Ah, spring! The weather is starting to warm up and you can see the buds on the trees. Spring is a happy season of hope and renewal. It’s also time for spring cleaning, which is sort of something to dread. Unless you think about the end result, which is a fresh and clean house. Spring cleaning is a big job, but it’s so much easier to tackle if you keep up with regular housekeeping. Here are some housekeeping hacks to help make the job more manageable.

1. Make your bed. First thing, every morning. You’ll see how it instantly makes your bedroom look neater and cleaner.
2. Have a daily routine. You don’t have to do a major cleaning every day, but you should make certain chores a part of your routine: making your bed, wiping down the sink after you brush your teeth, sweeping the floor every night.
3. Keep a basket at the foot of the stairs. Objects somehow always get away from their designated places, especially if you have kids. Keep a basket at the foot of the stairs for all items that belong upstairs. At the end of the day you can take up the basket and put everything away. This helps avoid clutter around the house and multiple trips up the stairs.
4. Clean as you go. Doing this makes maintenance a whole lot easier. Tossing dirty clothes straight into the hamper, folding and putting away clean laundry instead of leaving it to sit in the basket, and rinsing dishes and loading into the dishwasher right away are some of the things you can do so that chores don’t pile up.
5. Clean the kitchen every night. Before going to bed, make sure the counters are clean, the sinks are clean, and all food and dishes are put away. There’s nothing like walking into a clean kitchen in the morning.
6. Stay focused. When you tackle a chore, stay with it until you’re done; don’t try to multitask and allow yourself to get distracted. You’ll get the job done faster and more efficiently.
7. Regularly go through toiletries and medicines. Do this every two months or so and toss out whatever has expired.
8. Use newspaper to clean glass. Sounds weird, by try it instead of paper towels or rags- it streaks less and doesn’t leave residue or lint.
9. Put a clean, dry towel in the dryer. Toss it in with wet clothes to help them dry faster.
10. Clean sponges often. To kill germs, clean them in the dishwasher or zap in the microwave for one minute.
11. Iron damp clothes. Iron your clothes when they’re slightly damp- the moisture helps release wrinkles.
12. Use a natural DIY air freshener. Mix water and lemon juice in a spray bottle and spritz around the house for a fresh, clean smell without chemicals. An added bonus is that the lemon is also anti-bacterial.
13. Buy fresh flowers. Put out fresh flowers once a week to give your home a finished, polished look and feeling. The wonderful aroma of fresh flowers doesn’t hurt, either.

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