20 Spring Cleaning Hacks for 2021 (from Instagram!)

It’s Spring. Which means that the phrase “Out with the old, in with the new!” is everywhere I look.  

It also means it’s time for Spring Cleaning. 

I dread the idea of a thorough spring cleaning each year as much as I get excited about it. I’m a terrible housekeeper, if I’m being honest. I let clean laundry sit in the dryer too long and don’t mop often enough. The mirrors in my bathroom are never clean and there is a huge box of stuff in the garage I keep meaning to donate.  

But every year I try to pick up a few good spring cleaning habits. I try to adopt a few new regular rituals and stick to a schedule with my laundry (washing my sheets every Monday has been one of the few weekly cleaning routines I haven’t yet ditched!).  

And I love looking online for new spring cleaning hacks I haven’t thought of or tried before. Because if someone knows a way to get my bathroom mirrors cleaner than I can, or has a brilliant trick for helping me combat the kitchen counter clutter, I want to know! 

I took to Instagram this year to find 20 Spring Cleaning Hacks I hadn’t heard of or tried before. Some seem a little ambitious. Some seem a little out there. But all of them seem worth a shot. Because, honestly, at this point, I’ll try just about anything that promises me I’ll get through with Spring Cleaning more quickly than I usually do and my house will actually be clean! 

So, here they are. Twenty cleaning hacks for all areas of your house that I discovered on Instagram! 

5 Spring Cleaning Hacks for Your Bathroom 

1. After cleaning your faucet, wipe a piece of wax paper over it. This will keep it shiny and keep water spots from forming!
2. Use a dryer sheet that is lightly damp to clean soap scum off your tile and shower doors instead of bleach or other cleaning agents.
3. Clean your makeup brushes! Dip the bristles in a combination of laundry detergent and water and then rinse them until the water runs clear. Lay them on a towel by the sink to dry. 
4. Pour a bit of all-purpose cleaner into the bowl that holds your toilet brush. This will keep the brush clean and prevent it from smelling between uses.
5. If it seems like your shower head may be losing pressure, you might have mineral deposits! Remove those deposits by taking a plastic bag and filling it with equal parts white vinegar and water. Place the bag around the shower head, making sure the holes where water comes out are covered. Secure it with a rubber band or zip tie and leave for an hour. Remove the bag, simply wipe clean and then run some hot water through the shower head and it should be good as new! If you have stubborn deposits, try scrubbing with an old toothbrush before rinsing. 

5 Spring Cleaning Hacks for Your Bedroom 

1. Closet overflowing? Turn all the hangers in your closet around. When you wear an item of clothing, place it back on the hanger and turn the hanger the right way. This time next year, if the hanger is still backward in your closet, it means you haven’t worn that item of clothing and it’s time for that item to be donated!
2. Rotate your mattress. Then freshen it up! To deodorize your mattress, sprinkle baking soda and let it sit for a while before vacuuming it off and making the bed.
3. Wash your pillows. Check the tag on your pillows to know what the best way to get yours clean is, but most can be tossed in the washing machine!
4. Use an old pillowcase to clean your fan! Simply slide the pillow case on each fan blade and wipe the blades clean. The dust falls directly into the pillowcase for quick and easy clean up!
5. Stick any items you can in the dishwasher for faster cleaning! Tweezers, small garbage cans, refillable soap bottles and containers and so on can all be run through a wash cycle for quick and efficient cleaning.

5 Spring Cleaning Hacks for Your Kitchen 

1. If your mugs are stained with coffee or tea, let them soak in a mixture that is a mixture of baking soda and water. 
2. Clean the dishwasher! This will help ensure that no residue or anything yucky is sticking on your plates and silverware after you run it through a cycle. Pull out the bottom rack of the dishwasher and wash the base of the dishwasher. Then fill a bowl with distilled vinegar and place it on the top rack. Run the cycle on hot and voila! Your dishwasher is clean!
3. Steam clean the microwave! Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and the juice from half a lemon. Turn the microwave on high for 10 minutes. When it’s done, let the bowl sit in the microwave for an additional five minutes. Then remove the bowl and wipe the microwave clean with cloth or paper towel.
4. To clean your stovetop, mix equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration). Use this mix to remove grime and grease from your stove. 
5. Use a Magic Eraser to clean your sink! Used with water, the Magic Eraser will get your stainless steel sink spotless! Used with a bit of bleach, the Magic Eraser will have your white sink looking new again!

5 Spring Cleaning Hacks for Your Family or Living Room 

1. Cleaning the windows? Wait until a cloudy day. Cleaning them when they sun is shining makes the cleaning liquid dry faster, which usually results in streaks. 
2. To clean your blinds, fit an old pair of clean socks on each prong of a set of kitchen tongs. Then simple clamp the tongs on each individual blind and watch the socks wipe the dust away!
3. Rotate any rugs you may have. This ensures that they wear evenly. And, if the sunlight from your windows hits your rug directly, rotating the rug ensures that one area doesn’t discolor more rapidly than any other area. 
4. Refresh the couch with baking soda. Brush away any crumbs first, then sprinkle baking soda directly onto couch cushions and let it sit for 30 minutes. Remove the baking soda with a vacuum using the brush attachment. 
5. Wipe down television screens and remote controls with microfiber cloths. Apply this same method to phones, tablets and remote controls to kill germs.