We may still be in the middle of the winter slump, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing for spring. One thing you may do in terms of your home as spring starts to get closer is work on deep cleaning and freshening up. Even if you don’t want to wait until spring, keeping your home fresh has benefits year-round.
A fresh home smells great, the air quality is better, and you can keep your home décor and furniture in good shape for longer when it’s well-maintained.
A big part of improving the longevity of the furnishings and other items you invest in is maintenance.
With all that being said, the following are some ways you can work on keeping your home naturally fresh for spring cleaning, or any time of the year.
Clean Rugs and Carpets Regularly
Unless you have a major spill or stain you want to be cleaned professionally, you may overlook the importance of regularly cleaning your rugs and carpets. Don’t. The rugs and carpets in your home can be major dirt, dust and allergen traps. Even if they look clean, chances are they aren’t.
First, vacuuming alone isn’t enough to thoroughly clean your carpets. According to one interior designer who specializes in allergy-free housecleaning, indoor air quality can be eight to ten times worse than outdoor air quality if you don’t clean your flooring regularly.
It’s recommended to have a professional rug and carpet steam cleaning every six months and if you have pets, every four to six weeks. Sounds crazy, but so important for a fresh home and especially if allergies are an issue for your family.
You may think you can tackle it on your own, but trying to steam cleaning your carpets on your own can cause wear and tear to your carpet fibers, and you won’t be able to get the deep clean a professional can.
If your goal is true natural freshening, you can opt for a cleaning service that offers organic products.
Open Your Windows For a Few Minutes
When is the last time you opened the windows in your home? If you’re like most people, it might have been quite some time ago. Because of central heating and air and all of our favorite other modern conveniences, people tend to open their windows pretty infrequently.
However, just 10 minutes of open window time can go a long way to getting things circulating and feeling fresher pretty quickly. Even in the winter, a few minutes of open windows can be valuable.
Deodorizing
Your home may not smell entirely fresh thanks to pets, food in the refrigerator, smells that get trapped in carpets and furnishings and many other reasons.
A few tips to help your home smell fresh and pleasant include:
- Put essential oil in your vacuum cleaner filter if you have one. This will release the scent into the air or your home every time you vacuum. As an added benefit, essential oils can help you feel more relaxed as well.
- When you use lemons, save the peels and put them into your garbage disposal every once in a while. Turn it on and let it go to work while the peels are in there.
- Create your own natural air freshener with vinegar and an infusion of citrus juice such as lemon or orange. Don’t forget about cleaning your washing machine. Your washing machine may be more of a source of bad odors than you even realize. To clean your washing machine, put in some vinegar and fill it with hot water. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub it with a sponge. Drain it, fill it again and add baking soda. Scrub again and drain.
Finally, your décor can be freshened up as well. If you have items such as throw pillows or small décor that can be easily and inexpensively replaced, consider doing it a few times a year. Change up your colors just a bit and get rid of items that are old, dated, or in bad condition.
You can also think about making other small changes around the house to freshen it. Choose one room or area a week to completely clear clutter from. Sometimes if you try to take on too much de-cluttering, it’s overwhelming, so do it regularly but in small sections.
Also, add a fresh coat of paint to your front door or maybe the trim in your home if you want to quickly and inexpensively freshen things up.
