posted
March 11, 2021
in
Blogs
Spring is right around the corner, and you know what that means?! Spring cleaning! We can’t wait for the days when windows are open wide and fresh air flows in and pushes the stale winter air right out. With most of 2020 and now 2021 being bogged down by the Covid pandemic, many of us spent far more time in our homes than we ever could have imagined, which means more messes, fingerprints and laundry to take care of. We’re here to help you make your home sparkle and shine!
On top of traditional spring cleaning, you may decide to take a deeper dive and tackle total home organization. Sound too daunting? Just take it one step at a time. Take a look at our Spring Cleaning Checklist blog post from 2019 to get yourself started on the right foot. If you’re just jumping on the total home organization band-wagon, check out our blog post from last year for tips on how to get started: Spring Home Organization Tips.
From home organization to cleaning all the nooks and crannies..it can be overwhelming. We want to pass along some tips and tricks we’ve learned to give inspiration and help get you to a fresh and clean space.
Home organization
Some of you may have dipped your toes in the organization pond in 2020, what else did we have to do during the pandemic?! But now’s the time to check in and see how your system is working and make adjustments where needed. We’ve listed some examples below.
- Linens. Do you really need 25 bath towels, 34 hand towels and 27 blankets? Probably not. Take this time to downsize where you’re able to and consider donating unused blankets, towels, and linens to your local animal shelter. They can also be cut up and used as free cleaning rags.
- Reassess the size of your storage/organization vessels. Are some of your bins overflowing and some bare? Shift things around to take advantage of all precious storage space.
- Labels. If any changes are made to your storage containers, make changes to labels while you’re at it! No sense in putting nail polishes in a bin that says soap when they can be changed out quickly.
- Tidy up your junk drawer. We all have one and we know how unruly they can get. Take a minute to get it back in order and disperse things to their rightful homes.
- Have items you haven’t touched since the last time you did spring cleaning? Consider donating, throwing out or repurposing them to give things you use consistently more accessibility.
Cleaning Hacks
Cleaning is considered fun by only a rare breed of people. If you’re one of them, please know we envy you! For the rest of us who tend to dread the task of deep cleaning, we hope you can walk away feeling ready to tackle the project with a little more enthusiasm than usual after reading our cleaning hacks.
- Cleaning supply caddy. We know it seems strange, but let us tell you, if you get to carry around a stylish ‘bucket’ with your most used cleaning products, it makes using them more fun!
- Your dishwasher is your friend. Dishwashers are not just for dishes! Stop scrubbing those teeny-tiny pieces of Lego and load up your dishwasher instead. You can also throw in your hair brushes, pet dishes, refrigerator shelves, soap dishes, tweezers, drawer knobs..you name it!. When the cycle is through, it’s best to clean your dishwasher, yes, it needs some TLC too, by placing a cup of white vinegar on the top shelf and running it through its hottest cycle.
- Homemade cleaning products. Many of you probably know this one, but for the newbies, vinegar will quickly become a staple in your home. It’s uses are very broad, from making your own cleaning or room sprays, washing windows, washing mirrors, removing hard water stains, unclogging drains, cleaning your coffee maker..the options are virtually endless.
- Windex is not king. To wash your windows, mix 1 teaspoon of mild dishwashing soap to several gallons of water. Pour your homemade solution into an empty spray bottle and use old newspapers or a clean microfiber cloth to wipe away the grime.
Pro Tip: Leave this job for a rainy day — literally. Sunshine can make your windows dry too quickly and leave unsightly streaks behind.
- Steam-clean your microwave. Is your microwave coated with hardened food stains? Grab a microwave-safe bowl, fill it with 1-2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, plus a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Nuke it for five minutes and the stains will wipe right off!
- Spread scent sachets around your home. Do you have areas of your home you’d like to keep smelling fresh with no effort? Consider using scent sachets. They can easily be placed in many areas, but are especially great in bathrooms, vacuum bags, trash cans, closets, cars, and even in gift bags.
Now you’re all set to take on even the toughest of messes! If while getting your home in cleaning gear, you decide you’d rather just tear out a room and start over – we’re here for you! Our current Home Equity Loan and Line of Credit rates are lower than ever and are available with no closing costs! Visit us online to learn more!
Greater Iowa Credit Union is in no way endorsing any products mentioned in this blog.
- charitable organization
- charity
- cleaning
- community giving
- donate
- donation
- giving
- giving back
- hel
- heloc
- home
- home equity line of credit
- home equity loan
- home improvement
- home loan
- no closing costs
- remodel
- spring