Austin’s landscape is in full bloom, the temperatures are getting warmer, and there’s a tinge of excitement in the air as spring blankets the city in its warm glow. Daylight saving time has gifted us with one more hour of sunlight each day, giving us a little more leeway to accomplish everything on our to-do list including a little spring maintenance.
We’re convinced it’s easier to accomplish your spring cleaning over the course of a few days, so you still have time to spend exploring Austin and taking in the Texas bluebonnets. Here are a few things you can accomplish around the house whether you have 10, 30, or 60 minutes to spare.
If you have 10 minutes
Wipe the surfaces in your kitchen. Grab your favorite cleaning spray and wipe the surfaces of your kitchen, including the backsplash to your sink and oven as well as the inside of your sink. Removing crumbs and spills will instantly make your home feel more fresh!
Wipe the switch plates and door handles. Take a Clorox wipe or washcloth soaked in cleaning solution, and wipe the light switches and door handles. Not only will this make them sparkle and shine, but you’ll kill any remaining flu germs that may be infiltrating your home.
Clean your ceiling fan. Grab a duster and clean off any ceiling fans you may have in your home. They’ve likely accumulated dust over the winter, which you don’t want to disperse throughout the rooms in your home when you finally turn them on.
If you have 30 minutes
Clean out your fridge. It only takes a little time to clean out your fridge, and you should probably be doing it more often than you already are! Remove everything from the fridge, toss out what’s rotten or expired, and wipe the shelves and drawers with a Clorox wipe or washcloth with the cleaning solution of your choice.
Dust the blinds. Alleviate any allergens that may be trapped inside the home and give your blinds a good dusting. Close the blinds one way and remove dust with a wet cloth or Swiffer duster, then close them the opposite way to clean the other side.
Move the sweaters and winter coats to the back of your closet. You won’t need those in the warm weather of an Austin spring and summer! Move all of your sweaters and heavy coats to the back of your closet, or toss them into Rubbermaid containers or suitcases to store until the winter months.
Clean the toilets. There’s something about the smell of bathroom cleaners that really makes your home feel spick and span! Cleaning the toilets will give your house a little extra shine and gives you the opportunity to pick up around the house while you wait for the toilet bowl cleaner to sit for a while.
If you have 60 minutes
Sweep or hose off the deck. Say goodbye to that yellow pollen layering on top of your deck, and get ready for spring entertaining by washing off the pollen on your deck! If it’s caked on, your deck may need a little scrubbing. Sweep or vacuum to remove debris and give it a good rinse.
Scrub, sweep, or vacuum the floors. Take your time cleaning the floors and be sure to get every nook and cranny during your spring cleaning. The more effort you put in now, the more likely a quick mop or vacuum will do the trick through the rest of the season.
Pick up around the house. Whether you have kids, pets, or find yourself too busy to clean during the week, one hour on the weekend could allot you enough time to return objects to where they belong in your home. File away loose papers and mail, hang up any clothes that didn’t make it back in the closet, put away clean dishes, and clear off counter spaces!
Dust the surfaces around your home. Not only will dusting off shelves and cabinets alleviate allergies, but it makes any home feel a little more put together. Grab a Swiffer duster and easily brush off the surfaces of your home to remove any gunk left behind from holiday decorations and family gatherings.
If you have a day
Clean out your closet. You may have removed your winter clothes (or at least hidden them in the back of the closet), but spring is the perfect time to do a full closet clean out! Remove everything you can from your closet, and only return the items you know you’ll wear. If you haven’t worn something in the past year, ask yourself if you really need to keep it.
Do some landscaping. Nothing makes a home feel as fresh as new landscaping around the grounds of the residence. Head to one of Austin's gardening stores and snag a few seasonal flowers or succulents to jazz up your landscaping.
Clean the windows. To get the job done quickly, grab some Windex and a paper towel and freshen up your windows inside. You can always call a professional to come out and wash your windows if you live in a large home or have windows that are unreachable even with a ladder.
Wash and dry your bedding. Depending on how many bedrooms you have and how frequently they’re used, this could take only a few hours. After you dust and vacuum, strip the sheets from the beds in your home and give them a good wash and dry. This is also a great time to bring out spring bedding and throw pillows if you change your linens each season!
Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be stressful! When you tackle a little bit at a time, you’ll be better able to accomplish more without trying to cram it all into one day. If you haven’t done so recently, it’s also a great idea to perform some home maintenance this spring and get your home ready for the season!
