While I am a big advocate of cleaning on a regular basis (haha), I actually love Spring Cleaning. When I think of Spring Cleaning many memories come to mind. I think about the smell of fresh laundry, sheets hung outside to dry in the sun, hallways that smell like vinegar, cucumber melon, sandwiches and days spent on the porch.

After moving out on our own, there are still some of these memories and ways of cleaning that I use, but having a partner that values cleanliness is invaluable! Chris has a pretty set schedule of cleaning bathrooms on Sundays and helping with the household chores and I love it (thanks Mom, for raising him this way)!

There are a few tips and tricks that help make our life a little easier for regular cleaning and also for our “Spring Cleaning” that I wanted to share today – hopefully this will help you this Spring!

1.) Scheduling –

I typically schedule regular cleaning in a few intervals: daily, weekly, monthly, & 1-2 times a year (Spring & Fall cleaning). These include most of our major cleaning duties, but do not include all of them (little details such as toilet cleaning can be generalized into “bathroom cleaning”). This helps make the Spring or Fall cleaning much easier and less to do on one day or in one week.

Daily: dishes, wiping counters, sweeping if needed, general pick up of rooms.

Weekly: Twice a week is my typical routine. Vacuum, Swiffer and mop the floors. Clean outside of cabinets and change out wax warmers. Dust as needed. Take out trash and litter. Clean bathrooms. Laundry. Porch sweeping, grass cutting and general outside care.

Monthly: Usually done in the first week of a month. Wipe baseboards, clean windows and window sills, major dusting (fans and light fixtures). Sheets and blankets. Tub cleaning.

1-2 Times A Year: Wash curtains if needed, clean out the fridge, take stock of expired/unexpired items in cabinets or pantry. Clean out from behind furniture/appliances.

2.) Vinegar –

My grandmother used to mop all of our wood floors with some type of vinegar wash. I have no idea what ratio she used but I remember those days were the ones that I couldn’t stand to be in the house due to the smell and our doors would stay open until we went to sleep to help air it out. It may be some old-age type of cleaning but she did it at least once or twice a year and our floors looked great (she also didn’t let us rollerblade in the house…if she could help it).

I prefer to use a wood cleaner with citrus in it myself and that’s what we use on our wood floors now. Smells so good!

3.) Hanging Sheets Outdoors

Eventually I will build our own clothesline – for now I string up a makeshift one between our porch columns (and it works just fine!). When I was little, we would hang all of our towels and linens outside when it was a sunny day. There’s nothing like a freshly washed sheet that smells like detergent and sunshine. It makes me feel like we live in pioneer days, except that I can walk back inside and watch TV while waiting for the blankets to dry.

4.) It’s The Little Spaces –

Every now and then I see a spot in the house that is randomly dirty (it’s amazing what collects dust) and I wonder how it even happened. There are plenty of places I don’t typically clean that I like to take care of during Spring Cleaning. Light switch plates, corners of the ceilings, corners of the walls in general, tops of the cabinets and fridge, kitchen walls (think behind the stove), under the cabinets and the inside of the cabinet doors, hallway molding…these little spots can make a difference in the overall cleanliness of your home!

5.) Oldies, But Goodies –

Playlists make everything better. We make playlists for everything under the sun; a trip to Greenville, hiking, vacations, seasons, etc…

It may sound cliché, but my favorite playlists to clean to are typically those from the 50’s and 60’s. Something about that stereotypical housewife era gives me the energy to tackle the dusting.

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I hope these tips help you with your cleaning! Do you have any tried and true methods?