Go the extra mile for your spring clean

Is there anything more energizing than opening the windows, letting in the spring breeze and getting all the winter dust out?

Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to get your home organized and to purge unwanted items, which is a smart way to accumulate a little extra cash. It also lets you get on top of some neglected home maintenance tasks, which can be important in protecting your home investment.

DIY cleaners

Commercial cleaners certainly get the job done, but are generally quite expensive. Their strong fumes are problematic if you have any respiratory issues like asthma. You can save a lot of money and have a more natural cleaning experience by using other household products for cleaners.

Vinegar is a great stand-by for just about any surface. You simply combine equal parts vinegar and water and put in a mop bucket or spray bottle. Another natural, but very effective idea to clean your bathroom is to cut a grapefruit in half and sprinkle generously with salt. It will foam up and is really good at cleaning off soap scum.

Clean out closets

It’s time to go through your clothing and decide what you can bring to your local consignment store. For larger items, like sports equipment, small appliances or furniture, post for sale on used sites.

Wash linens

While you are in the closets cleaning mode, don’t forget your linen closet. Launder all the items in there, because they tend to get dusty over the winter.

Wash down outside

It’s time to clean winter off of the outside of your home as well. Get in the habit of wiping down your light fixtures; pressure washing your back deck; cleaning the windows and screens: inspecting for damage that may have occurred over the winter. You can also inspect caulking around the windows and fix any cracks. Well-sealed windows are important, to keep heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. The fewer cracks you have in your home, the less money you will loose from air escaping.