Spring is approaching quickly, and with it comes the necessary cleaning and purging of your home and belongings. Whether you love or hate it, a good deep cleaning can be therapeutic and even improve your quality of life.

If you’re looking for some motivation to get started, check out these 5 tips.

1.     Kitchen

-          If you clean your sponge in the microwave you’ll kill the harmful bacteria and be able to reuse it on multiple surfaces.

-          If your microwave needs a good scrubbing, but the old hardened food particles have you less-than-enthusiastic, just microwave a wet sponge to loosen it up first.

-          Keep your kitchen smelling great by cleaning your garbage disposal with some vinegar and baking soda.

2.     Bathroom

-          Use car wax on the walls and doors of the shower/bath twice a year to prevent water spots. Just don’t put any on the floor to avoid slipping.

-          Pour cola into your toilet and allow it to sit, and then scrub with your brush and voila! A clean toilet.

3.     Bedroom

-          Keep your mattress shaped and fresh by rotating it and flipping it over every few months. Sprinkle some baking soda on it, as well, to keep weird smells at bay.

-          To purge some of your overflowing closet, turn all of your hangers around.  When you take something off to wear, hang it back up after it’s been washed with the hanger facing the right way. After 6 months or so, donate anything that’s still reversed that you don’t seem to like wearing.

4.     Windows

-          Dust builds up on curtains and window treatments, so remove them and have them dry-cleaned or wash them yourself to improve the air quality in your home.

-          Clean your windows with cleaner in the morning or evening, when it’s not hot. If the windows are hot, the cleaner will dry quickly leaving streaks. Use a sponge to apply cleaner then use a squeegee to evenly wipe off the excess.

5.     Dusting

-          Use small paint brushes to dust small crevices, like creases in lampshades or small corners that are hard to reach.

-          Use an old sock or dusting mitt to easily dust the blinds.

-          Your fridge gets dusty too. Use your vacuum to suck out the dust and debris from the vents and condenser coils.

Some general tips to keep you successful:

-          Work from the top of each room down, so anything that falls will be picked up once you reach the bottom.

-          Start with the biggest, hardest task first and the rest will seem easy.

-          Stay organized with a caddy so you don’t have to continually run around the house searching for the tool or cleaner you need.

-          Pace yourself and recruit help so you don’t get overwhelmed.

And of course, you must protect your freshly cleaned home with proper home insurance so all of your hard work isn’t for naught.Learn more about the importance of insuring your home from the professionals at Insurance Center Associates.