Springtime is officially now upon us! We’ve had a long winter in Dallas but a new season has come, finally, and what better way to celebrate than by setting up a deep, long spring cleaning?
Deep cleaning is customary (or at least it should be!) after each season, which makes it 4x a year. It’s a great way to renew your spirit and give a fresh, clean vibe to your home. Besides, it’s more than reasonable to deep clean your entire home once a quarter to make sure everything looks good and presentable.
Whenever you have a huge task ahead, it’s important to work smarter and not harder. Cleaning is not the exception. Many cleaning items can ensure you work faster and safer while still taking care of your pocket.
Here’s a guide for getting the best cleaning supplies for spring cleaning. Everything from cleaning gadgets to remove dirt and grease in the blink of an eye, and up to effective and harmless cleaning agents.
Once you learn how to choose your cleaning products, your spring cleaning will become easier and more pleasant. Let’s get started!
Basic Cleaning Agents
Let’s start with the must-have products that you should get before you start cleaning.
Buying in bulk is always better in the long run, especially if you like cleaning often. If that is not the case, you can always split the bill with friends, neighbors, or family members.
Baking Soda
Besides your must-have ingredient for desserts, baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a type of salt that is useful for many cleaning purposes, such as deodorizing, degreasing, and even killing mold.
The best part is that it can be combined with other cleaning products, such as vinegar and soap, and even with bleach!
Dish Soap
In this list, we also need to include a product that helps cut down grease and creates suds. Regular dish soap will work just great! The good thing about it is that you can choose the right concentration. It can be just straight from the bottle for a highly degreasing and cleaning action.
Or you can dilute it into water if you want to cover big surfaces or if you want to soak entire items into a bowl or a sink. By using hot water, you are combining the cleaning properties from soap and adding heat on top you are speeding up the process.
Vinegar
Vinegar is the most versatile cleaning agent you’ll find, probably. Its “formal” name is acetic acid, although it is usually diluted with a 5% concentration which is what we know as white cooking vinegar. It works for basically all rooms and surfaces with a few exceptions.
Vinegar is made from alcohol so it’s great for killing mold as well as many types of bacteria. If you check our guide about household chemical products, you won’t be surprised to find it there.
Even if it isn’t as aggressive as other types of acid, vinegar can still cause staining to some sensitive materials, mostly organic materials such as natural stone (gran6ite, marble, or quartz) as well as natural wood, such as hardwood floors.
You can read more cleaning solutions using vinegar here.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is the easiest, cheapest way of obtaining citric acid which is a powerful degreaser. It is no surprise that basically all dish detergents and some laundry detergents have citric acid as part of their ingredients.
You can find citric acid in powder as well, and it’s easier to store it without worrying about it going bad like you would with lemons.
Choosing Safe, Eco-Friendly, and Affordable Options for Spring Cleaning
Over the last years, you have probably seen more and more companies that offer green, natural, and/or environmentally friendly alternatives for many areas including cleaning. The good side is that there are many ways to choose healthier alternatives to the traditional, industrial options.
For example, you can try finding products that offer safer, more natural cleaning agents. Traditional manufactured brands tend to use chemicals that can be harmful to your body (skin contact, breathing, allergies).
Another good idea is to look for vegan, cruelty-free products. Many chemicals are tested on animals such as rabbits, monkeys, and guinea pigs. Cruelty-free products mean that they are never tested on animals, and vegan cleaning products are 100% plant and mineral-based.
You can also find products that offer plastic-free packaging. The U.S. is one of the most contaminating countries and this includes the use of plastic that ends up in the ocean. You will find options such as cardboard, kraft paper, glass, or biodegradable packaging.
Concentrated products are another great choice. This means that the item needs to be diluted into water, which you can do it at home in a second. Their packaging is less contaminating because you need less plastic for the same product, and this will make them more affordable in the long run.
Make sure you calculate how many times you can dilute them into water versus a regular cleaning product that is meant to be used undiluted.
Multipurpose or Specialized Cleaning Products
Natural Stone Cleaners
Unfortunately, as mentioned above vinegar is not a great choice for natural stone cleaners. In this case, you should look for a specialized granite or marble cleaner.
If you don’t have any, you can use a tiny bit of mild dish soap with warm water, wiping several times to ensure you don’t leave any soap residues left.
Hardwood Cleaners and Conditioners
Natural products need certain conditions of temperature and humidity in order to stay healthy. For example, Dallas can reach humidity levels from as low as 50% and up to 90% on the same day! Highly unstable temperature and humidity mean that you should keep an eye on your wooden surfaces and furniture.
You can use teak oil or olive oil mixed with lemon juice as a natural conditioner, so keep it in mind if you plan on applying conditioner to your wooden surfaces.
Leather Conditioner
Same as wooden items, if you have leather furniture or upholstery and you see that it desperately needs some care, it’s best to buy a leather cleaner/conditioner. Fortunately, they are very cheap (as low as $5) and they last a long time since leather doesn’t need to be cleaned that often.
All-Purpose Cleaners
If you feel inspired by eco-friendly products now that you’ve read a bit more about them, the good news is that they usually offer all-purpose cleaners. You can buy them by gallon which is twice as good because you can recycle the gallon container. Some stores or brands can even refill or trade your (clean) empty containers and offer a discount.
They are safe to use on many different surfaces and can make your job easier since you don’t have to change between 10 different cleaning products.
Items for Scrubbing, Wiping, and Rubbing
Microfiber Towels and Cloths
If you want to clean like a pro, switch to microfiber cloths instead of cotton ones. Microfiber works better than cotton because it absorbs more moisture and dirt.
Sponges
Besides your microfiber cloths, you will also need some sponges for scrubbing the grease and dirt away, especially in your kitchen. Non-scratch sponges will do for most surfaces, although you might want to get yourself some big yellow sponges.
For reaching nooks and crannies, find yourself an old toothbrush! It will help you give them a second use and they’re perfect for the job.
Squeegee
This is great for cleaning windows and mirrors and other glass surfaces. If you have really tall windows you might want to get yourself a squeegee with an extension pole.
Cleaning Gadgets to Improve Your Spring Cleaning
Power Scrubber
This is an incredible gadget. It is a bristle brush attachment for your power tool, similar to a toilet brush. It usually comes in a set of different shapes and sizes.
The goal here is to attach the head to the power tool and let it do all the heavy work with just the push of a button! It is especially helpful for cleaning tiles and grout because it really gets the grease and dirt out. The best part is that they are less than $10 per set!
Steamer
A steamer or steam cleaner is a device capable of generating steam, usually through a nozzle.
If you are thinking about investing in a steamer, you can check multi-purpose or 3-in-1 steamers, that work as wet vacuum cleaners, handheld steamers, and long-handled steamers.
Vacuum Cleaner
There are hundreds of vacuum cleaners in all shapes and sizes. It’s always a good idea to find items that are capable of achieving different purposes at the same time.
Similar to steamers, you can find models that are adaptable to different needs, going from a traditional vacuum cleaner to a hand vacuum, and even with attachments to clean upholstery.
You have a lot of price ranges as well, where you can find an adaptable vacuum cleaner for as low as $70. It is more than reasonable considering how much easier your spring cleaning will be if you have one of these.
Don’t Forget About Safety When You Are Spring Cleaning!
Even if your chosen cleaning products are not harmful, you can’t ever be too sure. Remember you need to protect your skin, your eyes, and your nose (from breathing chemicals).
Make sure you bring latex cleaning gloves, a face mask, and safety goggles.
Always test your cleaning products in a small, inconspicuous area. Remember to let air flow in small spaces, especially if you are using strong chemicals such as those with bleach and ammonia.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about spring cleaning soon, now you have all the tips and tricks for choosing your entire cleaning set. You are going to spend some time and energy here so it’s best to think exactly what you are getting.
There are many, many guides on the internet for spring cleaning. You can check the Spring Cleaning guide from Dallas Maids, for example. Make sure you visit a few of those and then create your own checklist. Remember, it’s not a perfect recipe and it’s also not about reaching every single area and surface, but more about keeping everything together as good as possible.
As mentioned above, remember you should deep clean your home at least 2 to 4 times a year. If you are buying all your items in bulk, it might be a good idea to distribute them in order to fit that schedule, including both spring cleaning and regular cleaning.
These tips will help you work faster and reduce the effort, but you need to keep and mind that spring cleaning will always demand a lot of time and energy, especially if you have a large home. Remember you can contact us to hire a professional service and forget about cleaning for endless hours.
Good luck and enjoy your spring cleaning!
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