START WITH A PLAN – Use the free printable Spring Cleaning Checklist below as your guide or jot down what spring cleaning tasks you’d like to complete. Maybe you’ve been cleaning all month long and just have a couple tasks to complete and you need a little motivation to finish up or maybe you haven’t done any spring cleaning and only want to do a quick burst of cleaning and call it good. I recommend choosing 3-5 big impact items that you will see results from. Write down the tasks and make that your plan. 

GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES – If you don’t have your spring cleaning supplies at the ready, this will take time and motivation away from your cleaning. Grab what you need, put it in one place or in a caddy and put it where you’ll need it. Go here to see my favorite tools for spring cleaning.

GET OTHERS INVOLVED – If you have other family members at home that can help, ask for it! Split up your tasks and delegate.

START WITH A GARBAGE BAG – Set a timer for 10 minutes and run through your house first and fill the garbage bag up with any TRASH. This can be from garbage cans, floors, tables, whatever. Just quickly gather things that can be thrown out.

SET A TIMER – Don’t just set a timer for 3 hours and get started – that’s too long and it will just lead to overwhelm. Split up your tasks into manageable time slots and set your timer accordingly. Let’s say you have 1 hour and you want to accomplish 3 things. Set your timer for 15 minutes for each task and then use the last 15 minutes to complete anything that needs to be completed.

SPRING CLEAN – work from top to bottom and left to right on the area you are cleaning and work as quickly as you can. Once your timer goes off, assess where you are at in the process and keep going or move to another task. Once you finish with the time frame you’ve decided on, re-assess and see where you are at in the process. Either go for another round of spring cleaning, save what you can for another day, or call it good. Take 15 minutes to tidy up any unfinished areas.

Here’s your checklist to get started:

• FOLLOW: Make sure you’re following along on Instagram @cleanmama
• SUBSCRIBE: If you haven’t subscribed to the blog – you can do that by putting your name and email address in the Free Printables Page
• DOWNLOAD + PRINT: Once you get the password (you only need to enter your email address in ONE time), grab the Spring Cleaning Checklist on the Free Printables Page – use it as a guide as you’re getting started. Work through the list at your own pace, speed clean your way through it, or pick and choose your spring cleaning priorities.

NEW TO THE CLEAN MAMA ROUTINE?: You might want to grab this printable for a run-down of the Clean Mama Routine.

Happy Spring Cleaning – thanks for joining me this month!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Spring Cleaning Speed Clean appeared first on Clean Mama.

This week is all about catching up on any Spring Cleaning Tasks and giving the house a thorough once-over to finish it up. Here’s my checklist for the week:

• dust all the surfaces in your home
• vacuum all the floors in your home
• wash all hard surface floors in your home
• sweep/vacuum garage
• sweep porch/patio

I added the Spring Cleaning Checklist tasks (link to the free printable is below) to my Homekeeping Planner (psst: grab it on sale and use the coupon code WHOOP for an additional $10 off through April 1st – this brings it to OVER 50% off). I plugged the spring cleaning tasks into days that it made sense with the Daily and Weekly Tasks. For instance, I’m doing the dusting on Tuesday – Dusting Day, Vacuuming all the floors on Wednesday – Vacuuming Day and washing all hard surface floors on Thursday – Floor Washing Day. On Friday and/ or Saturday we’ll work on the garage and porch as a family.

Here’s your checklist to get started:

• FOLLOW: Make sure you’re following along on Instagram @cleanmama
• SUBSCRIBE: If you haven’t subscribed to the blog – you can do that by putting your name and email address in the Free Printables Page
• DOWNLOAD + PRINT: Once you get the password (you only need to enter your email address in ONE time), grab the Spring Cleaning Checklist on the Free Printables Page – this is what we are following for the month of March.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS: Spread the word on your social media and tag me so I can share too! Cleaning is always more fun with friends!

WATCH FOR A NEW POST EVERY MONDAY: Every Monday for the month of March I’ll lay out the plan for the week, tell you how I’m approaching Spring Cleaning and then I’ll have a post or two during each week that helps with the tasks for the week. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for DAILY updates from the Clean Mama HQ (my house).

NEW TO THE CLEAN MAMA ROUTINE?: I’m going to be doing a little bit of review and introduction before we get started on our Spring Cleaning – don’t even think about getting overwhelmed, it’s just cleaning and it’ll be fun! Look for a post on supplies, the Clean Mama Routine, and a SALE this week in the shop! You might want to grab this printable for a run-down of the Clean Mama Routine.

Happy Spring Cleaning – thanks for joining me this month!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Spring Cleaning Month : The Grand Finale – Catch-All Week! appeared first on Clean Mama.

If you have down or synthetic pillows, you can wash them. Latex and foam pillows are the only kind of pillow that you don’t want to launder – feel free to try washing them in the washing machine as a last resort, but do not dry them – they’ll melt and disintegrate.

PILLOW PROTECTORS

If you want to extend the life of your pillows and protect your pillows and keep your pillows cleaner longer, you should be using a pillow protector. Pillow protectors helps with allergies and protects from dust mites and bed bugs by sealing pillows up so you can remove the protector and launder when you wash your pillow cases. Here are the 100% cotton pillow protectors I recommend.

WASH YOUR PILLOWS

Remove the pillowcase and pillow protector (if you don’t use a pillow protector, go and get one). You will want to use the most gentle detergent you have, avoiding harsh detergents. I love using the new Clean Mama Laundry Super Powder – it’s safe and effective on the worst set in stains but gentle enough to use on pillows and bedding.  The secret to whitening your stained and yellowed pillows? I also add a scoop or two of Clean Mama Oxygen Whitener to the load – this naturally whitens pillows and any laundry that has set-in stains and needs to be whitened up.

Set your washer on a gentle, warm water cycle as well as its largest capacity. Wash at least two pillows (to balance the machine) and no more than three pillows at a time to guarantee a thorough cleaning. After your washer has completed it’s cycle, run it through the rinse cycle again.

This is to make sure that all the detergent is removed from the pillow. I like to run my spin cycle twice as well to remove any excess water and help the pillows dry a little more quickly.

DRY YOUR PILLOWS

Once your pillows are washed and the excess water has been wrung out, you can toss them in your dryer. If your pillow is latex or foam (I don’t recommend washing it unless it’s a last resort), you will want to line dry or hang your pillow to dry as a trip through the dryer would cause the material to melt. For other synthetic materials, dry on a low to medium heat cycle and avoid any high heat. Down and natural materials can’t stand much heat, so set your dryer on Air or Low and allow them to dry thoroughly.

If you want to fluff up your pillows again, put three wool dryer balls in the dryer with the pillows or a couple tennis balls in some socks and toss them in to agitate and return the fibers to their natural state. Stop the dryer every 30 minutes or so to rotate the pillows around to make sure that they dry thoroughly and evenly.

With a little extra attention, your favorite pillows can feel like brand new again. So go ahead – wash and dry them and look forward to a good night’s sleep.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

The post How to Launder Pillows appeared first on Clean Mama.

I love comforters and duvets. They are luxurious, help to make bed-making a breeze, and just give that extra level of comfort to sleeping. Not everyone loves them – maybe you prefer quilts or blankets, but if you do you have a duvet or a comforter or two in your home, you might want to know how to wash it at home. The best part? It’s so easy to do at home. Keep reading for the simple step-by-step directions.

Comforter or Duvet?

A comforter or duvet can be made from down or synthetic fibers. Typically a comforter is sold with a solid color cover or a decorative print and not designed to be used with a cover. Whereas a duvet is an insert that is placed inside a duvet cover, much like a pillow with a pillow cover. My preference is a duvet with a duvet cover – I wash the duvet cover with sheets – either one is a great option for your bed. This is where I get my sheets and duvet – we have the all-season and absolutely LOVE it!

Freshen up First

There have been a couple situations where we definitely needed to launder our duvets but for the most part if you have a cover on it, you can easily freshen up your duvet before you need to all-out wash it. If you need to freshen up your duvet or comforter, simply put it in the dryer on low heat with three wool dryer balls or three clean tennis balls. I will stop it every 10 minutes or so to redistribute the duvet or comforter and then repeat for a total of 30-40 minutes. This fluffs up the duvet or comforter and redistributes the filling for a freshened up bed. If you are wanting to kill germs but not wash it, put the dryer on high heat, rotating every 5-10 minutes and dry for a total of 30 minutes.

Follow the Directions

Most bedding has care direction labels on them – always check those labels before putting them in the washing machine or dryer. There have been times when I have disregarded the directions because it was more expensive to have something professionally laundered then it was to replace it. I took the ‘chance’ and laundered it myself and saved the duvet for the cost of the water and detergent. Of course, launder at your own risk

I love using Clean Mama Laundry Detegrent Spray – it’s safe and effective on the worst set in stains but gentle enough to use on pillows and bedding.  Feel free to spray on any spots and stains – it’s a pre-treater too! The secret to whitening your stained and yellowed pillows? I also add a scoop or two of Clean Mama Oxygen Whitener to the load – this naturally whitens pillows and any laundry that has set-in stains and needs to be whitened up.

How to Wash a Comforter or Duvet

Remove the duvet cover if you use one. You will want to use a gentle detergent and set your washer on delicate or gentle, with a cold water cycle as well as its largest capacity.

I love using Clean Mama Laundry Detergent Spray – it’s safe and effective on the worst set in stains but gentle enough to use on pillows and bedding.  The secret to whitening your stained and yellowed pillows? I also add a scoop or two of Clean Mama Oxygen Whitener to the load – this naturally whitens pillows and any laundry that has set-in stains and needs to be whitened up.

A front load washer with a large capacity is the best machine to wash a comforter or duvet in. If you have to cram your comforter in and it’s a super tight fit, you might want to take it to the laundromat. After your washer has completed it’s cycle, run it through the rinse cycle again. This is to make sure that all the detergent is removed from the duvet or comforter. I will typically run the spin cycle an extra time as well to remove any excess water and help the comforter or duvet dry a little more quickly.

Dry Thoroughly

Once the duvet is washed and the excess water has been wrung out, you can now place it in the dryer. If your comforter or duvet is made from synthetic materials, dry on a Low to Medium heat cycle and avoid any high heat. Down and natural materials can’t stand much heat, so set your dryer on Air or Low and allow them to dry thoroughly.

If you would like to fluff up your duvet again, put a few wool dryer balls or clean tennis balls in some socks and toss them in to agitate and return the fibers to their natural state. Stop the dryer every 30 minutes or so to rotate comforter around to make sure that they dry thoroughly and evenly.

With a little extra attention, your duvet and comforter can feel like new again. So go ahead – freshen them up or wash and dry them and look forward to a good night’s sleep.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

The post How to Launder Comforters and Duvets appeared first on Clean Mama.

Use a blind duster

These little blind duster tools are great for quickly cleaning window blinds. The microfiber can be removed and laundered in between uses and it works great to trap dust from both sides of the blinds simultaneously. Bonus: you can clean two blind slats at once.

Microfiber + water

If you prefer a more ‘hands-on’ technique, use a microfiber cloth and barely dampen it. If your blinds are extra dusty or dirty, add a drop of rubbing alcohol or a drop of dish soap to help cut through the dust and grime.

Vacuum Cleaner

If you have a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment and an extending hose, try using it to vacuum your blinds. This is my favorite technique because it’s quick and it does a great job of capturing any dust in a hurry.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

The post 3 Ways to Clean Window Blinds appeared first on Clean Mama.

We’re going to start on the left hand column of the Spring Cleaning Checklist and work our way down – here’s my checklist for the week:

• wash interior windows
• clean window sills + sashes
• wash exterior windows (if possible – we won’t be doing this yet)
• launder curtains/drapes + clean blinds
• wash bath mats + shower curtains
• clean + clear bathroom counters
• clean toilets – tank to floor
• clean bathtubs + showers
• wash bathroom floors
• wash bedding – switch out if necessary
• rotate and vacuum mattresses

I added the Spring Cleaning Checklist tasks (link to the free printable is below) to my Homekeeping Planner (grab it on sale this month!) and put them on days that it made sense with the Daily and Weekly Tasks. For instance, I’m doing the bathroom deep cleaning on Monday – Bathrooms Day, Tuesday I’m doing the windows, curtains, and blinds with Dusting Day, Thursday I’m washing floors because it’s Floor Washing Day, and Saturday I’m doing the bedding and vacuum mattresses because it’s Sheets + Towels Day.

Here’s your checklist to get started:

• FOLLOW: Make sure you’re following along on Instagram @cleanmama
• SUBSCRIBE: If you haven’t subscribed to the blog – you can do that by putting your name and email address in the Free Printables Page
• DOWNLOAD + PRINT: Once you get the password (you only need to enter your email address in ONE time), grab the Spring Cleaning Checklist on the Free Printables Page – this is what we are following for the month of March.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS: Spread the word on your social media and tag me so I can share too! Cleaning is always more fun with friends!

WATCH FOR A NEW POST EVERY MONDAY: Every Monday for the month of March I’ll lay out the plan for the week, tell you how I’m approaching Spring Cleaning and then I’ll have a post or two during each week that helps with the tasks for the week. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for DAILY updates from the Clean Mama HQ (my house).

NEW TO THE CLEAN MAMA ROUTINE?: I’m going to be doing a little bit of review and introduction before we get started on our Spring Cleaning – don’t even think about getting overwhelmed, it’s just cleaning and it’ll be fun! Look for a post on supplies, the Clean Mama Routine, and a SALE this week in the shop! You might want to grab this printable for a run-down of the Clean Mama Routine.

Happy March and Happy Spring Cleaning – get excited, it’s going to be a great month!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Spring Cleaning Month : Blinds, Drapes, Bed and Bedding appeared first on Clean Mama.

ADD IT TO YOUR ROUTINE: If you’re adding cleaning your dishwasher to your cleaning rotation, clean it every month or at least every 3 months.

GATHER INGREDIENTS
1 cup white vinegar
cleaning cloth – I like using bar mop towels or microfiber cleaning cloths 

GET STARTED
Start by running the dishwasher and removing any clean dishes if you need to. Your dishwasher needs to be empty to clean it.

Wipe the edges and seal with your favorite all-purpose cleaner or white vinegar.  I am using a microfiber cleaning cloth to wipe the edges and seal.

Remove the bottom rack and check for any food particles or blockages.  If you see any blockages you can use a toothpick to get them out.

If you have a filter in your dishwasher remove it and rinse it out with hot water.  You can also use a clean toothbrush to give it a little scrub.

Pour one cup of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher.

Close the dishwasher and run it on a  quick wash, hot, sanitize cycle. This will ensure that your dishwasher is completely clean and that any mineral build-up is washed away.

When the dishwasher has completed its cycle wipe dry with a bar mop towel or a microfiber cloth.

Cleaning your dishwasher will take about 5 minutes of hands-on cleaning time and as long it takes to run the dishwasher cycle. Try this quick and easy method today!

Want more dishwasher tips?  Here’s a quick tip for emptying your dishwasher and see my favorite dishwasher detergents in this post.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post How to Naturally Clean a Dishwasher appeared first on Clean Mama.

QUICK-ISH TIP: You can always use the self-clean option on your oven to clean it but make sure that you have proper ventilation (it’s smelly) and that you don’t need to cook anything for 4+ hours.

Gather these tools and ingredients:

• all-purpose spray – don’t use anything that is toxic in your oven because you’ll be eventually heating it up and cooking in it. I like using a mixture of hot water and a drop or two of dish soap for the pre-clean.
• sponge
• container to mix paste
• baking soda
• castile or dish soap
• water

You can find the listed ingredients in the DIY Cleaners section of my Amazon shop.

START WITH A PRE-CLEAN

Remove oven racks and set aside. You can scrub these in a large sink or by hand and rinse clean.

Here’s my before picture for you – it’s seen worse, but definitely time for a good cleaning.

The purpose of a pre-clean is to get the larger food particles cleaned up from the bottom of the oven. You might realize that you only need this step if your oven isn’t too bad.
Use your favorite non-toxic all-purpose spray or make your own!

SOAP BASED ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY
16 ounces warm water
2-3 drops dish or castile soap
spray bottle

Add water and soap to spray bottle, put sprayer on, shake to combine. Spray oven thoroughly. Let sit for 15 minutes and wipe clean. Be careful to only spray on closed/sealed surfaces, do not spray the glass, heating elements, vents or seals. Don’t worry about drying your oven, it’s okay if your oven is a little wet from the pre-cleaning, that will help with your oven cleaning paste.

THE OVEN DOOR

You can use both of these procedures on the oven door BUT don’t apply them and close the door – leave the door open and take care to not let the cleaner drip inside the door.

NATURALLY CLEAN YOUR OVEN

Once you’ve pre-cleaned your oven it’s time to do a full cleaning of your oven. I like using a DIY Oven Cleaning Paste because it’s mildly abrasive, has a little extra cleaning power in it with soap and does a really good job getting the burned on oil and grease off with just a little effort.

DIY OVEN CLEANING PASTE

• 1/2 cup baking soda – enough baking soda to make a very thin paste
• 1 tablespoon castile or dish soap
• 1 cup warm/hot water

Add soap and a little baking soda at a time to your water until it comes to a very thin paste – stir thoroughly and let sit for a couple minutes to let the baking soda absorb the liquid.

Dip the sponge in the mixture and apply the paste to the oven with a sponge in a scrubbing motion and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Be careful to apply on closed/sealed surfaces, do not apply to the heating elements, vents or seals.

Rinse the sponge, scrub, wipe clean, repeat until your oven is completely clean. Allow to dry and check for any residual baking soda. You might need to rinse a little more to ensure that it’s completely removed.

Step back and enjoy your naturally-cleaned oven!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post How to Naturally Clean an Oven appeared first on Clean Mama.

We’re going to start on the left hand column of the Spring Cleaning Checklist and work our way down – here’s my checklist for the week:

• clean refrigerator
• clean freezer
• clean oven
• clean microwave
• clean dishwasher
• clean appliance fronts
• wipe kitchen cupboards
• wipe kitchen drawers
• clean laundry room

I added the Spring Cleaning Checklist tasks (link to the free printable is below) to my Homekeeping Planner (grab it on sale for $34.99 this month!) and put them on days that it made sense with the Daily and Weekly Tasks. For instance, I’m cleaning the refrigerator freezer on Friday (my typical grocery shopping and meal planning day) and I’m cleaning the laundry room on Saturday after Sheets + Towels Day.

Here’s your checklist to get started:

• FOLLOW: Make sure you’re following along on Instagram @cleanmama
• SUBSCRIBE: If you haven’t subscribed to the blog – you can do that by putting your name and email address in the Free Printables Page
• DOWNLOAD + PRINT: Once you get the password (you only need to enter your email address in ONE time), grab the Spring Cleaning Checklist on the Free Printables Page – this is what we are following for the month of March.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS: Spread the word on your social media and tag me so I can share too! Cleaning is always more fun with friends!

WATCH FOR A NEW POST EVERY MONDAY: Every Monday for the month of March I’ll lay out the plan for the week, tell you how I’m approaching Spring Cleaning and then I’ll have a post or two during each week that helps with the tasks for the week. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for DAILY updates from the Clean Mama HQ (my house).

NEW TO THE CLEAN MAMA ROUTINE?: I’m going to be doing a little bit of review and introduction before we get started on our Spring Cleaning – don’t even think about getting overwhelmed, it’s just cleaning and it’ll be fun! Look for a post on supplies, the Clean Mama Routine, and a SALE this week in the shop! You might want to grab this printable for a run-down of the Clean Mama Routine.

Happy March and Happy Spring Cleaning – get excited, it’s going to be a great month!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Spring Cleaning Month : Kitchen, Appliances, and Laundry Room appeared first on Clean Mama.

Cleaning baseboards is one of the Rotating Tasks in the Clean Mama Routine (in the Homekeeping Planner and Homekeeping Society subscription). If the thought of cleaning the baseboards in your home sounds daunting and more than overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.

If you need to dust your baseboards this duster works really well. You can also see it with some other favorite tools in this post.

I frequently vacuum the baseboards on Wednesdays when I am already vacuuming. Attaching this cleaning task to vacuuming works well because I already have the vacuum cleaner out. Curious what I vacuum with and how I use those attachments? Check out this post.

Look for a castile soap that is free of dyes, artificial scents and chemicals. It is available in the natural beauty aisle at many retailers or on Amazon. If you don’t happen to have any on hand, you can also substitute your favorite dish soap that you would use for hand washing dishes. This cleaner can be used on both painted and wood baseboards.

BASEBOARD CLEANING SOLUTION

• 4-6 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon castile or dish soap

Optional: 2 drops lemon or your favorite essential oil for a little extra scent boost

Mix ingredients together in a bucket. Using a barely damp microfiber cloth, a bar mop towel, or a well wrung out sponge, wipe as you go, rinsing the cloth or sponge frequently.

Another way to clean baseboards is with baby wipes. This option isn’t as eco-friendly because you’re using baby wipes but it works and it’s perfect for kids and their nimble knees. I have these on hand for the kids to clean with. I love that the amount of liquid is controlled so you won’t have an overturned bucket of water or puddles everywhere. It’s perfect for adults too as it is the quickest of three and requires no prep.

There is no need to dread or fear cleaning baseboards when armed with these simple methods and DIY cleaner options. Choose one today and look forward to sparkling baseboards in no time.

The post How to Clean + Wash Baseboards appeared first on Clean Mama.

We recently had our floors re-done and I tried out a new method for wall cleaning and washing and I thought you might want to try it out too if you’re needing a thorough wall washing. You might not necessarily need to wash all the walls from the floor to the ceiling but definitely hit the high traffic areas and check for handprints, fingerprints, footprints, and other smudges and smears that tend to appear. I dust corners and walls as part of my cleaning rotation, this helps keep the walls clean as well as keep the dust down in the house.

CLEANING TIP: Did you know that allergens, chemicals, germs, and all sorts of microscopic particles hang out on dust? That’s why it’s so important to remove dust on a regular basis. Getting the dust off surfaces and out of our homes is important!  You can see more about this in my book, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home.

DUST FIRST IF NECESSARY
Before you wash your walls, you might need to dust them – I have found that just using a dry mop pad on the large wall cleaner below works great! You could also use a dry microfiber mop pad on a  floor cleaner as well. If you just need to dust the corners and edges, this works or you can use an extendable duster. See my favorite spring cleaning tools here.

Here are the 4 different methods I use and recommend – choose one that works for you:

MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTH
Spot clean with microfiber cleaning cloths – add about a 1/2 teaspoon of castile or dish soap to a container and fill with about 6 cups of warm water. Work from top to bottom and left to right and in a straight up and down motion. Work in small sections and dry with a microfiber cleaning cloth as you go.

CASTILE SOAP + BAKING SODA
If you have scratches or marks that seem a little stubborn, add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the recipe and method above. The baking soda will add a little scrubbing and cleaning power to the mix.

LARGE FLOOR/WALL WASHER
Keeping dust out of the house is imperative to a clean home, especially if you have allergies. I love using this large floor/wall washer on walls to dust and clean them quickly and easily and it also doubles as a quick floor washer. I bought these cotton terry cloth mop cloths for floors and walls too – they work great! This is a multi-purpose tool – use it for both walls and floors!

Here’s the step by step on how to clean and wash walls using the large wall washer:

1. Gather your supplies – this depends on what method you want to use.
2. Dust edges and corners – remove any cobwebs and dust that might be lurking in high and low spots.
3. Dust walls – once I’ve dusted the corners and edges I check the walls for anything that can be wiped clean.
4. Choose your method – spot clean or wash walls.

QUICK TIP:  I use FLAT paint throughout our home (you can see all our paint colors here) for a couple reasons but the main one is that I love how it washes up. I also keep a small container of extra paint to do quick touch ups with a small roller when necessary. The flat paint allows for a seamless blending of paint whereas I find that when doing paint touch ups with eggshell or semi-gloss the touch-up shows so I need to redo a wall instead of a quick touch up.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post How to Clean and Wash Walls appeared first on Clean Mama.

We’re going to start on the left hand column of the Spring Cleaning Checklist and work our way down – here’s my checklist for the week:

• dust edges and corners at the ceiling level
• dust edges and corners at the ground level
• dust or vacuum vents
• vacuum baseboards
• wash baseboards
• wipe switch plates
• wipe door knobs
• dust light fixtures
• dust ceiling fans

I added the Spring Cleaning Checklist tasks (link to the free printable is below) to my Homekeeping Planner (grab it on sale!) and put them on days that it made sense with the Daily and Weekly Tasks. For instance, I’m doing the baseboards on Wednesday – Vacuuming Day and Thursday – Floor Washing Day.

Here’s your checklist to get started:

• FOLLOW: Make sure you’re following along on Instagram @cleanmama
• SUBSCRIBE: If you haven’t subscribed to the blog – you can do that by putting your name and email address in the Free Printables Page
• DOWNLOAD + PRINT: Once you get the password (you only need to enter your email address in ONE time), grab the Spring Cleaning Checklist on the Free Printables Page – this is what we are following for the month of March.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS: Spread the word on your social media and tag me so I can share too! Cleaning is always more fun with friends!

WATCH FOR A NEW POST EVERY MONDAY: Every Monday for the month of March I’ll lay out the plan for the week, tell you how I’m approaching Spring Cleaning and then I’ll have a post or two during each week that helps with the tasks for the week. Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for DAILY updates from the Clean Mama HQ (my house).

NEW TO THE CLEAN MAMA ROUTINE?: I’m going to be doing a little bit of review and introduction before we get started on our Spring Cleaning – don’t even think about getting overwhelmed, it’s just cleaning and it’ll be fun! You might want to grab this printable for a run-down of the Clean Mama Routine.

Happy March and Happy Spring Cleaning – get excited, it’s going to be a great month!

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Spring Cleaning Month : Walls, Floors, Doors, and Lights appeared first on Clean Mama.

As you are prepping your home for Spring Cleaning, consider swapping a cleaner or two for something you make yourself. I bet you have most of these ingredients at home. Keep reading for a video that shows exactly how I make these 8 DIY Cleaners in minutes.

Here are the ingredients I use for the 8 DIY CLEANERS in this video (and most DIY cleaners I make):

filtered tap water (you can use distilled water too)
baking soda
white vinegar
castile and/or dish soap
hydrogen peroxide
vodka
essential oils
rubbing alcohol

This post shares more details about these ingredients, why I use them, and how I store them.

Stock Your Home with Natural Cleaners : 7 Ingredients that Clean Just About Everything

I made you a video that shows how I DIY 8 safe and natural cleaners, including two that I use for disinfecting. Check it out – the recipes in the video are listed below in case you need them along with a free printable too!

SOURCES:
Labels, sprayers, glass spray bottles can be found here.
Cleaning cloths can be found here.
Essential oils can be found here.
Cleaning favorites page is here.
Amazon favorites page is here.
Clean Mama Books are here.

Here are the recipes for the DIY Cleaners mentioned in the video:

ALL-PURPOSE DISINFECTING SPRAY
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup vodka or rubbing alcohol
15 drops essential oil
PLEASE NOTE: If you want to up the disinfecting power in this spray, use Everclear (95% alcohol) instead of vodka – 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1 cup Everclear, 15 drops essential oil.

STONE CLEANING SPRAY
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
1/4 teaspoon castile or dish soap

GLASS CLEANING SPRAY
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol
3 drops essential oil

FABRIC REFRESHER
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vodka (or rubbing alcohol)
10 drops essential oil

FLOOR CLEANING SPRAY
1 3/4 cups warm water
1-2 drops castile soap
3-5 drops essential oil

DISINFECTING SPRAY
put a sprayer on a hydrogen peroxide bottle
spray solid surface thoroughly (do not spray on fabric)
let sit for 10-15 minutes and wipe clean

NIGHTLY SINK SCRUB
2 cups baking soda
20 drops essential oil (lemon + clove are my favorites)
a squirt of castile or dish soap in the sink

BATHROOM SCRUB
2 cups baking soda
20 drops essential oil (lemon + lavender is great for the bathroom)
a squirt of castile or dish soap if needed to add a little sudsing power

Grab this 2-page Simple DIY Recipes printable here. It’s on my Free Printable page – just put in your email address one time to get access.

Want to DIY your cleaners? Check out my labels, spray bottles, and jars here. You can also see  my Favorites Page here and my Spring Cleaning favorites here.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post 8 DIY Cleaners that Will Change How You Clean Your Home appeared first on Clean Mama.

Just like my favorite cleaning solutions and ingredients, I find that simple tools with multiple purposes work the best. By choosing multi-tasking tools and supplies you’ll be keeping the clutter away while using the best possible tools and you can use the tools all-year long! You can also see my Favorites Page here and my Spring Cleaning favorites here.

VACUUM CLEANER (WITH ATTACHMENTS)
If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner with attachments now, don’t worry about it, but when it’s time to get a new one, make sure you find one with attachments. You’ll use the attachments all year long for cleaning under appliances and furniture, vacuuming furniture, vents, light fixtures, window treatments, and so much more!

STEAM CLEANER
A steam cleaner isn’t a necessity but it will definitely help with deep cleaning and sanitizing. I purchased this one about a month ago and after a thorough testing and vetting throughout the home, I can say it’s one of my favorite cleaners and it replaces a couple other deep cleaning products.

DUSTERS
Having tools that do the job for dusting year-round is important. A blind duster is great if you have blinds but you can also use a vacuum cleaner attachment too or a damp microfiber cloth.

When it comes to general dusting I love this microfiber dusting wand – and I enjoy having a llong-handled duster for those hard to reach corners – great for spring cleaning.

LARGE FLOOR/WALL WASHER
Keeping dust out of the house is imperative to a clean home, especially if you have allergies. I’ll be talking about this method next week but I love using this large floor/wall washer on walls to dust and clean them quickly and easily and it also doubles as a quick floor washer. I bought these cotton terry cloth mop cloths for floors and walls too – they work great!

GLASS SPRAY BOTTLES
Great for DIY cleaning recipes, keep a couple spray bottles on hand and you can mix up any solution for any cleaning dilemma.

BAR MOP TOWELS
Great for cleaning tasks that you don’t want to use microfiber for or if you prefer 100% cotton over the poly blend in microfiber, I love my Bar Mop Towels.  I use them daily in the kitchen and I love them for washing baseboards and doors. This picture is under the kitchen sink – I have a hook on the back of the cupboard door to dry them daily and then I put the dry/dirty ones in the bucket until there’s enough to wash.

MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS
Great for bathrooms, hard surfaces and windows – no lint, no streaks, just the best clean. You can see my favorite Microfiber Cleaning Cloths here. New to microfiber? Here’s how to use and care for it effectively.

HEAVY DUTY SCRUB BRUSH(S)
If you’re scrubbing window sills or grout you need a heavy duty scrub brush or two. Wash in between uses with a little warm water and soap and allow to dry. I like this scrub brush for larger surfaces and this one for smaller areas that need a little scrub.

BUCKET OR CADDY
If you’re looking to keep things together and at-the-ready, put your supplies in a bucket or caddy to tote and carry through the house. Corral your supplies in a bucket while you’re spring cleaning so you can grab it when you have a couple minutes to spare.

Want to DIY your cleaners? Check out my labels, spray bottles, and jars here. You can also see  my Favorites Page here and my Spring Cleaning favorites here.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post The Best Tools for Spring Cleaning appeared first on Clean Mama.

It’s the Spring Cleaning Sale in the Clean Mama Shop and that means it’s time to stock up and get ready for your spring cleaning! Use the Coupon Code SPRINGSALE for 10% off your entire purchase – ends March 8, 2020 at 11:59pm CST! There are markdowns already taken on some items – like the undated Homekeeping Planner – you get to take an additional 10% off sale items! There’s discounted flat rate shipping and free shipping on orders $125+ in the US.

Grab the Homekeeping Planner at 10% off + it’s on sale for $39.99! That brings the price to $36!

Shop All-New Printables – intro pricing!

Shop Cloths + Towels

Shop Labels + Bottles 

Shop Laundry

Shop Notepads + Stickers

Shop Candles

It’s a Spring Cleaning Sale in the Clean Mama Shop!  Use the coupon code SPRINGSALE for 10% off your entire order through March 8, 2020 at 11:59pm CST.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post It’s the Spring Cleaning Sale! appeared first on Clean Mama.

Using green cleaning products is not only better for you and your family and the air you breathe in your home, it will simplify your spring cleaning as well. Why spend all that time cleaning with products that can potentially do more harm than good? With just a few key ingredients and hard-working products you can spring clean your entire home and I’m willing to bet that you’ll find some favorites too.

CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Choose ingredients with multiple uses and you’ll be able to mix and match to your heart’s content. One of the bonuses of DIY’ing cleaning recipes is that I have what I need on hand AND each batch costs just pennies to whip up. Run out of a cleaner, mix up a batch and keep cleaning. Simple ingredients, nothing harmful for humans or pets.

BAKING SODA
My favorite use is my Nightly Sink Scrub but that same recipe works for a Bathroom Scrub or general scrub too! Use it to freshen and deodorize carpet and mattresses and/or add a little water and soap for a scrub. Simple, yet effective, I use it so many different ways throughout the year but when it’s spring cleaning season it really shines.

WHITE VINEGAR
Think of white vinegar like a cleaning concentrate – you can use it in your carpet cleaning machine (equal parts warm water : vinegar), in an all-purpose cleaner, in an all-purpose disinfecting cleaner, to clean and polish wood, and a fabric softener. There are so many ways to use it – just keep it away from stone (granite, marble, silestone).

OXYGEN WHITENER
If you haven’t tried Oxygen Whitener yet, here’s a post with 12 uses – it’s not just for whitening laundry! I put it in a small mason jar and keep it handy for cleaning and I also keep a jar in the bathrooms to add to toilets for a little extra cleaning power.

CASTILE SOAP
It’s amazing what you can clean with warm water and a squirt of castile soap. Baseboards, doors, and floors, you can even add it to water and a foamer for hand soap.

RUBBING ALCOHOL
Put a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad to wipe down remotes and door knobs. The rubbing alcohol effectively cleans and kills germs. I also use it in my stone cleaning spray and window + glass cleaning spray – it helps dry the surfaces quickly while adding a little cleaning and disinfecting power.  I also recommend using vodka in my Lemon + Lavender Fabric Freshener, my Daily Shower Spray and my Disinfecting Spray Cleaner.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Put a sprayer on a hydrogen peroxide container and you have a powerful disinfectant at your fingertips. Great for sinks and areas that need disinfecting. I spray it on my toilet brush after I’ve used it – see my method here. You can also use it to whiten grout and get rid of minor mildew in the bathroom. DON’T take it out of the brown bottle – it loses its effectiveness after about an hour of being in the light.

ESSENTIAL OILS
I love a little scent while I’m cleaning but I like to add it myself so I know it’s 100% natural and not synthetic or an artificial fragrance. Enter essential oils. I’ve talked about them quite a bit – you can see how I use them in most of my DIY recipes. Of course, use caution around children and pets.

Want to DIY your cleaners? Check out my labels, spray bottles, and jars here. You can also see  my Favorites Page here and my Spring Cleaning favorites here.

If you’re looking for an in-depth cleaning guide, my brand-new PDF packet, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Clean Home: Finding Peace in Your Routine has amazing checklists, a quick-start guide, DIY cleaning recipes and more. Check it out here.

See all the posts for the Spring Cleaning Month series here.

The post Stock Your Home with Natural Cleaners : 7 Ingredients that Clean Just about Everything appeared first on Clean Mama.