wood cleaners, multi-purpose solutions, and the right rags and dusters can make all the difference when it comes time to polish your newly de-cluttered home!
Once you have removed all unnecessary clutter, it’s time to start cleaning. From dusting to scrubbing out carpet stains, deep cleaning your home can make it feel brand new! You have all the needed supplies, let’s get started!
Dusting
- Start with the highest items and work your way down.
- Dust windowsills, blinds, tables, tv stands, bedside tables, and mantles with a damp cloth.
- Find a bendable duster at your local store or on Amazon.com for ceiling fans and light fixtures. The cover comes off and is washable!
- With a mop and an old sock, get all the cobwebs and built up pet hair out of the corners and moldings.
- Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean bathroom air vents
- Electronics should be unplugged and wiped down with a microfiber cloth.
- Small trinkets and antiques can be dusted with a lightly damp paint brush.
Once you’ve finished dusting, you can begin cleaning surfaces! There are plenty of natural cleaners to keep harsh chemicals away from your children and pets.
Lemon
Lemons are not only excellent cleaners, they help your home smell fresh and clean! Try using lemons to clean your kitchen surfaces, microwave, Coffee pot, fridge shelves, and sinks!
Vinegar
Vinegar is a versatile and effective cleaning option when mixed with water. Try using it in your dishwasher, on copper and brass, in the bathtub and on shower doors, carpet stains, kitchen drains, and much more!
Essential Oils
Due to the wide variety of Essential Oils available, they prove to be very useful in household cleaning! Solutions can be made with Orange, Peppermint, Lemon, Lavender, and Tea Tree oils to cleanse and provide an elegant scent in every room of your home!
Baking Soda
The old standby! Baking soda deodorizes and cleans simultaneously, giving you the flexibility and efficiency you need to tackle most household cleanings! Use Baking Soda to deodorize your trash can, clean a stovetop, polish silverware, clean shower grout, freshen a mattress, and remove oil stains from your driveway!
Castile Soap
Castile Soap is gentle on skin and eco-friendly! Use it to clean carpets, wood floors, in laundry, on walls, and sealed wood!
Now that you have decided on cleaners, it’s time to clean your home! Tackle this deep clean one room at a time, and make sure that you have plenty of supplies!
Bedrooms
- Move clockwise around your bedroom, starting with the toughest task first.
- Clean windows and mirrors with a vinegar solution
Bathrooms
- Use Vinegar solutions, Castile Soap, and Essential Oils to clean bathroom surfaces
- Let a sanitizing solution sit in the toilet bowl while you clean the lid, seat, and outside
- Use vinegar or castile soap solution to clean the floors, and add essential oils such as lavender or lemon to add a wonderful smell!
Kitchen
- Allow solutions to sit on built up stains or food spills while you address other areas
- Don’t use an oven cleaning solution in a self cleaning oven
- Clean the sink and faucet with your vinegar or Castile soap solution
- Clean cabinets with a damp cloth, or soap solution
Living Room
Thoroughly clean the floors, windows, and furniture in your living space with your vacuum cleaner, and appropriate cleaning solution. Open the windows and let the light in to enjoy your hard work!
Congratulations, your home is clean! Kick back and enjoy your summer months in a home that’s clean, and ready for all your summer activities.
