As warmer weather arrives, it is time to open up your windows and let in the sunshine. Spring cleaning helps you declutter and organize your home. With the right tips, you can also improve your indoor air quality and make sure your family has a healthy home throughout the year.

1. Declutter

Decluttering helps you stay organized. Interestingly, it also helps you sleep better at night. Clutter makes you feel uneasy. If you want to reduce stress or minimize the dust in your home, start decluttering. You can begin by organizing your closets and office. Then, organize your junk drawer. As you go through each room, you should make sure to dust it to get rid of any allergens.

2. Deep Clean Your Home

A deep clean goes beyond dusting and vacuuming. Deep cleaning means finally addressing those spots you’ve long neglected such as…

Vent covers
Ceiling fans
Windows
Grout
Baseboards

You can add appliances to this list. Give your refrigerator the attention it deserves.

Remove all of the food and shelves from your fridge. Then, you should carefully wash down the shelves and interior before you put everything back inside of it.

To give these things a thorough scrubbing, you’ll need the right tools. Gather the following items:

Disposable rags
A pair of rubber gloves
A scrub brush and an old toothbrush
Two buckets -- one for wringing out your dirty rag and one for fresh clean water
A scrub pad
A spray bottle of half distilled water and white vinegar

3. Disinfect Your Cutting Board

Your cutting board harbors bacteria within the grooves on its surface. Since a cutting board can have 200 times more fecal matter than a toilet seat, take some time to sanitize your cutting board on a regular basis.

4. Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not dirty. The air you breathe could be loaded with pollutants. Dust, dander, and other airborne contaminants can trigger allergic reactions or impact your respiratory system in other negative ways.

Make it a point to change out the air filter in your central air system every 30 to 90 days. This one simple step can go a long way toward improving your indoor air quality.

Also, consider scheduling a professional duct cleaning, and investing in an air purification system.

5. Work From Top to Bottom

When you start spring cleaning, begin near your ceiling. Then, work your way down from there. Dust and dirt will get knocked down as you clean, so cleaning the top of your rooms first will mean that you do not have to dust the same things twice. For example, you should start cleaning each room by dusting your ceiling fans and cleaning your ceilings. Then, dust the surfaces in the room before you clean your floors.

6. Clean Your Shower Curtains

Unfortunately, there are a number of places in your home that can be forgotten about. Over time, shower curtains can develop mold and mildew from being wet so often. When you spring clean your home, using vinegar can help you kill any mold on your shower curtains.

7. Disinfect Your Washing Machine

Over time, your washing machine can become dirty. To clean it, add a cup of chlorine bleach and run the washing machine without any clothes in it. Use hot water during the cycle. Once the cycle is done, you can wash the inside of the washer by hand. Then, you should run a final rinse cycle to remove any residue from your cleaning products.

8. Wash Your Grocery Bags

Reusable grocery bags allow you to protect the environment, but they require extra work. Over a few weeks or months, these grocery bags can become dirty. Food remnants and bacteria can rot in the bag, so it is important to clean them on a regular basis. Before you toss the bags into your washer, you should turn them inside out and remove any debris from the bags first.

9. Rent a Steam Vacuum

A steam vacuum is more hygienic than a standard vacuum. The heat within these machines gets extremely high, which allows the steam vacuum to kill bacteria in your carpets. Because steam vacuums use water, they speed up the time it takes to clean your rugs. The water soaks into stains so that the discoloration can be easily lifted from the fabric. In addition, steam vacuums are a chemical-free way to clean your carpets. While these vacuums can be costly to purchase, they can be easily rented at many hardware stores.

Bottom line: Spring cleaning allows you to enjoy a healthier home because you can actively remove allergens like dirt and dust from your home. From replacing the filter in your air conditioner to using a steam vacuum, these tips will help you tackle your upcoming cleaning goals this spring.

For all of your indoor air quality needs, contact Hedrick’s Service Now at (214) 509-6029.

9 Spring Cleaning Tips for a Healthier Home