8 Tips for a Successful Spring Cleaning
The fresh spring air brings about new life here in Oklahoma. Not only for our beautiful scenery, but also for our bodies, minds, and homes. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows us to bring new life into the often hectic seasons of spring and summer. These eight tips will help you to cover the basics of your home and be prepared for whatever else 2021 has to bring!
Tip #1: The Closet Cleanout
Let’s face it, we all have things in our closet that don’t fit, aren’t our style anymore, or that we haven’t been able to move on from. Well, my friends, it’s time to spring into action and clean out your closet. There are plenty of great places to donate your clothing such as the City Rescue Mission or Sand Springs Care Closet.
Tip #2: Pantry Once-Over (or Twice-Over)
It happens to all of us… the cans and extra treats pile up and get pushed into the pantry abyss. Take a moment to go through your stockpile and support our community by donating what you won’t use. As Yotam Ottolenghi said, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If you are looking for a place to donate, consider donating to Sand Springs Community Services!
Tip #3: Mask Maintenance
Something new to add to the list, courtesy of COVID-19, is washing or replacing your masks. All too often, masks get worn 5-7 times then gather in the center console or, worse, along the floorboards. Plan to wash your cloth masks every other day and be sure you have plenty of disposable masks, a one-time item, to use when your cloth masks are being washed.
Tip #4: Medicine Cabinet
Did you know that the worst place for your medicine cabinet is in your bathroom?! WHO KNEW??? The changing temperatures in your bathroom, due to frequent hot showers or even paper-thin windows that let cold air in, can impact the potency of your medicine. The best place to store your medications is in a room where the temperature stays the same throughout the year (preferably, medications should be kept in a lock box safely away from the curious hands of children. While you’re making the move, take a moment to go through your prescriptions. Anything that is over a year old, expired, discolored, or has a strange smell needs to be properly discarded. For all solid tablets, you can add them with water to a ziplock bag to help them dissolve. For any liquid expired medicine, you can add cat litter or coffee grounds to help make them unappealing to children or animals.
Tip #5: Home Office
While we are operating on a different system thanks to COVID-19, many families are working and learning from home. Crumpled papers, dirty dishes, and discarded to-do lists can stack up fast 𑁋 especially because no one visits our home offices but us! Take it one drawer at a time and work through your office so that motivation and creativity can flow freely once again.
Tip #6: Air Quality
It may require a ladder, but that doesn’t mean you get to skip out on changing your air filters. Since we can’t see what we breathe in, we can often forget about the cleanliness of air within our homes and businesses. Take the time to measure your vents, then change out those filters. You will be surprised at how dirty they can get!
Tip #7: Exterior Home Care
When it comes to cleaning and preparing the exterior of your home for the warmer months, there are plenty of companies in Sand Springs that specialize in exterior home care. Start with the gutters. Fall leaves, sticks, and mud have been clogging up your gutters over the last few months and they need to be cleared out so spring showers can flow freely from your rooftop. Let’s not forget about the awakening of insects as the flowers bloom! Being prepared for those little bugs to start crawling is a great preventative step if you don’t want to deal with a bug crisis later in the summer!
Tip #8: Boat Maintenance
As boats and water toys have been sitting dormant for the winter months, it’s important to prepare them for summer activities. Break out the soft bristle brush and some Dawn dish soap to make sure they are squeaky clean and ready for action. Make sure you do a complete walk through of all boat features including the fuel tank, hoses, cables, belts, and the electrical system. Consider taking it in to a professional to ensure your water toys are ready for a dip in the lake!
