by Melissa Miles McCarter

Created on: February 22, 2010

Spring is right around the corner so now is the time to get prepared to clean out your house.  You want to make sure you are cleaning smart—not hard. To do this, you need the right tools and supplies for your spring cleaning.  Here are some other tips to help you in your spring cleaning efforts.

A duster.  Nowadays there are so many choices, but a great duster I use is the

Pledge duster which works on so many surfaces and grabs dust and dirt way better than regular dusters. Gloves are needed for those nasty cleaning jobs (I use them to clean out the cat litter box).  I like to use Mr. Clean’s disposable gloves.  Once you touch dirt and grime, it is much easier to throw away the gloves than to try re-sanitizing them.

Something to mop your floors.  I gave up a regular mop long ago.  My tool of choice is the Swiffer Wet Jet.  You will be amazed how much dirt it takes up compared to a regular mop, plus it works on so many types of floors.

Vinegar.  I buy a large bottle of Vinegar, and dilute it in an old spray bottle and use it for so many purposes.  It is a great green effective cleaning agent and works well to cut grease when washing dishes.  It can also be used as a quick air-freshener as well.

Lemon.  I like to use lemon to put in my garbage disposal—ground up, it is the best odor remover.  Lemon juice can also be used to get stainless steel clean, so I use it to give my sink a nice cleaning.

Baking soda is also a great odor remover and I buy a box to put in my fridge to cut down on smells.  Here is a great article about other cleaning uses for baking soda. Febreze or some other fabric refresher.  So many bad scents occur because of fabric, so I like to stock up on this cleaning supply to make my house smell really fresh.

Bins, baskets and other containers are a must have for spring cleaning.  I like to stock on these organizing tools to help get every room in my house clean. 

Empty spray bottles—from old cleaners or new ones bought cheaply at grocery stores can be lifesavers for spring cleaning.  I keep a few around and use them to create my own green cleaning solutions.

Finally, make sure you have something to keep all your supplies in or a place to keep it stored.  I like to store my supplies in a bin I can easily tote everywhere in the house, and keep room-specific cleaning supplies in a small crate in a closet or under a sink for easy access.

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