6 Things You Need to Deep Clean in Your House This Spring

The first thing you’re going to do is to take everything out of the fridge. Clean and disinfect the shelves and drawers, then wipe them down so they’re dry.

As you put your food back in an organized manner, pay attention to the foods that may have been lurking in the back for a bit. You might end up finding things that you forgot you bought, or things that your family didn’t end up liking as much as you thought.

Whether you have a closet-sized pantry, you use a cabinet, or even a drawer, take the time to clean out the space where you store your dry goods.

First, take everything out. Then sweep, dust, and wipe down shelves with a damp paper towel. Organize your dry goods, and when you put them back make sure that the items closest to expiration are near the front so that you use them first.

Raise your hand if you clean under your furniture. Now raise your hand if you clean behind your furniture. There probably weren’t as many hands raised on the second one, but that’s ok because today’s the day.

Carefully, and with help if necessary, move your pieces of furniture one by one away from the wall. Sweep and mop, or vacuum, the floor where the furniture was. Dust the back of the furniture and the wall it was touching, and if necessary, wash the wall with a wet sponge.

Let’s get those kicks nice and clean! This task can be very meditative once you get into a groove. First, line up all of your shoes, then one by one wipe down their soles with a damp paper towel, getting as much dirt and mud off of them.

Let them dry, then do the same thing with a disinfecting wipe or a paper towel misted with disinfecting spray. Then wipe them down one more time with a damp paper towel to get any excess cleaning solution off of them.

Note: be careful to just clean the soles this way. The tops of your shoes will need to be cleaned differently depending on their material. Leather shoes should be cleaned following the directions on leather cleaner, and suede shoes should be cleaned with a stiff brush.

This one is tough but satisfying when you’re done. First, clean the floor or tiles the way you normally would to get off any dirt. Next, mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the tile so that the grout is wet. Scrub the grout, then rinse with water. You can use a sponge for this, but an old toothbrush works better, and you’ll need one in the next step.

Make a paste out of water and baking soda, then apply it with the brush directly to the grout. Spray it with the water and vinegar solution, and it will begin to foam up. Scrub it again with the brush, then rinse with warm water.