Spring is the traditional time to remove the winter blues from your home and prepare it for long days of summer fun. Cleaning isn’t fun, but it can be easy and healthy. It’s also a good exercise to take stock of your home and its contents.

You will want to clean effectively and in an organized manner. Take one room at a time and do it consistently. When you dust, dust the entire room. When you vacuum, vacuum the entire room. Make sure to move the furniture and get all the junk that has been hiding all winter.

When you’re dusting your appliances or electronics, this is a good time to document ownership. Why do you want to do it? If you have a fire or break-in, you’ll want to provide documentation of ownership. You don’t always need a receipt. You can document the make, model, and serial number of that new possession or you can take a quick photo that includes the serial number. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but if you do, it’ll be worth the ten minutes.

Let’s get back to the fun of spring cleaning. If you choose to do it yourself but don’t want to buy all the different cleaning products, here are some easy and inexpensive methods.

MULTIPURPOSE CLEANING
-. Mix 2 teaspoons of bleach and 5 cups of warm water.
– 1/2 cup of dish soap and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix well. Ideal for general cleaning.
– Clean with vinegar alone or diluted in water. Add essential oils to the mix to mask the strong vinegar smell.
– Sprinkle baking soda on hard-to-clean surfaces and dishes. Spray with water and let sit for a couple of minutes. Clean like new.
– To clean your plastic cutting board, sprinkle salt on the board. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon onto the board. Scrub and wipe. Use warm water to rinse off the lemon and salt mixture.
– If you need to unclog a drain, or just want to help keep it clean, put 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. For 1 cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it rest for 15 minutes. For hot water or boiling water down the drain.
– To make your faucets shine, put a couple of drops of olive oil on a dry cloth. Spray the faucet with carbonated water and dry it with the rag. Less will be detected.

FLOOR CLEANERS
– Mix 2 cups of vinegar with 4 cups of hot water. Add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil acts as a disinfectant.
– Add 2 tablespoons of dish soap to a bucket of hot water. Rinse with a mixture of vinegar and water.
– Add 1/4 cup of borax to hot water. Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap and 1 cup of vinegar. Fill the rest of the bucket with warm water. Add your favorite essential oil to the mix.

WINDOW CLEANERS
– Spray club soda on the window and wipe dry.
– Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water. Spray the mixture on the window and dry.
– Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with half a bucket of warm water. Clean the windows and dry them with a lint-free cloth.

AIR FRESHENERS
– When the weather permits, open your windows. Fresh air will bring life to your home.
– Add 3 to 5 drops of your favorite essential oil to a cup of baking soda. Mix the oil with the soda and place it in a decorative box. Another idea is to dip a cotton ball in pure vanilla extract and place it on a small plate. This tip works best in small spaces, like drawers, closets, and bathrooms.
– For kitchen odors: place a small dish of vinegar near the kitchen odor. The vinegar will remove it for you.
– Place your favorite citrus peels in a pot. Cover with water and cook over low heat. It will refresh your kitchen and the rest of the house at the same time.

If the above methods still don’t appeal to you, feel free to call Bexar County Industries or email [email protected] and we will give you a free estimate to clean your home.